The US military discharged over 8,000 service members who rejected the COVID-19 shot. Only 43 have rejoined.

The Pentagon's vaccine mandate is no longer in effect, but its repercussions continue to be felt. Of the over 8,000 service members discharged for refusing the shot, only 43 have rejoined over the past eight months.

What's the background?

After first rolling out a vaccination program on a voluntary basis, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the mandate in 2021, penalizing all service members who resisted.

The Military Times indicated that roughly 17,000 service members ultimately refused to take the vaccine.

While around 1,200 secured exemptions, Defense Department records indicate that 3,717 Marines, 1,816 soldiers, and 2,064 sailors were discharged for refusing the vaccine, reported Reuters. Further, 834 Air Force/Space Force service members were apparently also discharged.

Approximately 70% of those ousted for their refusal to take the novel mRNA vaccine reportedly received general discharges.

The mandate and the ousters were roundly criticized.

Twenty governors, in a Nov. 30, 2022, letter demanding the mandate's repeal, stated, "The Biden vaccine mandate on our military creates a national security risk that severely impacts our defense capabilities abroad and our state readiness here at home."

About-face

The mandate remained in effect from August 2021 until January 2023, when Republicans ensured its nullification as part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

Republican Sens. Ron Johnson (Wis.), Ted Cruz (Texas), and others also proposed that military members who had been discharged for refusing the vaccine be reinstated, reported CNN. However, this amendment to the defense bill in the Senate did not pass.

Following the passage of the NDAA, Austin wrote in an unapologetic memo, "Section 525 of the NDAA for FY 2023 requires me to rescind the mandate that members of the Armed Forces be vaccinated against COVID-19, issued in my August 24, 2021 memorandum, 'Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members.' I hereby rescind that memorandum."

Accordingly, troops would no longer have to take the vaccine against their will or undergo segregation "on the basis of their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination if they sought an accommodation on religious, administrative, or medical grounds."

Despite this reversal and the provision of general discharges, thousands of ousted troops have not returned.

Gone for good

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) wrote to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth last month demanding answers about how many service members have rejoined as well as about the services' plan "to ensure continued readiness after the mandate went into effect, knowing that thousands of service members would be discharged."

Tuberville said in a corresponding statement, "Joe Biden firing thousands of healthy and dedicated service members made us weaker and never had any basis in science."

"The Senate — and, more importantly, military families — deserve a full accounting of the effects of this policy up and down the chain of command. The Pentagon needs to stop stonewalling and give us the answers we deserve."

CNN reported that, according to data provided by the military branches, since January, only 19 soldiers have rejoined the Army and 12 have rejoined the Marines. As for the Air Force and Navy, only one and two have returned, respectively.

Some analysts have suggested that the lost manpower is a drop in the bucket.

J. Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNN the numbers are "minuscule."

"I don't think there was ever any real evidence that it was getting in the way of recruitment or retention," said Morrison. "There was some grumbling, but you know the reality if you enter the military and you submit to a whole battery of different medical measures."

Last year, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger suggested the mandate had in fact impacted recruitment, particularly "in parts of the country [where] there's still myths and misbeliefs about the back story behind it," reported Military.com.

Outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said in a House Armed Services Committee hearing in early 2022, "I think if 2,000 are kicked out [of the Army], I think that would hurt."

In addition to having trouble luring back those able-bodied patriots it discharged during the pandemic, the military appears to be struggling with recruitment and retention.

For instance, TheBlaze reported Tuesday that the Army has found itself having to make "sweeping changes" to its recruiting enterprise after struggling to meet its end-strength goal.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!