Senate Confirms New SOUTHCOM Boss, DOD Personnel Leader

Aug. 11, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Senate on Aug. 11 confirmed a new leader for U.S. Southern Command and a new undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. The pace of confirmations ticked up with the approach of Congress’ August recess.

The Senate confirmed Army Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson, commander of United States Army North, to receive her fourth star and to lead SOUTHCOM. Richardson will be the second woman to lead a combatant command, following retired Air Force Gen. Lori J. Robinson, who commanded U.S. Northern Command before retiring in 2018.

President Joe Biden nominated Richardson for the job in March while also nominating USAF Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, current Air Mobility Command boss, to lead U.S. Transportation Command. That nomination is still pending without a confirmation hearing date set.

The Senate also confirmed former Rep. Gil Cisneros to lead DOD personnel and readiness. Cisneros, who was a Democratic representative for California’s 39th district until early this year, is a Navy veteran who served as a supply officer for 11 years.

Earlier in the week, the Senate also made additional confirmations, including:

Mara E. Karlin to serve as assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities. Karlin formerly served as acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.
USAF Maj. Gen. Ricky N. Rupp to receive his third star and to command U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force. Rupp currently commands the Air Force District of Washington.
USAF Maj. Gen. Russell L. Mack to receive his third star and to serve as deputy commander of Air Combat Command. Mack currently serves as the assistant deputy chief of staff, operations, in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations.
Carlos Del Toro to be the next Secretary of the Navy.

New Skunk Works Plant to Build Advanced Fighters, Other Projects

Aug. 11, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

PALMDALE, Calif.—Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works advanced development division opened a new 215,000-square-foot production facility Aug. 10, allowing reporters and visitors a glimpse inside the state-of-the-art factory before it begins production of classified systems and is likely permanently closed to non-cleared personnel.

What will be built here first is a secret, but Skunk Works Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babione said he anticipates the facility—at the Air Force’s sprawling Plant 42 complex—will build fighters; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft; hypersonic missiles; and other advanced projects, with possibly more than one project in series production at a time. He declined to say specifically whether Lockheed Martin will build Next-Generation Air Dominance fighters at the plant.

“This is a one-of-a-kind facility,” Babione told reporters in a press conference. One of four new factories to be opened by Lockheed Martin nationwide this year, it is an “intelligent, flexible” facility where there are “no permanent structures…there’s nothing drilled into the floor,” he said, allowing the plant to be reconfigured at will for efficient, flexible manufacturing. This flips the concept of most factories—such that for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter in Fort Worth, Texas—designed specifically to produce a particular product.

“We have flexibility about where to put what you’re building within this massive floorplan,” he said. “Rather than the work coming to the robot, the robot will go to the work.” Robots will be able to perform one operation “on one end of the factory in the morning, and a completely different operation at the other end in the afternoon. So you’re going to see a significant increase in automation.”

The robots are commercial machines that Lockheed Martin will program. The software to make them do an operation “does not have to be resident” in the system, Babione said. This reduces cost because the same equipment is not dedicated solely to a particular function or program but has application to many projects.

One 27,000-pound robot on display in the new space can move on casters or on cushions of air for fine adjustment of positioning.

The robots “will talk to each other,” Babione added. “How are we doing with cutter speed? Cutter sharpness … do we need to change things? How is the quality of the holes [being drilled]?” Other innovations include advanced test capabilities for wire bundles and laser systems that can spot out-of-tolerance part thicknesses to the thousandths of an inch.

“This will be the first factory at the highest level of classification but has Wi-Fi inside,” to enable the speed of information and allow the “men and women working in that environment” to know the status of the equipment and processes at all times, he said.

The new plant will likely focus on final assembly, with parts produced at other areas of the campus and by vendors. Lockheed Martin is creating partnerships with a number of suppliers such as Spirit Aerosystems to digitally design and manufacture parts with very high precision.

“There will be no paper, only iPad-like devices,” Babione noted. The workers will have access to augmented reality systems to troubleshoot and determine the best ways for robots to execute the work in addition to developing better designs.

The cavernous plant is environmentally controlled to stay within 2.5 degrees of a set temperature in order to minimize changes of the materials in response to heat or humidity, so that joints line up as they were designed to do using digital thread methods.

“The components that make up the different vehicles that we are manufacturing have different coefficients of expansion,” Babione explained. “Composites are different than steel; steel is different than titanium; titanium is different from aluminum.” It’s important that they be assembled “at the same temperatures” at which they were manufactured, he said. “That’s how we eliminate the need to do drilling in that facility.”

