US Defense Secretary (the position is now officially titled Secretary of War) Pete Hegseth held a ceremony at the Pentagon to return Brigadier General Melissa S. Cunningham of the Air Force to service. The general was discharged from the armed forces in 2022 after refusing to undergo the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination that was required at the time. The mandatory vaccination requirement for military personnel was implemented during the coronavirus pandemic and was subsequently repealed following a change in political direction. Cunningham's case became one of examples of a review of personnel decisions made regarding military members who refused vaccination based on personal convictions. The general's return to service fits into a broader trend under the new Pentagon administration aimed at rehabilitating military personnel who were affected by previous vaccination requirements. Hegseth, heading the military department, had previously stated his intention to review personnel policies from the pandemic period and reinstate those who were discharged or demoted due to refusal to be vaccinated. The ceremony at the Pentagon was symbolic in nature, underscoring a shift in the approach of US military leadership to issues related to pandemic restrictions in the military. No official comments have yet been made regarding further similar cases of military personnel reinstatement.