Without intervention, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brandon Budge will be separated from the Army on September 1 for his objection to the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 shot in 2021, which was determined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be “unlawful as implemented.”
In March, with the hope of restoring his career, the Black Hawk helicopter pilot was advised by Gen. Randy George, the Army’s Chief of Staff, to submit his request for relief to the Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR). And at the time, the general promised he would “get it fixed,” CW3 told The Gateway Pundit in a previous article. But instead, his application was denied on May 22.
Following CW3 Budge’s interview, J.M. Phelps emailed a letter directly to Gen. George on June 5 with a request for comment. On June 11, Phelps also emailed a letter directly to Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, calling his attention to the letter sent to Gen. George and more. The inquiries were ignored by both officials.
On X, Dr. Chase Spears, a retired U.S. Army public affairs officer, writer and host of the Finding Your Spine podcast, called for “Less talk, more action.”
Top military leaders have said what we want to hear. But on many issues, they’re not following through with action.
In the Army, we had a saying that after 90 days you own the unit and can’t blame the last guy anymore.
It’s time to see those wronged under the last regime made… https://t.co/zFsiY9Pgkp
— Chase Spears (@DrChaseSpears) June 14, 2025
Following his post, Dr. Spears expressed to The Gateway Pundit that Gen. Randy George, Daniel Driscoll, and others should have the “the moral imperative” to help everyone who serves in the Army, but admitted “this isn’t the case here.”
The retired public affairs officer said, “Gen. George’s promise to help CW3 Budge proves nothing more than words he had no intention of acting on.” Throughout his 20-year career, Dr. Spears observed that too many senior military officers “say what you want to hear, but aren’t actually willing to act upon what they say.”
Dr. Spears does not expect Gen. George to honor his word to CW3 Budge or respond to the letter by J.M. Phelps. “I’d be shocked, because you rarely find the kind of humility in a general to openly admit that he promised something but failed to deliver,” he explained. “Most senior military officials, even if they know that what they’ve done is wrong, they don’t have the moral fortitude to actually take the next step and make it right. The system used to promote them to the senior ranks ensures it.”
What’s equally concerning to Dr. Spears is that “Gen. George is a holdover general just like the other generals still in the Pentagon.” And according to him, “Many of these holdovers got their promotions by prosecuting COVID-19 policies under the Biden regime, taking part in punishing soldiers, like CW3 Budge, who actually showed independent thought and were willing question the efficacy and risk of the shot.”
“Only after the fact the tide turned were they willing to signal empathy for troops wronged on their watch, but so far actions fail to match their word,” he offered. “They may have dropped all the rhetoric from the previous administration about how the shot and masks saved lives, but you’ll never get them to admit they were wrong in enforcing it on people like CW3 Budge who is losing his career over it.”
“Until new senior Pentagon leadership put in place by President Trump begins the process of actually relieving the senior officers who broke the law,” Dr. Spears said, “they’re going to have these same senior officers working to undermine the efforts of the President and Defense Secretary to make things right for military members.”
For Dr. Spears, “We’re past the point of saying the Trump Administration inherited a mess at the Pentagon. We’re past the point of grace. If General George and the other cast of characters won’t take personal action to make a situations like CW3 Budge’s right, then they need to be shown the door.”
Others in the military community also reacted strongly to the letters sent by Phelps and the lack of concern by senior military officials.
Lt. Col. Theresa Long, an Army slight surgeon and whistleblower, said “what they have done to [CW3 Brandon Budge] and his family is an absolute disgrace!”
I know CW3 Brandon Budge and what they have done to him and his family is an absolute disgrace! There is no accountability in our military and the same “leaders” that destroyed the lives and careers of tens of thousands of servicemembers are still in leadership positions and… https://t.co/bBa6Llc5j4
— Theresa M Long, MD, MPH, FS (@LTCTheresaLong) June 14, 2025
Retired Navy Medical Service Corps officer Lt. Ted Macie, also a whistleblower, found “it is disgraceful that doing the right thing apparently hinges on public pressure rather than principle.”
The denial of CW3 Budge’s BCMR record correction and the continued refusal to grant him relief speak volumes. All we’ve heard is talk and not a shred of meaningful action.
It is disgraceful that doing the right thing apparently hinges on public pressure rather than principle.…
— Ted (@ted_macie) June 15, 2025
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Tom “Buzz” Rempfer, author of Unyielding: Marathons Against Illegal Mandates, encouraged various military offices and officials to act “promptly” and “remove adverse personnel actions related to the unlawful COVID mandate and remedy career setbacks.”
@DoD_USD_PR – please act on this Warrant Officer’s case promptly – give this pilot the confidence you’re on it, doing your job – please provide some outreach.@SecDef – please ensure @DeptofDefense implements your 23 APR 25 directive to remove adverse personnel actions related… https://t.co/josLc2qfNY
— Thomas Rempfer (@rempfer_thomas) June 16, 2025
Dr. Spears encouraged readers to share Budge’s story on X, using the hashtag #RescueAndRestore.