The massive air conditioning system will be powered by a new solar farm adjacent to the plant with 52,000 solar panels. Lockheed Martin is working with the state and county to get the permits.

While Babione could not give an estimate as to how much the speed of work will increase versus traditional factories, he characterized it as “significant reductions … not only in design, but certainly development,” amounting to “almost a step function change” in time to complete work.

“That’s what our customer was asking for … how do we go from concept to capability much faster. The technology allows us to dramatically accelerate that life cycle,” he said.

Small batches of products can be made more efficiently in the plant.

“Not only did we not design it for anything in particular, we can design and build multiple assets within the same footprint, something that we really can’t do very well in our current arrangement,” so, “we can now bring [the values of] capacity/quantity to multiple programs” that may not be built in large numbers. “We absolutely see a future where this facility is building multiple types of platforms.” He mentioned large-scale production of hypersonic missiles as one possibility.

The new plant will also require 450 new employees at Skunk Works in Palmdale, adding to the unit’s rapid growth. Babione said advanced development has trebled its workforce—resident in Palmdale, Fort Worth, and Marietta, Ga.—since 2017, to about 5,600 employees. Those employees are heavily oriented toward engineering and administrative support, Babione said. But “the mix is changing … growing significantly in the manufacturing and labor area because we’re expanding this facility.” He also said “we are opening up a new classified facility in Marietta, as well, so I do see a significant shift … as we transition to these core manufacturing capabilities.”

Why Marietta? “We’re running out of space,” Babione said. While this pushed the production of the new plant, which has a height of about 80 feet, there is “significant unused space in Marietta. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of that as well as add capability. We don’t have any classified manufacturing space in Marietta.”

The huge investment—Babione referred to $400 million pumped into the local economy—suggests a business case for large-scale production at the site rather than the low-rate, small-volume Skunk Works production programs of the past, such as the F-117, SR-71, and U-2.

“What has changed is that the cost of technology has come way down,” Babione said. “Think about what a robot cost 20 years ago; very few people had a robot because of the massive cost … it had to have this tremendous business case.”

At the same time, customer expectations have changed, and “we have got to compress this timeframe” from concept to production, Babione said. “And that comes with a significant drop in the cost of products and services.” The new factory is not a matter of “should we do it … but, we have to do it, to meet the objectives of our customer, both from a cost and schedule standpoint” he said, adding, “things that work for our customer ultimately work for us.”

The increased production volume will also help Lockheed Martin recruit and retain workers for future advanced projects, which is “what we live for,” he said. Designing and prototyping advanced systems is “still the hallmark of what we do at Skunk Works. … It’s X-planes, advancing the state of the art, doing things that no one’s ever done before, that is at the core of what we do here.”

Air Force Global Strike Command Successfully Test Launches ICBM

Aug. 11, 2021 | By Greg Hadley

Air Force Global Strike Command launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., in the early morning hours of Aug. 11, sending the ICBM some 4,200 miles before detonating it with non-nuclear explosives near the Marshall Islands in the Pacific.

Airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.; and 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.; all contributed to the successful launch, which involved a Minuteman III missile and a Hi Fidelity Joint Test Assembly re-entry vehicle that detonated conventional explosives above the surface of the water near Kwajalein Atoll.

“The U.S. nuclear enterprise is the cornerstone of the security structure of the free world,” Col. Omar Colbert, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a statement. “Today’s test launch is just one example of how our nation’s ICBM fleet demonstrates operational readiness and reliability of the weapon system. It also allows us to showcase the amazing level of competence and capability of our Airmen.”

The test launch was not in response to “global events or regional tensions,” Lt. Col. Aaron Boudreau, Task Force commander, said in a statement. Launch calendars are made five years in advance, with planning for each particular launch taking six months to a year, he said.

Still, the test in the Pacific comes at a time when Air Force and Defense Department leadership have increasingly emphasized the threat posed by competition with China, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

Within the past few weeks, search groups studying satellite imagery of a desert in western China have spotted more than 100 new silos for ICBMs, news outlets have reported, as the Chinese seemingly bolster their nuclear arsenal.

In response, Air Force leaders have emphasized the need for the U.S. to modernize its own nuclear missiles.

“I believe modernization is a critical part of that, right? Modernization is a critical part of counter-proliferation,” 20th Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Michael J. Lutton said during a virtual Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event Aug. 10. “And modernization is a critical part of nuclear nonproliferation. It is beneficial to work with the Chinese. We’ll see if the Chinese want to work with us.”

