NAVADMIN 255/26: Navy COVID-19 Reinstatement Applications Close April 1, 2027. Here Is How DFAS Prices the Back Pay

NAVADMIN 255/26, released October 23, 2026 by Vice Admiral Jeffrey J. Czerewko as N1, gives former Sailors a deadline: applications under the Rapid Reinstatement Program, "including DD Form 149 and supporting documentation, must be submitted no later than 1 April 2027." It implements Executive Order 14184 of January 27, 2025 and ALNAV 019/26 of April 25, 2026. Three things in it are settled: the April 1, 2027 date, leave restoration under a Secretary of the Navy memorandum of September 3, 2026, and Reserve constructive service credit at 77 retirement points a year. What is not settled is any individual's money: "eligibility and final relief determinations remain subject to the applicable review and adjudication process." That process is the Board for Correction of Naval Records, and the dollar figure is a DFAS estimate issued after the board rules.

What NAVADMIN 255/26 adds to the program

The message names the MyNavyHR COVID-19 Reinstatement and Reconciliation website as "the Navy's primary source for eligibility criteria, process guidance, required forms, benefits and entitlements information." Former Sailors start with the intake form there, and the COVID Cell runs "concierge-style case management from intake through restoration." PERS-4 "shall provide assignment options before a Sailor accepts reinstatement."

• Deadline. Rapid Reinstatement Program applications, with the DD Form 149, are due no later than April 1, 2027. No separate date is set for reconciliation-only requests.
• Leave. Under the September 3, 2026 SECNAV memorandum, eligible Sailors "may receive restoration of leave lost during the separation period, including Special Leave Accrual, Active-Duty Parental Leave, and Inactive Duty Parental Leave." Where leave cannot be restored, "financial compensation may be provided."
• Reserve points. PERS-9 processes constructive service credit "at 77 points per year: 14 Annual Training points, 48 Inactive Duty Training points, and 15 participation points."

Two categories, and only one of them carries back pay

The MyNavyHR page splits applicants in two. Category 1 is "Prior-service Sailors discharged Summer 2021 to December 2022 solely for COVID-19 vaccine refusal, without additional misconduct." They may return at their prior paygrade with "eligible back pay, allowances, and special/incentive pays, subject to applicable offsets," recouped bonuses, service time, Reserve points, leave and medical expenses restored. The proof of a coercive separation is an RE-3 or RE-4 code, a JKQ, HKQ or GKQ separation code, a General or Other Than Honorable characterization, or a narrative about the vaccine. Category 2 is a Sailor who "voluntarily separated solely due to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and received an RE-1," who is "eligible to return to Navy service" through standard prior-service accession; the page lists no compensation for this group. ALNAV 019/26 adds that those who left at the end of a commitment "may also be entitled to reinstatement at prior paygrade and additional claims for relief" if they document "the unjust and/or coercive nature of their discharge." Everyone who returns takes "a minimum two-year service obligation," active duty or ready reserve.

How DFAS computes the back pay

DFAS states the formula plainly: the benefit "is calculated by your Potential Pay and Allowances minus Required Offsets during your reinstatement period," which runs from the DD214 separation date to the return date. The pay side is basic pay, BAS, BAH or OHA, COLA where it applied, recouped and forgone bonuses, and for Blended Retirement System members the 1 percent TSP contribution with lost earnings. The offsets are wages from any job, VA disability compensation, the GI Bill housing allowance (active-duty cases only), the lump-sum leave payment (the leave is restored), SGLI and FSGLI premiums, voluntary TSP contributions and DoD debts. The result is taxable. MyNavyHR says DFAS will provide a compensation estimate "within 30 days of receiving a complete package," and ALNAV 019/26 gives "60 days to accept reinstatement after receipt of the final DFAS compensation pay estimate." For Selected Reserve cases, "SELRES back pay is not subject to civilian wage offsets."

What one year of the separation period is worth, by grade

To put a scale on a single year, the table takes 2026 monthly basic pay from the DFAS table in our data, 2026 BAS ($476.95 enlisted, $328.48 officer), and 2026 BAH without dependents for the Norfolk/Portsmouth military housing area, VA298. Pick your own grade and area with the basic pay calculator, the BAH rate lookup and the BAS calculator. One caution: DFAS prices each month at the pay table and BAH rate in effect that month, for the grade the Sailor held, so 2026 figures overstate 2021 to 2025 months. The last column is the day rate of basic pay.

Leave, Reserve points and recouped bonuses

The leave rule is new. The September 3, 2026 SECNAV memorandum is not posted, so the terms for paying leave that cannot be restored are not public; the general statute, 37 U.S.C. 501(b)(1), pays leave "on the basis of the basic pay to which the member was entitled," with no allowances, and caps leave sold at 60 days in a career. Run a balance through the leave calculator once restored days post. For Reservists, 77 points a year clears the 50-point threshold in 10 U.S.C. 12732(a)(2), so each restored year is a qualifying year. Under 10 U.S.C. 12733 and 12739, retired pay is the retired pay base times 2.5 percent times points divided by 360, so 77 points add 0.535 percent of the base: on a $5,000 base, about $26.74 a month per restored year. The reserve retirement calculator does the full record. On bonuses, ALNAV 019/26 paragraph 4 says Sailors who repaid "the unearned portion of their bonus, incentive pay or similar benefit upon discharge, and who are not seeking reinstatement, may be entitled to discharge of debt" under guidance still to come.

Reconciliation without coming back

A Sailor who does not want to return, or who is still serving, can still get records fixed: complete the same intake form and select "Reconciliation Only," and "a dedicated concierge advisor will coordinate the applicable BCNR and DFAS processes, bypassing medical screening and contracting requirements." Currently serving Sailors may seek removal of Page 13s, non-judicial punishments and evaluation marks "issued solely for COVID-19 vaccine refusal." Separately, ALNAV 019/26 orders the Naval Discharge Review Board to upgrade characterizations to Honorable and reset reentry codes in a proactive review "complete by 10 December 2026."

The steps, in order

1. 1Complete the COVID-19 Reinstatement Intake Form on the MyNavyHR Sailor Reinstatement page, or contact the Navy COVID Cell at navy_covid@us.navy.mil or 901-874-9284.
2. 2Medical screening against retention standards, with a new physical only if the last one is older than 36 months.
3. 3DD Form 149 to the Board for Correction of Naval Records through the COVID Cell, with the recruiter-signed Reinstatement Cover Letter and the documents showing the coercive separation. Due no later than April 1, 2027.
4. 4Conditional board decision, then the official DFAS estimate through AskDFAS with W-2s, the DD214 and dependency documents.
5. 5Sixty days to accept after the final estimate: the two-year contract or appointment and the assignment PERS-4 offered.
6. 6After the contract is executed, the COVID Cell sends DFAS the board decision and signed contract for back pay processing.

The bottom line

NAVADMIN 255/26 changes the calendar more than the entitlement: the window closes April 1, 2027, lost leave joins the list of things to restore, and Reserve credit is fixed at 77 points a year. The money is still the DFAS formula and still waits on a board decision and a two-year obligation. Basic pay, BAS and BAH figures above are FY2026 rates used for scale; always verify with the Navy COVID Cell, DFAS and your finance office before making financial decisions.