The U.S. military’s promise to make things right for service members punished under the unlawful COVID-19 vaccine mandate is unraveling—one broken promise at a time. Despite clear guidance from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declaring the mandate “unlawful as implemented,” Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brandon Budge is still on track to be separated from the Army by September 1.
CW3 Budge, a decorated Black Hawk helicopter pilot, sought to save his career earlier this year. Acting on direct advice from General Randy George, the Army’s Chief of Staff, he submitted a request to the Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR). George had personally told him he would “get it fixed.”
But on May 22, Budge’s request was rejected—without explanation or intervention from the general who had made the assurance.
Following this blow, journalist J.M. Phelps sent direct letters to Gen. George and Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll. Neither responded. The silence from the Army’s top brass is being called out by veterans, whistleblowers, and military advocates as a moral failure and a betrayal of trust.
Retired Army public affairs officer Dr. Chase Spears, host of the Finding Your Spine podcast, criticized Gen. George’s conduct. “His promise proves to be just another empty platitude,” Spears said. “Most senior officers don’t have the humility or integrity to admit when they’re wrong, let alone fix it.”
Spears warned that Gen. George and others are “holdover generals” from the Biden-era Pentagon—officers promoted precisely because they enforced controversial policies, including harsh punishments for troops who objected to the COVID-19 mandate. “These are not the people who will repair the military—they are the ones who broke it,” Spears stated bluntly.
Lt. Col. Theresa Long, an Army flight surgeon and prominent whistleblower, called the treatment of Budge and his family “an absolute disgrace.” Retired Navy officer Lt. Ted Macie echoed the outrage, saying, “Doing the right thing shouldn’t hinge on public pressure. It should hinge on principle.”
Air Force Col. Tom “Buzz” Rempfer, author of Unyielding, urged the military to “act promptly” to reverse the career damage done to service members like Budge, warning that delays only deepen distrust in military leadership.
Dr. Spears concluded with a stark warning: “The grace period is over. If Gen. George and the rest refuse to do what’s right, they need to be shown the door. The Trump Administration can’t restore the military until these people are removed.”
