Pentagon orders ‘white glove’ treatment for those returning to military service after Covid-19 vaccine refusal
By Haley Britzky, CNN
(CNN) — Former troops kicked out of military service for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine will receive “special category VIP or ‘white glove’ treatment” if they rejoin, the Pentagon said Thursday in conjunction with the release of a memo to military service leaders. The changes follow criticism from some social media influencers about how returning troops have been treated at military intake facilities.
Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement the changes would accompany a review of the Pentagon’s Covid-19 vaccine policy that would examine “what occurred, why, and what the Department will do to ensure that it never happens again.”
The memo, signed by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata, told military service leaders to make changes at Military Entrance Processing Stations, or MEPS, sites where recruits undergo medical screenings, aptitude tests and other final checks before being brought into military service.
“As these efforts continue, the Military Departments are directed to prioritize special-category VIP treatment for affected former service members,” Tata wrote.
Special treatment for returning troops includes accepting late arrival, being given priority processing, and a “trained escort to expedite screening,” the memo said.
The reinstatement of troops kicked out over the vaccine mandate has been a priority for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though only a fraction of those who were separated have put back on a military uniform. As of May this year, only 13 people of more than 8,000 removed from service had returned under the Pentagon’s policy to reinstate them. Asked Friday for updated numbers a Pentagon spokesperson said the agency had no update to those figures.
The memo comes just weeks after a closed-door meeting between Tata, Hegseth and other senior officials with a group of people who have been outspoken on social media about the Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
The Pentagon started requiring that troops be vaccinated against Covid-19 in 2021, one of many vaccines required by the military for its service members, particularly those deploying abroad. The mandate was rescinded in 2023 after Congress required its removal, an effort largely seen as a win for conservative lawmakers and advocates who argued it was hindering the military’s recruitment efforts, though Pentagon officials said there was no evidence to support the claim.
Tata also wrote in the memo that the department would undertake a review of its vaccine policies that will include looking at the consistency of the Covid-19 vaccine mandate “with historical vaccine policy,” personnel impacts, how the mandate was managed across the military services, how it was decided which individuals were exempt from the mandate and how people were discharged.
Many of the changes for reentering troops directed in the latest memo appear to address concerns about the arduous intake processes at military facilities. Those facilities have long been understaffed and plagued by lengthy timelines bringing in new recruits.
Tata said in the memo that the Pentagon has “implemented enhancements” intended “to ensure a professional, respectful, and efficient experience.”
The memo appeared to take some involved in the MEPS process by surprise, with one source familiar with MEPS telling CNN, “MEPS staffing nationwide is horrendous, there are no trained escorts.”
The-CNN-Wire
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