American Family News spoke to Captain Joshua Zermeno, the officer who has been reinstated.
He previously dedicated a significant portion of his 13-year career to space superiority within the U.S. Space Force (USSF), and he is now eager to make his return.
In August 2023, Zermeno was forced out of the military over his refusal to take the COVID-19 shot.
With the shot mandate rescinded in 2023 and the potential to return to service, he said he couldn’t let the opportunity slip away.
“President [Donald] Trump’s Executive Order [in January 2025] to bring back service members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine allowed me the chance to rejoin the military,” he explained.
Despite the order stating that service members can return and “receive full back pay, benefits, bonus payments, or compensation,” this has not been true for Zermeno and for others who should have been reinstated by their commander in chief.
The reinstatement process includes fine print that reduces any back pay by subtracting all civilian earnings made during the time of separation. In practice, only those who had zero income after leaving service receive full back pay.
The Board’s determination states: “He receives all associated backpay, benefits, and entitlement minus any required offsets based on the above corrections to his record.”
"While backpay would have helped offset the significant personal and financial damages my family endured from two years of military punishment, and the challenges of transitioning to civilian life,” Zermeno admits, “reinstatement means far more to me than any financial compensation. I was committed to returning to duty regardless, even if the backpay was zero.”
With a renewed sense of purpose after and 18-month process, he continued, “I’m set to return to duty on July 26 and I’m looking forward to everything about my new assignment.”
After a long wait, and a long fight, Zermeno will also be the first officer reinstated to the Space Force under President Trump's executive order 14184.
Zermeno told AFN that fact holds "profound meaning" to him.
"This reinstatement has unexpectedly become the defining moment of my career, offering me the chance to fully dedicate myself once more to serving our nation, to complete what I began over a decade ago, and to teach my children the importance of resilience and staying true to one’s principles.”
With his reinstatement, Zermeno not only reclaims his place within the ranks, he hopes his story embodies a spirit of perseverance that inspires fellow service members to stand firm in their convictions.
