The Pentagon announced Monday that it will mandate all service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Sept. 15.

“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo.

Austin’s decision comes after President Joe Biden told defense officials to develop a plan requiring troops to get shots as part of a broader campaign to get all federal employees vaccinated.

The Delta variant continues to spread in the U.S. with hospitalizations rising steadily. There are 1.4 million people serving in the armed forces with just over a million vaccinated. COVID-19 is part of a list of 17 different health risks for military members and will now require vaccination. At least one shot has been administered to 74% of active-duty Navy members. The Air Force has vaccinated 65% of its active-duty members and the Army has vaccinated half its members.

Austin said that to defend the country, "we need a healthy and ready force.”

Military officials say that once the vaccine is mandated, refusal could constitute a failure to obey an order and may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Officials say the number of service members refusing to get vaccinated is small and the discipline could vary. Some military leaders have expressed their support for mandating the vaccine believing it will help keep the force healthy.

“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,” Biden said Monday in a statement.

Coronavirus