Austin Seeks Presidential Approval for Mandatory Troop Vaccinations by Mid-September

By mid-September, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will request a waiver from President Joe Biden to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for service members, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said. 

The situation in Afghanistan hinges on Afghan civilian and military leadership, the Pentagon press secretary said during a news conference.

Most of the more than 3,500 men who received the Medal of Honor earned it for actions taken during a conflict. Navy Rear Adm. Claud A. Jones is one of the few who received it for his heroics during a mysterious natural disaster.

Task Force Eagle at Fort Lee, Va., is supporting the mission of relocating up to 3,500 Afghan special immigrant applicants in support of the State Department and as directed by the Defense Department.

Soldiers assigned to the 25th Infantry Division Artillery Brigade ran, swam, climbed, crawled, jumped, paddled and otherwise maneuvered through a 36-hour "This Is My Squad" competition at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Pentagon to discuss ways to strengthen the ties between the two nations to provide for a secure and free Indo-Pacific.

The Defense Department recently launched an online guide to U.S. joint-service campgrounds and facilities that can be accessed via computer or mobile devices.

A variety of concerns keep U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on its toes — many centered around the activities of China, which quite often don't match up with the words that come out of Beijing, the Indo-Pacom commander said.

COVID-19 and other such coronaviruses likely will stay in the environment and continue to mutate, Army Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, director of Defense Health Agency, said. 

Following in her Vietnam War veteran father's footsteps, Jane Hoelscher enlisted in the Army in 1975. She said the Army gave her integrity, dignity, respect and a firm work ethic.