In a significant legal resolution, the U.S. Navy has agreed to settle with Navy SEALs who refused to comply with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate issued by the Biden administration in 2021. These SEALs, who faced disciplinary actions for their refusal, have now secured a key victory as the Navy has agreed to expunge their records.
On July 24, The Epoch Times reported that the settlement, reached in federal court, mandates the Navy to review and remove any adverse actions from the records of SEALs who declined the vaccine on religious grounds. This settlement includes provisions for those who were dismissed from service, potentially allowing them to reenlist.
Danielle Runyan of the First Liberty Institute, the legal organization that represented the SEALs, celebrated the settlement, stating, “We are pleased that these Navy members, who stood firm in their beliefs, will not suffer long-term career consequences.”
The Navy has chosen not to comment on the settlement.
The COVID-19 vaccine mandate was a highly controversial issue, especially within the military. Critics argued that the Biden administration’s aggressive push for vaccination lacked sufficient scientific backing and that the vaccines, particularly the mRNA-based ones like Pfizer and Moderna, were linked to serious health issues such as myocarditis—an inflammation of the heart. Some within the Navy reported a rise in myocarditis cases among pilots following the vaccine mandate.
Adding to the controversy, recent reports have surfaced about disinformation campaigns allegedly orchestrated by the Pentagon to discredit vaccines developed outside the United States, such as China’s Sinovac. Reuters revealed that Pentagon officials admitted to creating fake social media accounts to undermine the Chinese vaccine, a campaign they claim was halted in late 2021.
This settlement marks a notable chapter in the ongoing debate over vaccine mandates and their impact on military personnel.
