Declassification of the Department of War Internal After-Action Review of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Mandate Report

As part of the Department of War's continuous effort to rebuild trust with Service members discharged under the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) to conduct an After-Action Review (AAR) capturing lessons learned to improve future policy. Additionally, due to President Trump's and Secretary Hegseth's commitment to accountability and transparency, the Department will publicly publish the review's findings.

To supplement NAPA, the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness will convene an internal panel of DoW military and civilian employees. The objective of this panel is to review the official decisions, coordination, planning, and execution of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate from January 2020 through January 2023.

"The Department is fully committed to restoring honor and rebuilding trust with the warfighters impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate," said Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, we continue to prioritize reinstatement, deliver remedies, and establish permanent safeguards against future mandates."

Tata added that, "the actions detailed in these memorandums reflect our ongoing dedication to transparency and accountability. By having members of the affected community lead the internal after-action review and further analyze how the COVID-19 vaccine mandate influenced decision-making and readiness-and making the findings public-we will ensure that the Department learns from the past and does not repeat these mistakes in the future."

The memorandum on the Review of the Department of War Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Mandate is available here.

The memorandum on the Declassification of the Department of War Internal After-Action Review of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Mandate Report is available here.

More information can be found at https://www.war.gov/Spotlights/COVID-19-Reinstatement/.