In a striking turn of events, a former military officer, whose career was derailed by the COVID-19 vaccination mandate, now faces the potential loss of his second career due to his stance against the vaccine. Joshua Zermeno, a veteran of the U.S. military with 13 years of service, found himself at odds with the Department of Defense (DoD) shortly after it enforced the vaccination mandate in August 2021.
Zermeno expressed skepticism regarding the mandate’s efficacy and legality, ultimately deciding not to comply. The repercussions were swift: he received two Letters of Reprimand (LORs), a “Do Not Promote” recommendation that stymied his promotion to Major, and was subsequently barred from government buildings, relegating him to telework.
In October 2021, the Department of the Air Force offered a voluntary separation option for those refusing the vaccine. Zermeno, with the approval of his squadron commander, applied for this option, but his request was summarily denied by higher-ups, who deemed it “not in the best interest of the Air Force and Space Force.”
Only a week later, UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) proceedings were initiated against him, a process that dragged on for 11 months. Although former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin rescinded the mandate and ordered the reversal of all punishments in January 2023, Zermeno’s command chain ignored the directive, passing him over for promotion a second time due to his refusal to get vaccinated. Eventually, he was involuntarily separated, a decision masked as a “failure to promote,” with documentation clearly indicating that his vaccine refusal was the primary cause.
When former President Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of service members dismissed for vaccine refusal, Zermeno rushed to Vandenberg Space Force Base, eager to explore his reinstatement options. Unfortunately, he found that not a single office could provide the necessary guidance. He was forced to reach out to the Air Force’s Total Force Service Center, only to learn they had “zero guidance” from the DoD, leading to the establishment of a “ticket” for further follow-up. For two months, his inquiries yielded nothing but the same frustrating absence of information.
In April 2025, the Air Force finally released reinstatement guidance that contradicted Trump’s executive order, imposing a four-year commitment, reducing back pay due to civilian earnings, mandating MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) clearance—which has now become a barrier to reinstatement—and offering no protections against those who initially punished dissenters like Zermeno.
Despite the numerous obstacles, Zermeno remains open to the idea of reinstatement but insists that “very few will return until the reinstatement process is fundamentally reformed and accountability is enforced for those who issued unlawful orders.”
In an effort to cope with the fallout from losing his military career, Zermeno penned a memoir titled Disobeying An Unlawful Order: A Space Force Officer’s Fight for Freedom, which recounts his experiences with the DoD’s COVID-19 mandate.
The timing of his book’s publication seems to have sparked further scrutiny. On June 2, 2025, just ten days after his memoir hit the shelves, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) contacted his employer to initiate a supplemental information request about his Top Secret clearance eligibility. Zermeno took to social media, sharing his concerns: “It’s hard to believe the timing of this request is a coincidence. I am now waiting to find out what the ‘developed information’ is that they mentioned in the memorandum they provided to my employer, and whether they plan to revoke my Top Secret clearance, which could jeopardize my civilian job with the DoD.”
On June 2, 2025, I published a memoir detailing my experience with the DoD’s COVID mandate. On June 12, 2025, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) contacted my employer to initiate a supplemental information request regarding my Top Secret clearance… https://t.co/mymLedcWKo pic.twitter.com/XRri6NJ1Oh
— Joshua (@JoshuaZermeno) June 17, 2025
Leading the DCSA is David Cattler, a Biden appointee who took over the role of director on March 24, 2024. Zermeno suspects that the agency may be retaliating against him. “The timing of this request raises questions about its legitimacy,” he stated, emphasizing the precariousness of his situation.
While grateful for the efforts of President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth to reinstate military personnel, Zermeno critiques the current reinstatement process as flawed and not aligning with Trump’s executive order from January 27. He argues that many individuals within the system are obstructing the reinstatement of affected personnel.
To address these systemic issues, Zermeno proposes a pause in the process across all military branches to create a dedicated task force focused on oversight of reinstatement, restitution, and accountability for all DoD vaccine-related punishments. He stresses that this task force should exclude those who enforced the unlawful vaccine mandates to ensure impartiality.
He envisions this task force being led by a retired four-star general known for opposing vaccine mandates, alongside a former military JAG lawyer and a civilian medical researcher, both of whom have resisted vaccine enforcement. This leadership team would be tasked with fairly processing claims and investigating unlawful orders.
Furthermore, Zermeno suggests that the task force should include impacted service members, dedicated patriots, vetted civilian financial analysts, and constitutional law advocates to manage reinstatement, provide restitution (including back pay and medical costs), hold accountable those who issued unlawful orders, and reform policies to protect current service members from similar punishments in the future.
“This task force, operating under the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, would deliver justice, rebuild trust, and enhance military readiness without bureaucratic bias,” Zermeno concludes, advocating for a military that is fair and honorable, ultimately strengthening the armed forces and preventing future injustices.
