The
Department of Defense
is not considering providing service members who were separated over their refusal to get the
coronavirus
vaccine
with back pay, an apparent shift from last week.
Pentagon
spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder walked back remarks at Tuesday’s briefing from fellow spokesman Maj. Charlie Dietz, who told the Washington Examiner and at least one other
outlet
last Friday that it was
under consideration
.
“What I would tell you is, right now, we are not currently pursuing back pay to service members who were dismissed for refusing to take the COVID vaccination,” Ryder said during his first time taking questions from reporters since Dietz said, “Regarding back pay, the Department is still exploring this and will provide its views on legislation of this nature at the appropriate time and through the appropriate process.”
Ryder, when asked about it later, said he’s “not going to speculate about what the future might portend,” and, when asked specifically with Dietz’s remarks, added, “So I can tell you that, right now, we’re not currently pursuing back pay.”
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He was then read Dietz’s comments verbatim by another reporter and was asked what had changed from the time of Dietz’s statement and his, and Ryder responded, “So again, today, as a matter of policy, we’re not currently pursuing back pay to service members who refused to take the COVID vaccine. If and when there are any updates to provide, we’ll be sure to do that.”
Defense Secretary
Lloyd Austin
mandated all U.S. military members get the vaccine back in August 2021. He rescinded the policy earlier this month after Congress mandated it in this year’s
National Defense Authorization Act
. While unvaccinated service members are no longer at risk of getting involuntarily separated following the policy reversal, it did not allow for those people to rejoin the service or receive back pay.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The department separated roughly 8,400 service members who refused to get the vaccine or get an exemption request approved while the policy was in effect. Over 2 million service members, or 96% of the active duty and reserve forces, are fully vaccinated, having met the mandate’s now-defunct requirement.
