On late August 2021 Austin declared, “I have determined that mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people.”<ref>https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-4cf7451267919302de4a7b591508e80c</ref> | On late August 2021 Austin declared, “I have determined that mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people.”<ref>https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-4cf7451267919302de4a7b591508e80c</ref> |