After being discharged under vaccine mandate, Army Soldier reinstates and completes transfer to Space Force

After being discharged under vaccine mandate, Army Soldier reinstates and completes transfer to Space Force

SCHREIVER SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- On Aug. 12, a reinstatement ceremony was held for Tech. Sgt. Kandice Whitt, allowing her to reenter the military after the COVID-19 vaccination mandate removed her from service.

Prior to her separation in 2022, Whitt served as an all-source intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army. Whitt was reinstated into the Army on Jan. 20 and officially completed her Interservice Transfer into the Space Force on May 18.

Executive Order 14184, signed Jan. 27, 2025, offers reinstatement to service members discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, opening a path back for those who left rather than taking the vaccination.

The COVID Reinstatement Task Force is helping discharged service members by providing them with the resources they need to navigate the process of reinstating. Whitt is grateful for their assistance in her journey to rejoin the military four years after the vaccine mandate took her out of uniform and fulfill the Interservice Transfer she had been approved for before her separation.

Whitt never thought she’d get the chance to serve again, so when she found out it was a possibility, she was very excited.

“I am just thrilled to be back in uniform, and to have the opportunity to serve this nation again,” says Whitt.

In her new role as an intelligence analyst for the Space Force, Whitt hopes to contribute to the growth of the service by standardizing processes and procedures in her area of expertise.

“I want to steward this profession in such a way that generations to come will want to serve in the United States military and see that service as one of the greatest honors in the world,” says Whitt.

Former Airmen and Guardians who separated over the vaccine mandate, whether discharged or having left voluntarily, have until April 1, 2027, to request a return to service. To learn more about eligibility and return pathways for reinstatement eligibility, visit, or email the DAF COVID Task Force@.