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The Department of Homeland Security announced that 56 U.S. Coast Guard members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine under the Biden administration have been reinstated and will receive back pay.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the decision restores service members who were removed during the military’s vaccine mandate period.
“[Fifty-six] members of the United States Coast Guard who were kicked out of the service over the COVID-19 vaccine have finally been reinstated with back pay — this is a victory for religious, personal, and medical freedom for all Americans — both in and out of uniform,” Noem said.
“The last administration’s vaccine mandates were unconstitutional, un-American, and a gross violation of personal freedom. It was no way to treat the men and women who put everything on the line to keep our country safe,” she added.
“President Trump is righting these wrongs and returning those unjustly removed members to service. This decision to reinstate these members of the Coast Guard is a major step in the right direction,” Noem said.
The reinstatements follow President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27, 2025, executive order directing the military services to reinstate personnel who were discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the Coast Guard’s Board for Correction of Military Records, 274 enlisted members were discharged solely for refusing the vaccine during the mandate, which lasted nearly 15 months. In February, the board granted relief to 56 members after reviewing 59 cases in a group application.
The Coast Guard said the reinstated members will have their records corrected to reflect continuous active-duty service, with no break in service from the date of discharge.
Under the president’s executive order, reinstated personnel may be eligible for back pay, restored benefits, potential bonus payments and reinstatement of rank and seniority, subject to service determinations.
Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued the military-wide vaccine mandate in August 2021. The mandate was rescinded in January 2023.
The announcement also came as President Trump presented a Legion of Merit award to Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan for his heroic efforts in saving lives during last year’s Central Texas floods.
“Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan and his Coast Guard aircrew saved 165 lives as catastrophic floods swept through Central Texas. The extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskan and his fellow first responders embody the spirit of the @USCG and the best of what it means to be an American. There is no one more deserving of the Legion of Merit,” Noem posted to X.
