Following numerous inquiries, allegations of political extremism, and financial struggles, an Army officer is thankful for a chance to revive his career after being booted for opposing former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s COVID-19 shot mandate.
Michael Gary is a former full-time officer in the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) of Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG) with nearly 27 years of military experience. During his service, he attained the rank of major and gained 16 years of expertise as a specialist in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) responses.
Maj. Gary raised a religious objection to the 2021 COVID-19 shot mandate, which is now considered “unlawful as implemented.” He cited concerns about the experimental nature of the vaccines and the involvement of aborted fetal tissue in their development and testing. After his request for religious accommodation was denied, Maj. Gary faced outright retaliation and retribution.
He was subjected to a bogus Army Regulation 15-6 investigation, labeled a “domestic extremist,” and ultimately received a GOMOR (General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand), a formal reprimand for significant misconduct, that ended his beloved service as an Active Guard Reserve in the MEARNG.
On January 20, 2025, Maj. Gary sent a personal letter to Pete Hegseth in the days prior to being sworn in as Secretary of Defense. A month later, Gary received a reply from the Secretary of Defense’s congressional liaison office, stating the Army Board for Correction for Military Records (ABCMR) process would provide an opportunity to correct his records.
The ABCMR began reviewing his case in June, and their findings were nothing less than historic. It was determined “by a preponderance of the evidence that an injustice occurred in the administrative procedures of issuing him a GOMOR for vaccination refusal”. In documents reviewed The Gateway Pundit, the Board ordered the removal of the GOMOR, the voiding or amendment of his separation documents, the correction of his record to eliminate all derogatory references to COVID-19 shot refusal, and a referral to the National Guard Bureau to consider his reinstatement and retroactive promotion to lieutenant colonel.
In short, they declared what Maj. Gary had known all along: He had been unjustly removed, and his record must be restored.
As the new administration continues to navigate ways for some service members to right the wrongs related to their lawful refusal of the COVID-19 shot, Maj. Gary finally achieved the tangible victory he had been hoping for on September 3. “The Army National Guard…has removed the GOMOR dated 21 March 2022 and all associated allied documents in the Service Member’s Army Personnel Records (AMHRR),” stated a letter from a Section Chief of the Army National Guard shared by Maj. Gary (@MartyrJose1776) on X.
Thank you so very much for the immediate action @DoD_USD_PR A permanently filed GOMOR not so permanent now !!! You guys Rock!!!@USD_PR_HONTata @SecDef @stuartscheller pic.twitter.com/iUJD5leYhM
— Joseph Warren Founding Martyr (@MartyrJose1776) September 4, 2025
The Gateway Pundit spoke with Maj. Gary regarding the encouraging news, who praised everyone who had a hand in restoring an honorable record of service, which has cleared the path for his reinstatement, back pay, and promotion advancement.
“My journey is more than a procedural victory,” Maj. Gary shared. “It is a testament to perseverance through injustice, faith in God’s timing, and the importance of lawful redress.” For him, “My case broke new ground, proving that even the most permanent of reprimands could be overturned when truth and justice demand it.”
In an X post on September 4, War Secretary Hegseth acknowledged Maj. Gary’s triumph, saying “Every day we are working to undo the wrongs of the unlawful COVID Vax mandate.”
Every day we are working to undo the wrongs of the unlawful COVID Vax Mandate.
Much more to be done, but we won’t stop. https://t.co/nlvbTSPRj9
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 4, 2025
A few days later, Anthony J. Tata, the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness, conveyed a similar sentiment.
Every day we are working the critical path toward smoother reinstatement, full assessment, and righting wrongs. Some days it’s “3 yards and a cloud of dust” but we will continue to move the chains down the field (nod to football season kickoff). More to follow. https://t.co/j1DKA45ztv
— Under Secretary of War Anthony J. Tata (@USW_PR_HONTata) September 7, 2025
When Secretary Hegseth and Under Secretary Tata reposted his message on X, Maj. Gary said, “It amplified more than one soldier’s vindication, as a message was broadcast to every service member wronged under the mandate.”
Maj. Gary said they have demonstrated to members of the U.S. military that: “Restoration is possible. Records can be corrected. Careers can be redeemed.”
For Gary, who likens his struggle to “the biblical story of Joseph—betrayed, punished, but ultimately elevated—this moment marks the beginning of a new chapter, not just for himself, but for a military in need of healing and renewal.”
“Behind this victory is also a family that endured the storm,” he shared. “For more than three years, the Gary family lived with uncertainty, loss, and sacrifice.” Through it all, he said his wife Jessica has been “a solid spiritual rock, holding the family together with faith and unwavering support.” His children have also stood by their father, learning “resilience and strength” from his example.
“This restoration story is not only about the clearing of a military record—it is about faith rewarded, perseverance vindicated, and the steadfast love of family and friends who carried him through,” Maj. Gary concluded.
