Thousands of veterans discharged from the military for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine during the Biden administration may regain eligibility for GI Bill education benefits, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
More than 8,000 service members were separated from the military for refusing to comply with the Pentagon’s coronavirus shot mandate, which was implemented in August 2021 and required all troops, sailors and airmen — active-duty, National Guard and Reserve — to be fully vaccinated against the virus.
Before it was rescinded in January 2023, more than half of those kicked out received a discharge that was characterized as less than fully honorable, a designation that may have made them ineligible for certain veterans benefits such as GI Bill education assistance.