Minuteman III missiles, like the one used in the Aug. 11 test, were first deployed in 1970 and are expected to remain in use into the 2030s, with Air Force leaders saying they are committed to ensuring the aging system remains an effective deterrent while simultaneously advocating for its replacement, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent.

GBSD, however, has faced some criticism in Congress over its cost, and President Joe Biden’s administration is conducting a Nuclear Posture Review that will outline its view of the future of America’s nuclear triad.

20th Air Force Commander: Nuclear Modernization is Path to a Treaty with China

Aug. 10, 2021 | By Abraham Mahshie

A visit to China as a one-star solidified 20th Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Michael J. Lutton’s belief that waiting to modernize America’s nuclear arsenal won’t work.

That’s because, in his view, the Chinese see treaties as a sign of weakness.

“I think the challenge is going to be on the Chinese side,” Lutton said during a virtual Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event Aug. 10. “I’ll go back to that visit that I had. I was pretty amazed when we had a dialogue … where they talked about treaties.”

Lutton was part of a 2017 conversation with Chinese military academics, representatives from what he said is Beijing’s equivalent of the National War College.

“They wanted to know why the U.S. has so many treaties in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility,” said Lutton, who oversees the Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The dialogue between the American military officers and Chinese academics continued, but the two sides remained an ocean apart.

“What they were still confounded by was why the United States would have a treaty because at least in these officers’ minds, treaties were an indication of weakness,” Lutton said. “Great nations don’t have treaties.”

China is not bound by strategic arms limitations treaties such New START between the United States and Russia, which was renewed for another five years in February. That treaty allows the two parties to verify each other’s nuclear reserves.

“The interesting thing on China that I find is the near complete lack of transparency,” Lutton said, describing a “very complex decision-making process” for the Chinese national security apparatus.

Lutton’s comments come on the heels of the publication of satellite data that reveals that China has constructed more than 100 new ICBM silos in deserts in the western part of its territory.

The Biden Administration is also undertaking a new Nuclear Posture Review that will outline its view of the future of America’s nuclear triad and whether 50-year-old Minuteman III ICBMs will be replaced by the new Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent over the next 10 years with a price tag of some $95 billion.

Lutton and other nuclear commanders, including U.S. Strategic Command’s Adm. Charles “Chas” A. Richard, have said there is no more time to delay and that life extensions will cost more than a new system.

Some liberal members of Congress, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) continue to question the need to modernize all three components of the triad or maintain the current level of missiles. In the past, Smith has argued that China has a much smaller number and that Russia is limited by treaty.

Smith made his case again in an Aug. 9 letter to President Joe Biden.

“While the cost of our nuclear modernization program has long concerned me, I have been equally concerned with the previous Administration’s complete lack of serious engagement with potential nuclear armed adversaries to pursue arms control and reduce nuclear proliferation,” Smith wrote.

Smith called on Biden to open a dialogue with China on its nuclear forces, doctrine, and intentions.

In his list of recommendations, Smith also called on the president to review the size and necessity of the land-based leg of the triad and to “independently validate the Air Force’s cost estimates” for GBSD.

Lutton agrees that the U.S. should try to negotiate with China, but he feels America will be in a stronger negotiating position with a modernized nuclear force.

“We should still try and work with the Chinese,” he said.

“I believe modernization is a critical part of that, right? Modernization is a critical part of counter-proliferation. And modernization is a critical part of nuclear nonproliferation,” he added. “It is beneficial to work with the Chinese. We’ll see if the Chinese want to work with us.”

Ahead of COVID-19 Vaccine Order, Two-Thirds of Airmen and Guardians Already Have Taken It

Aug. 10, 2021 | By Greg Hadley

In the next month or so, the COVID-19 vaccine will become mandatory for all Active-duty service members following Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III’s announcement Aug. 9 that he will ask President Joe Biden for a waiver to require the shot by Sept. 15.

For at least two-thirds of Airmen and Guardians, though, the requirement will be a moot point as they have already received the vaccine, according to updated Department of the Air Force data released Aug. 10.

All told, 66.4 percent of Active-duty personnel in the department are now at least partially vaccinated—61.9 percent of those fully. That represents roughly a five percentage point gain from the end of June, when the combined Air and Space Forces’ vaccination rate of 61 percent was ahead of the Marine Corps but behind the Army and Navy.

