Re-entry is happening under an executive order from Trump.
Military officials say they have begun bringing back troops that were removed from the unit for their refusal to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Army spokesman Christopher Salridge told the Epoch Times in an email on April 10 that three active duty soldiers had been brought back in recent weeks.
Over 100 other former service members are in the process of re-enrolling, Surridge added.
President Donald Trump signed an order in late January calling the military’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate unfair and overloaded.
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Surridge said the re-entered soldiers have not yet received repayment as the agencies involved are “still working on verifying the compensation package.”
Other branches said they had not yet brought the troops home or had no information to provide.
“Since the process was approved on Monday morning, Marines have not been revived under the new pathway as the process is still in its early stages,” a Marine spokesman told the epoch era in an email.
Approximately 40 Marines completed the initial survey. This is the first step in the re-entry process, and authorities expect that numbers will increase in the coming weeks.
A Navy spokesperson told the Epoch Times that the process was just beginning.
An Air Force spokesperson told the Epoch Times in an email that the branch had no information on the issue.
The Pentagon referred to an email to the Epoch Times to questions about how many troops re-enter the branch.
In its reinstatement guidance dated April 1, the Pentagon said the department would begin outreach to former military forces eligible for readmission, including letters sent by mail. The guidance states that individuals must re-enter for four years to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Applicants must either submit an affidavit confirming that they have met all current retention criteria and have voluntarily left the service, or confirm that they have lapsed their services through a vaccine order,” the statement said.
He said outreach to former members deleted via missions is to ensure clear information on how to pursue a revival.
“They need to pursue a revival until February 7, 2026, and we are working hard to ensure that each receives clear information and support throughout the process,” he said. “Their service was important back then, but it’s still important. We’re ready to welcome them!”
Most units took the Covid-19 vaccine, but the military was to remove around 8,700 members over refusal to the Covid-19 vaccine.
The forces have been able to rejoin the military since 2023, but no repayment was guaranteed. The White House said in January that 43 members over the vaccine order had rejoined before Trump’s executive order.
