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.