DAF streamlines COVID-19 reinstatement, shortens return-to-service timeline

The Department of the Air Force has revamped its COVID-19 reinstatement process in an effort to bring eligible former Airmen and Guardians back to duty faster, shifting to parallel reviews of medical certifications and Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records actions and assigning dedicated case managers to each applicant.

“The Department of the Air Force has a resolute commitment to rapidly return affected service members to the ranks,” said Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Honorable Richard L. Anderson. “By running medical certifications and record-correction board actions in parallel rather than sequentially, and establishing dedicated reinstatement case managers as single, proactive points of contact for applicants, we aim to increase the speed and ease of returning former members to service under the DAF COVID-19 reinstatement program.”

The changes follow the Secretary of War’s May 7, 2026 creation of the Department of War COVID-19 Reinstatement and Reconciliation Task Force, which directed the services to eliminate barriers, standardize procedures, and proactively reach out to affected former members.

Until now, medical clearances and records-correction actions were handled one after the other, a sequence that officials said typically imposed about a 30-day delay tied to medical certifications. Under the new approach, both tracks will move forward at the same time.

Newly assigned case managers will serve as single points of contact to help applicants navigate requirements, gather documents, connect with the right offices, coordinate handoffs, resolve administrative snags, provide status updates, and answer questions. By preparing applications correctly the first time, officials say case managers should reduce resubmissions and shorten overall timelines. With case managers handling direct communication and file preparation, the Air Force Review Board Agency’s COVID-19 Reinstatement Team will focus on adjudication and final decisions.

The policy applies to former Airmen and Guardians seeking return under Executive Order 14184, “Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military’s COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate,” signed Jan. 27, 2025. The expedited program has been extended by the Secretary of War and remains open through April 1, 2027.

Eligible individuals include those who were unjustly discharged for declining the COVID-19 vaccine, voluntarily separated or allowed service to lapse rather than comply, transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve, or received a General (Under Honorable Conditions) discharge for refusing the vaccine.

More information—including eligibility criteria, checklists and forms—is available at www.af.mil/COVID-Reinstatement. Inquiries can be sent to [email protected] or [email protected].