Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao appeared in a video discussing the Navy’s apology letter to former service members. (U.S. Navy)
"We are righting this wrong and it starts with this formal letter of apology," he said.
President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14184 shortly after returning to office last January, directing federal agencies to identify service members affected by the former vaccine requirement and take steps to reinstate them or restore certain benefits.
The order applies to former members of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force and Coast Guard who were discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025, directing the review of military discharges tied to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. (Al Drago/Reuters)
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 8,000 service members were separated after the Biden administration’s Department of Defense issued the vaccination mandate.
"It is unconscionable that thousands of former Service members who held true to their personal and religious convictions were not just separated, but separated with general (under honorable conditions), rather than honorable, discharge characterizations," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a December memo. "While many have applied for and received relief from our Military Department review boards, I believe the onus is on us to make this right."
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Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on service members dismissed from the military. (U.S. Navy)
Hegseth said he directed a proactive review of personnel records to identify individuals involuntarily discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and facilitate appropriate discharge upgrades.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy for additional information.
Michael Sinkewicz is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to michael.sinkewicz@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/navy-under-secretary-hung-cao-says-personnel-discharged-over-vaccine-mandate-were-failed