The Cost of Political Mandates Still Haunts Our Armed Forces

by Nico Melendez | Published by Washington Examiner April 21, 2025

Read the OpEd at WashintgonExaminer.com

The United States military prides itself on discipline, merit, and readiness. But when politics infects leadership, even the strongest institutions can be compromised. As a Navy servicemember serving under multiple administrations, I’ve seen firsthand how misguided policies can ripple through the force, long after the headlines fade. Nearly four years after the failed Biden administration COVID-19 vaccine mandate our military is still picking up the pieces.

President Trump’s executive order to restore the service of those wrongfully discharged over vaccine refusal was necessary, overdue, and deeply justified. The previous administration’s mandate wasn’t about readiness, it was about a disregard of personal liberties despite all consequences that may affect each person’s health, faith, or families. The result was a policy that fractured trust, bled talent, and left lasting scars on the institution it claimed to protect.

In August 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD), under then-Secretary Lloyd Austin, made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all service members. At the time, scientific consensus was already evolving. We knew then that the virus, while serious, posed minimal risk to the young and healthy, especially those in peak physical condition like our troops. Natural immunity was ignored. Legitimate concerns dismissed. More than 8,000 service members with critical skills and years of experience, were expelled.

Today, with Secretary Pete Hegseth leading the DoD and President Trump back in office, the Pentagon is working to correct course. Letters of apology and invitations to reenlist are being mailed. Websites and call centers are set up to guide ousted service members back into uniform. But even as the effort begins, the full extent of the damage is impossible to ignore.

Here’s the reality: A fraction of those discharged have returned. Of the estimated 8,000 forcibly removed from service, just over 100 have opted back into service. Some never will. Many have moved on, whether by starting businesses, enrolling in school, or simply losing faith in an institution that turned its back on them. The Army, which initially misreported its own numbers, has only reenlisted three active-duty soldiers since the executive order was signed. This is a symbol of what happens when political agendas take precedence over military judgment. Admittedly, it’s still early as the Navy just this week released new information to invite those discharged back into service.

And the bureaucratic hurdles remain daunting. While the reinstatement offer includes back pay and benefits, that figure is offset by everything the veteran earned while out of uniform. Civilian salaries, VA payments, and even basic separation pay are deducted. One sailor I know has been attempting to reenlist for more than a month, as he encounters hurdle after hurdle, it could be another 90 days before he is back in uniform, if he endures the mountain of hurdles at all.

I’ve watched talented peers leave, not because they didn’t want to serve, but because they were told their service is conditional. We ask our men and women in uniform to risk their lives for this country. The least we can do is protect their careers from political overreach.

The long-term consequences of Biden’s mandate are still unfolding. Though the numbers appear to be on the upswing, recruitment and retention remain serious challenges.  Young Americans are watching how our leaders treat those who serve. And the message they received between 2021 and 2023 was clear: you’re expendable if you don’t fall in line.

Trust isn’t rebuilt overnight. No executive order can fully undo the damage. But accountability matters, and so does leadership. President Trump’s order is about both reinstating personnel and reaffirming principles. It’s about reminding every American service member that readiness and trust, not politics, must guide military policy.

The military exists to fight and win wars, not to enforce ideological conformity. What happened between 2021 and 2023 should be a cautionary tale for future leaders: when policy is driven by optics instead of operational necessity, the force and the defense of our nation suffers.

My hope is this is the last time service members are used as pawns in a political game. We owe it to those who serve now and in the future to treat them with the respect they deserve and only ask them to do the things they absolutely must, to defend our flag.

Nico Melendez is a 34 year Navy veteran. He previously served as a national spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, where he led communications during high-profile events including the 2006 liquid bomb plot and the LAX shooting. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.