The most recent numbers still leave more than 33 percent of the force who have not received the shot, despite it being widely available to the military for several months. That percentage translates to more than 100,000 Airmen and Guardians.

The proportion of unvaccinated individuals grows when the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard are included with the Active duty—61.8 percent are at least partially vaccinated, 38.2 percent are not vaccinated at all.

“If we want to get out of this and really get this behind us, people have to get vaccinated,” newly installed Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Air Force Magazine in an Aug. 6 interview. “And so, the one thing I would say is to urge our Airmen, our Guardians, their families, and the people that they know, associate with, their loved ones, to get vaccinated.”

“I’ve heard from a lot of our Airmen the last couple of weeks about the COVID-19 vaccine,” Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass said in a Facebook post. “And I know there is some apprehension within the force. I agree with Secretary Austin” in urging service members to get vaccinated before mid-September arrives.

Austin was not originally expected to make the vaccine mandatory until at least one of the shots received full Food and Drug Administration approval—at the moment, three of the vaccines have received emergency use approval by the FDA.

But growing concern over rising case numbers and the spread of the “delta” variant have intensified calls for the military to add the COVID shot to its list of required vaccines for Active-duty members. According to The New York Times, the FDA is aiming to approve one vaccine, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, by early September.

Like the rest of the country, the Department of the Air Force has seen a jump in cases of the novel coronavirus. Each week for the last six weeks, the number of new cases has increased, and on Aug. 10, the department reported 865 new cases, the largest one-week increase since February.

Kendall: Current F-35 Block 4 Issues Reminiscent of Earlier JSF Problems

Aug. 10, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and new Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall have a history, and some parts of it look to be repeating themselves.

Kendall, now in his third week leading the Department of the Air Force, oversaw DOD weapons buying as the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics from 2012 to 2016. For the two years before that, he served as principal deputy undersecretary and acting undersecretary in the same office.

In those earlier years, the F-35 was not developing to plan. Serious design problems required expensive retrofits.

The issues came to a head in contractual discussions over Lot 4 of the low-rate initial production phase of the aircraft. Agreements in place since 2010, with the expected retrofits, were not what the Defense Department needed.

“We’re in a situation that bears some resemblance to one that I had earlier on, around Lot 4 or so, when there were a lot of design issues on a plane that hadn’t been resolved, and we were in the process of buying airplanes that were going to need extensive modifications,” Kendall told Air Force Magazine in an exclusive interview. “At that point, I seriously considered stopping production for two or three years to get those design issues resolved. …

“I decided not to do that.”

He instead decided to cap the production rate at 30 for two years “in part” to put pressure on the builder, Lockheed Martin, “but also to avoid buying airplanes that we were going to do expensive modifications on after we bought them.

“That worked out.”

Now, Kendall said, the Pentagon seems to be in a similar situation: The Air Force should be buying the F-35 that it needs—specifically the Block 4 upgrade with Technology Refresh 3, “which is having problems,” Kendall said.

TR3 includes a new core processor, a radar upgrade, and a new cockpit display, along with software updates to enhance electronic warfare capabilities. This refresh would “unlock” the jet’s Block 4 improvements. Because the Block 4 version is what the Air Force wants, negotiations have focused on fewer aircraft over the upcoming production lots. The F-35 Joint Program Office has said the TR3 upgrade will come in Lot 15, set for 2023, “as required.”

In the meantime, the Air Force is slowing its F-35 buys, calling for 48 in fiscal 2022 then 43 per year from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2026, a 10 percent drop from its previous future years defense plan.

Skeptics question the timeline for Block 4 upgrades. The Government Accountability Office, in a March report, said the JPO’s schedule for the modernization effort was “not realistic,” with the Pentagon regularly underestimating how much work is needed to develop the upgrades.

“I think that we need to look, at this point, [at] what the appropriate production rate is to get us from where we are to when we have that capability on hand,” Kendall said. “And the contractor has not been performing very well—there have been a lot of problems with that.”

Like the Lot 4 negotiations, Kendall said he hopes slowing the buy will apply some pressure and get the upgrades as needed.

“It’s critically important to the success of that program and the capability of that platform that we get the Technology Refresh 3 fielded into it, get the Block 4 upgrade fielded,” Kendall said. His acquisition philosophy: to get “meaningful military capability in the hands of operators. That’s what it’s all about. And we need to get to Block 4.”

The Air Force faces extremely high operating and sustainment costs for the F-35, another issue that could affect the long-term health of the fleet. While Kendall, just in his third week, said he had not had a chance to look “into it in detail,” he did recently discuss the issue with the Joint Program Office.

