Aug. 26, 2021 Secretary of Defense Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations for Service Members Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a memorandum directing the secretaries of the military departments to immediately begin full vaccination of all members of the department on active duty or in the Guard or Reserve who aren't yet fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Aug. 9, 2021 Austin Seeks Presidential Approval for Mandatory Troop Vaccinations by Mid-September The COVID-19 vaccine will be mandatory for service members by mid-September, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a message to the force.
July 1, 2021 COVID-19 pandemic not over, concerns over Delta Variant growing Nearly 68% of active duty personnel have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose. But that still leaves many service members vulnerable to the delta variant of the virus, health officials at the Pentagon said.