President Donald Trump signed an executive order offering reinstatement to service members involuntarily separated due to the COVID vax mandate.
By Catholics for Catholics
For Devin Berry, it was farewell to arms in 2022.
But now, the Navy Serviceman who was discharged for refusing to take the COVID vaccine is back in service, according to Under Secretary of War, Anthony J. Tata. Berry has been reinstated, according to a story by The Daily Wire.
In addition to being reinstated, Berry has been promoted to Petty Officer Third Class, becoming a success in the military’s efforts to correct the COVID vaccine mandate separations. Berry, an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, was involuntarily discharged in July 2022 after refusing the vaccine.
During the height of the COVID days, on August 24, 2021, the then-Department of Defense ordered all service members to be injected with COVID vaccines. More than 17,000 service members refused the shots, claiming safety fears related to the vaccine’s rapid development, questions about messenger RNA technology, and objections tied to the use of fetal cell lines in testing, according to a 2023 report from Air Force Times.
About 8,000 service members were involuntarily discharged between August 2021 and the mandate’s rescission in January 2023. The highest number of discharges were at the Marine Corps, at more than 3,700, followed by significant numbers in the Navy, Army, and Air Force. Instead of complying, thousands more in the Guard and Reserve faced suspensions, and some chose to resign or retire early.
Pleased to share the story of another brave warrior impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Devin Berry.
— Under Secretary of War Anthony J. Tata (@USW_PR_HONTata) February 12, 2026
E3 Berry, an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, was involuntarily separated in July 2022 after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. After @POTUS signed EO 14184, he contacted the… pic.twitter.com/XYP2ETwo8k
The controversy surrounding the mandate centered on the military’s low approval rates for religious and medical exemptions, prompting numerous lawsuits and claims of violations of religious freedom. While many service members were discharged “honorably,” about 4,000 received “General (Under Honorable Conditions)” discharges, a designation that can limit access to GI Bill education benefits and obstruct their transition to civilian life.
After President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14184 to offer reinstatement to service members involuntarily separated due to the vaccine requirement, Berry collaborated with the Navy’s reinstatement team to come back to the fleet, getting full back pay and three years of active-duty credit. Tata lauded Berry’s return, quoting the sailor’s desire to finish his career in what he called “the best job in the Navy.”
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