Biden Praises Pentagon For Mandating COVID Vaccinations For Active Duty Military

President Biden praised the Pentagon for requiring that all active-duty military be COVID vaccinated by September 15.

President Biden said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:

I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective. Over 350 million shots have been given in the United States alone. Being vaccinated will enable our service members to stay healthy, to better protect their families, and to ensure that our force is ready to operate anywhere in the world.

We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away. I am proud that our military women and men will continue to help lead the charge in the fight against this pandemic, as they so often do, by setting the example of keeping their fellow Americans safe.

Military Vaccinations Are A National Security Issue

It was the ultimate no-brainer to make sure that active-duty members of the military are vaccinated. The troops need to be vaccinated to keep themselves and the American people safe.

A military that is unvaccinated is a weaker line of national defense that jeopardizes national security.

The United States owes it to those who served to keep them safe because if the military is not safe, the country is not safe.