“They do feel that they have some ways to reduce costs significantly that they’re still exploring. So, that’s encouraging.”

The F-35 still is a “dramatically improved capability” over fourth-generation aircraft, Kendall said. The jet represents a “game-changing tactical air warfare capability. And it is expensive, compared to much earlier systems, which are much simpler and less capable.”

As the fleet expands, the Air Force and other stakeholders need to drive the costs down, he said. Some “real opportunities” include replacing the much-maligned Autonomic Logistics Information System with the Operational Data Integrated Network.

“We can hopefully reduce some manpower through that. We can reduce the cycle times for maintenance and get some savings there as well,” Kendall said.

He added: “There are also some technologies that could go into future upgrades that could reduce some of the operational costs, such as fuel, significantly, but we’re not ready to commit to those at this point.” He nodded when asked if he was referring to a “next-generation engine.”

Here’s When New PT Gear, Other Updated Uniforms Will Be Available for Airmen

Aug. 10, 2021 | By Greg Hadley

Dozens of changes are coming to the Air Force’s dress and appearance standard, as the service prepares to implement initiatives recommended by the 2020 Air Force Uniform Board.

The changes will become official when Air Force Instruction 36-2903 is republished in early October 2021, but Aug. 10, USAF released images of some of the new uniforms that will be rolled out over the coming 15 months and previewed some of the appearance changes.

On the appearance front, hosiery will now be optional for women in all variations of the dress uniform. Hair accessories, previously limited to 1 inch, can be up to 2. The Air Force has recently made several major changes to its regulations on women’s hair grooming, allowing female Airmen to wear ponytails and braids and have their hair extend six inches to either side of the point where hair is gathered behind their head.

Men will now be allowed to grow their hair to a bulk of 2.5 inches from the scalp, up from the previous 2 inches and double what was allowed up until September 2020. Men will also be allowed cosmetic tattoos on their scalp.

No change was announced to the service’s beard policy, which has been a point of contention for some Airmen who wish to grow out facial hair.

However, wing commanders will now be allowed to authorize the wearing of approved morale patches on Fridays and special occasions.

“We remain committed to maintaining an iterative approach with our dress and appearance standards,” Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services, said in a statement. “During this most recent review we approved several updates fully aligned with our Air Force standards and culture that maintain our focus on warfighting while providing options to meet many of the needs of our Airmen.”

The biggest uniform changes are coming to the Air Force’s PT gear. On March 2, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center revealed the updated design for the athletic wear, the first PT uniform update in nearly two decades. On Aug. 10, the service announced that the new gear is expected to be available in October 2022, with a four-year transition period following.

Tweaks to the service uniforms were also announced. Shirts and blouses will be made with a material that is stain- and wrinkle-resistant and moisture wicking.

For men, the shirt body will be lengthened and tapered and have a redesigned armhole and shoulder.

For women, blouses will also be lengthened and feature a redesigned armhole, along with a new neckline and collar and realigned buttons. There will also be a new maternity blouse, designed for a better fit through all trimesters.

Men’s trousers will have redesigned pockets, and women’s trousers will have a lower waistband and be straight cut, as opposed to a tapered fit. The front darts will also be removed to create a flat front.

The new men’s long-sleeved shirts will be available immediately in August 2021, while the short-sleeved men’s shirt, the tuck-in style blouse and the new maternity blouse are all expected to be available in October 2021. The updated semi-form fitting blouse will follow in January 2022, followed by the updated trousers and slacks in May 2022.

In August 2022, women will be able to buy dress mess slacks, two years after the Air Force announced it would no longer require floor-length skirts. Since then, women who have wanted to wear pants have had to buy men’s mess dress trousers and have them altered.

Among other changes, the new Air Force guidance will also allow Airmen to put their hands in their pockets while in uniform as well as drink water and use their phone while walking in their uniform.

The Space Force will continue to follow Air Force guidance until the service develops its own grooming and uniform policies, expected to be released in late 2021.

Pentagon Hints Afghan ‘Leadership’ Will Be to Blame if Kabul Falls

Aug. 9, 2021 | By Abraham Mahshie

At least five provincial Afghan capitals had fallen to the Taliban within three days, and U.S. airstrikes had failed to turn the tide for retreating Afghan forces, leading the Pentagon on Aug. 9 to preemptively blame a lack of political and combat “leadership” if the Afghan government falls.

