Media Colleagues,
A Senior Defense official will hold an off-camera, on-background press briefing today, April 8, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. EDT via Zoom.
An official will discuss how the Department is implementing President Executive Order (EO) 14184, Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military’s COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate. EO 14184 directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to take all actions necessary to make reinstatement available to Service members discharged under the COVID-19 mandate. On February 6, 2025, the Secretary of Defense signed a memorandum that directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) to provide guidance to the Military Departments on procedures to rapidly reinstate those who were involuntarily discharged or voluntarily left to avoid vaccination. That guidance was signed on February 7, 2025, and updated on April 1, 2025.
The memos can be found at Executive Orders: Guidance for Federal Personnel & Readiness Policies under EO 14184.