Hegseth extends COVID-19 reinstatements by one year

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday announced a one-year extension of the Department's COVID-19 reinstatement policy.

Under Hegseth's leadership, the Pentagon has worked to bring back members of the armed forces who were forced out of the military due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. 

"While, I'm proud of our efforts over the past year, our obligations to make things right are not yet complete," he said in a video. The extension will allow former military members to return to service with full reinstatement until April 1, 2027.

"Maybe you were waiting to see whether we meant it or not. We do, we hope you'll take a look," he said, addressing hesitant ex-service members.

He further announced that the active service obligation under the guidelines would drop from four years to two years and apply retroactively to personnel who already accepted reinstatement.

"This change reflects our confidence that returning members will make an immediate and positive impact," he said.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.