“They have the advantages, and it’s really now their time to use those advantages,” Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said of the Afghan government’s Air Force, modern weaponry, and superior numbers in the face of the rapid Taliban advance.

“Whatever the outcomes are when we look back on this, we’re going to see that leadership, leadership in the field, [and] leadership in Kabul were really the keys,” Kirby added. “We will certainly support from the air where and when feasible, but that’s no substitute for leadership.”

Kirby declined to state the nature of “over-the-horizon” air support after the Sept. 11 withdrawal deadline.

In recent days, U.S. airstrikes have helped to push back some Taliban advances, but Kirby would not disclose the number of strikes or how many more may be coming other than to say they did not originate from Afghan soil.

Despite the recent U.S. barrage of air support, the Pentagon assessment of the Afghan government’s fight was dismal.

“We are clearly concerned,” Kirby said.

Kirby stressed that the U.S. over-the-horizon ability to strike terrorists remains “robust,” but he provided no new details on how logistical and maintenance support will be provided from afar. The U.S. is known to be negotiating with several countries in the region for basing rights.

Presently, U.S. airstrikes are believed to originate from B-52s based across the Persian Gulf at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, and from the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea.

“The secretary continues to believe that the Afghan forces have the capability, they have the capacity, to make a big difference on the battlefield,” Kirby said, noting U.S. support would come “where and when feasible.”

But the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan will change.

“We are focused—as we should be, given the president’s directive—we are focused on completing the drawdown by the end of the month and transitioning to a different bilateral relationship with Afghan forces,” he said.

Austin to Seek Waiver in Mid-September Requiring Troops to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine

Aug. 9, 2021 | By Abraham Mahshie

As the COVID-19 delta variant rapidly spreads across the country, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced he will ask President Joe Biden for a waiver to require all military service members to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, but he will wait at least a month, the Pentagon confirmed Aug. 9.

The Defense Department released Austin’s memo to the force just before Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said the reason for the delay is so that services could work on a rollout plan. Services have been offering the vaccine on a voluntary basis since December.

“He met with the service Secretaries this morning—they all understand the timing here,” Kirby said. “He wants those implementation plans to be ready.”

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Air Force Magazine during his first interview as the department’s leader that Airmen and Guardians need to get vaccinated to protect their families and teammates. The COVID-19 delta variant is spreading rapidly, with the Air Force returning to “exponential growth.”

“Every morning I get a report about other air bases that have raised their levels of concern about COVID and taking greater steps,” he said. “If we want to get out of this and really get this behind us, people have to get vaccinated. And so, the one thing I would say is to urge our Airmen, our Guardians, their families, and the people that they know, associate with, their loved ones, to get vaccinated.”

Kirby said more than 60 percent of the force has been fully vaccinated and some 73 percent of service members have received at least one dose. However, the vaccines are still voluntary as a condition of their emergency use approval by the FDA.

To date, DOD has administered more than 4.6 million vaccine doses. Among active-duty members of the military, 212,815 have been stricken by the coronavirus and more than 1,800 remain hospitalized.

Despite congressional urging, the Pentagon had long declined to ask for a presidential waiver to require the coronavirus vaccine prior to full Food and Drug Administration approval.

Then, Biden asked Austin to consider requiring the vaccine.

The memo released Aug. 9 comes after Austin consulted with the Joint Chiefs, service Secretaries, and medical professionals and details his support for requesting a waiver.

The White House has already put out a statement saying Biden supports making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for members of the military.

“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,” Biden is quoted as saying. “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.”

Nonetheless, the Pentagon said Austin will wait.

“He intends to ask for a waiver by mid-September unless or until FDA licensure occurs first,” Kirby said.

“It’s a process issue,” he added. “Until FDA licensure has occurred, you still need a formal waiver provided by the President of the United States.”

The Pentagon declined to say how the new vaccination plans will affect deploying service members or how members of the military might be punished if they refuse the vaccine once a presidential waiver is granted and the vaccine becomes required.

Kirby said vaccine refusal in the military, long a concern that led Austin to record a video in February on vaccine safety, was not a problem.

“We don’t have any evidence to suggest this is a widespread problem right now,” he said.

The Pentagon said Austin reserves the right to request the waiver sooner than the mid-September timeframe.

“We’re going watch the trends closely. We are seeing an uptick in cases, an uptick in hospitalizations across the force as we are in the country, and the delta variant is a factor,” Kirby said. “If [Secretary Austin] needs to move sooner than this timeline, then he’ll do that.”