Mark Bashaw

Bashaw was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army serving as an entomologist at the Army Public Health Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. In 2022, he was tried by court-martial and convicted on two counts of violating lawful orders under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for refusing to comply with Army COVID-19 prevention protocols — specifically refusing to telework as directed, submit a negative COVID-19 test, and wear a mask indoors. He was the first known member of the U.S. military to be convicted by court-martial for disobeying coronavirus prevention directives. The presiding military judge declined to impose any punishment, but Bashaw was discharged from the military in 2023 following the sentencing. The conviction nonetheless left him with a criminal record, which the pardon erased.