As the Department of War intensifies its initiatives to restore the careers of service members impacted by the COVID-19 shot mandate, an Air Force officer is working hard to vindicate himself against tough odds.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Captain Anthony Monteleone, an active-duty Air Force Officer with 18 years of service. On September 23, 2021, Capt. Monteleone submitted a Religious Accommodation Request for the COVID-19 shot mandate previously implemented by former Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd Austin in August 2021.
Although the shot mandate has now been deemed “unlawful as implemented,” Capt. Monteleone said the actions of his commander during the subject mandate’s unlawful implementation have resulted in “almost four full years of grave, extensive, and irreparable harm to [his] family and military career, ending [his] ability to continue to serve in the military without external intervention.”
While the tyrannical enforcement of the mandate was in effect, Capt. Monteleone said he filed at least nine Inspector General complaints, an Article 138 Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) complaint, and two Congressional Inquiries against the unlawful orders and actions of his commander—none of which resulted in relief. He noted that “acts of reprisal and retaliation,” as well as the absence of protections entitled to him under the Military Whistleblower Protection Act during this period destroyed his military career and caused irreparable harm to him and his family.
“During the mandate my commander issued a Letter of Reprimand (LOR), an Unfavorable Information File (UIF), and a Referral Officer Performance Report (OPR),” Capt. Monteleone shared. “I faced a Dishonorable Discharge on two separate occasions, was subjected to an unlawful search and seizure, had my promotion delayed for over a year, received other erroneous OPRs, was banned from my base due to my unvaccinated status, lost military Tuition Assistance for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), had to disenroll from my PhD program due to the UIF, and was banned from a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) because of my unvaccinated status, resulting in missing out on multiple career opportunities afforded to my vaccinated peers.”
The same commander allegedly refused to hire him for a General Schedule (G-13) position because he had not taken the shot cancelled a no cost joint career broadening assignment after the PCS ban, and denied multiple iterations of PCS awards after five years of exemplary service at his unit. He also noted he was denied multiple flight commander positions, denied an Assistant Director of Operations (ADO) position, and all formal and professional education and training opportunities during the mandate period.
“Because of the actions of my commander during the unlawful DoD COVID-19 vaccine mandate, I still have active derogatory paperwork in my personnel file, and not only was I denied, but I am also still ineligible or severely disadvantaged for all career enhancement programs,” Capt. Monteleone disclosed. “I am also ineligible or severely disadvantaged for special assignments and postings because of what was put in my record.”
What’s more, he said, “The actions of my commander also caused severe physical, mental, emotional, and financial strain to my family, as well as substantial moral injury.” As a husband and father of three children, he admitted, “this experience has placed immense fear, stress, anxiety, and worry on me and my family, and has not only negatively affected both my physical and mental health, but also the health of my family.”
“The entire experience has been extremely disheartening,” he lamented. “Since prior to the mandate and destruction of my career, I planned to continue my career in the military well past the 20-year mark and continue to serve as long as I was able.”
What was Capt Monteleone’s final hope for justice? Submit a packet for relief to the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records (AFBCMR). Capt. Monteleone. He submitted the packet on July 8, 2025, to correct the harms from the unlawful mandate in collaboration with his attorney Jeffrey Addicott, Director of the Warrior Defense Project, and Mike Rose, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS).
Incredibly, on September 3, the AFBCMR denied his application stating that his request “falls outside the jurisdiction of the AFBCMR. However, with the recent directive from President Donald Trump on providing relief to the military victims of the COVID mandates, the AFBCMR has reversed itself and is now reconsidering Capt. Monteleone’s case. In turn, Addicott has reached out to the Congressional Justice for Warriors Caucus, headed by Congressman Eli Crane, to request help while Rose is assisting in bringing this matter to the attention of the Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Troy Meink or Under Secretary Matthew Lohmeier.
Capt. Monteleone’s case is one of the most egregious and will certainly serve as a pattern of justice for all those who suffered under the intolerance and vindictiveness that accompanied the COVID 19 mandate. He emphasized that his views are his own and do not reflect those of the Department of War or the Department of the Air Force.
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