This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

For all the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen and revitalize the U.S. military following its disastrous, DEI-infected leadership under the Biden administration, service members are making it clear that real accountability regarding the military's highly controversial – and enormously damaging – COVID-19 shot mandate must be forthcoming for members' trust to be restored.

The many adverse effects linked to the COVID-19 shot have left service members feeling disillusioned. After all, thousands lost their careers, their rank, their pay and more, leading them to call for accountability from those who mandated and enforced the shot. Without real accountability, countless service members claim they cannot restore their trust in the military. Indeed, many members admit they will not recommend for their family or friends to join the military.

A small, independent, unscientific survey recently conducted by this reporter, just to ascertain the unvarnished views of dozens of current service members, supports this contention. Sixty-three out of 66 respondents, 95% – who were actively serving in the U.S. military – agreed that, on the heels of the tyrannical enforcement of the COVID-19 shot, including the refusal to honor religious exemption requests, accountability now is a must for them to regain trust in America's armed services.

The 2025 survey can be contrasted with a prior survey from 2023, homing in on issues such as trust in leadership as it relates to one's ability to follow their oath to the Constitution and more. Factors affecting the decrease in survey participants in 2025 compared to 2023 – some had since resigned, retired or been discharged from the military due to the COVID-19 mandate -were addressed in a prior WorldNetDaily article concerning force readiness and more.

In the 2023 survey during the Biden administration, virtually all respondents – 226 out of 229 (97%) – said they did not trust their senior leaders at the Department of Defense (general rank and flag officers) to follow their oaths to the Constitution and obey all laws. In the 2025 survey, which had a smaller number of participants, 62 out of 66 respondents (94%) shared the same sentiment of distrust towards their leaders in the recently renamed Department of War.

Similarly, in 2023, 170 of the 229 (74%) respondents reported that they do not trust their unit leaders (immediate supervisors one to two levels up) to follow their oaths to the Constitution and adhere to all laws. In comparison, the 2025 survey indicated that 46 of the 66 (70%) respondents felt the same.

The two surveys also attempted to assess whether service members believed senior leaders (general rank and flag officers) had their best interest in mind. In 2023, 227 out of 229 respondents (99%) answered "No," while in 2025, 62 out of 66 respondents (94%) gave the same response.

Similarly, when questioned about their unit leaders (immediate supervisors one to two levels up), 144 of 229 (63%) and 32 of 66 (48%) replied "No" in 2023 and 2025, respectively.

To gain some perspective, WND spoke with four survey participants who consented to share their opinions anonymously, emphasizing that their views do not represent those of the Department of War or their individual military branches.

A member of the Marine Corps said, "Leadership will fall in line with any administration's directives [to avoid putting] themselves or careers under scrutiny." He also argued that "not all commanders are created equal, as some are better than others and the level of care they have towards their troops vary." Nonetheless, he added, "even the best of them would put the preservation of their careers superior to any interest that their subordinates may have that would conflict with that."

Another service member said that, generally speaking, senior leaders close to retirement or promotion are "questionable," as many are "not willing to rock the boat in a way that could threaten their careers or promotions." Thus, regarding accountability, he said, "Senior leadership will point fingers in all directions and deflect accountability as quickly as they can."

With regard to upholding oaths to the Constitution, one Army service member told WND, "Almost all of DoD commanders demonstrated compliance in unlawfully implementing the COVID-19 mandates, and most of these commanders remain in service." In his opinion, "These commanders cater to political winds rather than the Constitution, striving first for promotions with careers measured by political compliance."

A second member of the Army agreed with the previous statement, but added, with regard to accountability over the shot mandate: "Nothing has changed, and there was no remedy from the abuse of administrative powers to injure and harm countless soldiers."