July 10, 2023 Senate Nominations Hold Stalls Hundreds of Military Leader Appointments With the current hold in the Senate on confirming general and flag officers, as many as 650 critical leadership positions might be vacant by year's end, the deputy Pentagon press secretary said.
Oct. 21, 2022 Active duty suicide rate drops; Austin says more work needed The Annual Report on Suicide in the Military for 2021 shows a decrease in the suicide rate for active duty service members and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III stresses the Department of Defense will not stop working to address the root causes of this issue.
May 31, 2022 Biden Says U.S. Has Sacred Obligation to Fallen Service Members Americans have many obligations, President Joe Biden said. But one of them rises above all others: doing right by the service members who fight on behalf of the United States.
May 31, 2022 Defense secretary: DOD must increase efforts to destigmatize mental health care The White House and the Defense Department have made taking care of military families a priority, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said May 28.
Sept. 28, 2021 DOD Will Continue to Defend U.S. if Government Shuts Down Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass an appropriations bill before government funding lapses, triggering a partial shutdown.
Aug. 11, 2021 Services Will Make Call on Religious Exemptions to COVID-19 Vaccines For service members who have religious objections to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, the path for how they might seek an exception is defined by their individual military service's regulations, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said.
Aug. 10, 2021 SECDEF requests mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for military 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.
March 18, 2021 SEAC: DOD Will 'Move Fast' Against Extremism After Completion of Stand Downs The services must complete a military-wide stand down to conduct training on and discussion of extremism in the ranks with every service member by April 1, a task assigned in early February by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
