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SCOOP: Pentagon Leaders Confirm the Establishment of a Task Force Aimed at Tackling Issues Surrounding the COVID-19 Mandate and Reinstatement Procedure

September 4, 2025

Image: Wikimedia Commons

On September 3, over two dozen service members and veterans took part in a “Listening Session” alongside several prominent leaders and others from the Department of Defense.

Retired Air Force Colonel John McAfee, the primary author of the Commission on Military COVID-19 and Anthrax Policies (COMCAP), along with Kacy Dixon, a former Air Force intelligence officer and Judge Advocate General (JAG), were regarded as the leaders of the participating group. Some attended in person at the Pentagon, while others joined through Zoom.

In a clear departure from the practices of the former administration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness [USD (P&R)] Anthony Tata, and USD (P&R) Senior Advisor Stuart Scheller offered their full attention to the matter at hand.

The main focus of the meeting was to discuss the reinstatement of former military personnel who were booted from service due to the tyrannical enforcement of the “unlawful as implemented” COVID-19 shot mandate issued by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August 2021.

Independent journalist Sam Shoemate shared a video summary of the event on X:

 

The Gateway Pundit interviewed Joshua Zermeno, a former officer of the U.S. Space Force who was forced to leave the military, and who participated in yesterday’s meeting via Zoom. The 13-year veteran who authored DISOBEYING AN UNLAWFUL ORDER: A SPACE FORCE OFFICER’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM is strongly considering a return to the military.

Zermeno said, “All three leaders showed respect and composure, addressing a variety of issues with professionalism.” In his opinion, Defense Secretary Hegseth showed sincere concern, highlighting his wish to confirm whether reported actions match the truth of what’s happening. Under Secretary Tata demonstrated personal engagement, paying close attention to all feedback, recognizing the necessity for a dedicated task force to tackle reinstatement concerns, and pledged to continue the conversation. “Stu Scheller made sure that everyone, whether present in the room or attending via Zoom, had an opportunity to voice their thoughts, demonstrating patience and respect, even when the discussions strayed from the main topic of reinstatement.”

For Zermeno, the most encouraging result of the meeting was the confirmation from Tata and Scheller regarding the formation of a task force aimed at addressing concerns related to the mandate and reinstatement process.

“Unfortunately, less than a dozen of the invited participants were actively seeking reinstatement,” he shared. “The purpose of the meeting was to focus on the reinstatement process and explore potential improvements, but conversations broadened to areas such as vaccine injuries, medical information, legal matters, policy issues, comparisons to the anthrax mandate, and personal experiences from the period between 2021 and 2023 when the vaccine mandate was in place.”

“Although these matters are incredibly important,” Zermeno said, “this rare opportunity meeting was supposed to be specifically focused on the challenges related to the reinstatement of former service members, but it was overshadowed due to other mandate-related matters.”

“For those issues,” he offered, “multiple meetings should be considered to separately discuss the distinct areas of accountability, legal issues, injuries, and more.” He explained, “Under Secretary Tata should act swiftly to form a task force to take on all matters related to vaccine mandates, as this would be a major victory for the service members impacted and for the Department of Defense.”

“The Defense Department has shown they are open to listening, so now we need them to take action based on the feedback they have received,” Zermeno emphasized. “If the DoD aims to establish trust with service members and those affected by the COVID mandate, they must deliver tangible results.”

“I appreciate everyone who participated in and helped organize this meeting, and I am optimistic that it will result in significant advancement,” he concluded.

Several participants of the meeting were also pleased and have begun posting on X. Below are a few examples:

 

 

 

 

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