The Pentagon will not order a vaccine for the deployment of troops, but other details are unclear

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After Biden spoke, the Pentagon Thursday night released a statement that added that those “unable or unwilling” to prove their vaccination status would be “subject to official travel restrictions,” raising questions about whether the rule affected the deployments. While the deployments will continue, the finer details of the unspecified travel restrictions will be addressed in the coming days, the defense official said.

Biden also said a troop vaccine mandate was on the horizon. He directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to begin meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the department’s medical professionals to discuss how and when the Pentagon might add a Covid-19 vaccine to the Army’s list of required immunizations.

A second defense official told POLITICO this week that the Pentagon is already actively debating whether to order troop vaccination. But such a mandate is unlikely to be revoked soon; A spokesman for John Kirby noted that the vaccine is subject to emergency authorization and that Austin will consider requesting the shot once it has full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Even before the new federal rules, services had already taken steps to motivate troops to vaccinate. For example, sailors who got the shot won’t have to quarantine before deployment, according to February guidance from the Navy. Vaccinated sailors are also allowed to leave shore in countries that allow it.

More than 30 percent of active duty forces have not been vaccinated, amid a slowdown in vaccinations across the country.

The Navy has the highest vaccination rate among services at 72 percent. Navy officials said Friday that the new Defense Department guidance has yet to affect their deployment guidelines.

In the Marine Corps, some units have implemented new policy guidelines allowing vaccinated Marines to use designated fitness centers without a mask, while others have introduced orders that achieve certain vaccination rates for additional leave, Capt. Andrew Wood said in May.

A total of 59 percent of active-duty Marines have been fully vaccinated, while only 21 percent of reserve Marines have received their shots.

Meanwhile, the Air Force has embarked on a “vaccine campaign,” including posting educational videos, and encouraging base commanders to devise their own local campaigns to help educate pilots about the vaccine, Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Malinda Singleton told CAN.

As of this week, 60 percent of active duty members of the Air Force and Space Force are fully vaccinated, a number that drops to 56 percent when the Guard and Reserve forces are taken into account.

In the military, 62 percent of soldiers are vaccinated.

This week, the White House, State Department and Pentagon conservatism reimposed the indoor mask mandate for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, as delta variant cases continue to rise across the country.

Paul McCleary contributed to this report.

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