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President Donald Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw on May 28, 2025. Bashaw was court-martialed in 2022 for violating COVID-19 safety protocols at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, where he served as an entomologist and company commander at the Army Public Health Center. He was convicted on charges of refusing to telework, failing to submit a negative COVID-19 test before reporting to work, and not wearing a mask indoors—requirements for unvaccinated service members at the time. Although the military judge, Col. Robert Cohen, declined to impose punishment, the conviction left Bashaw with a criminal record and led to his discharge from the Army in 2023. The pardon erases his criminal record. Bashaw announced the pardon on X, expressing gratitude to Trump and stating he was “humbled, grateful, and ready to continue fighting for truth and justice.”