The U.S. Army announced deadlines for soldiers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus on Tuesday.
The Army will require all active-duty members to be vaccinated by Dec. 15, 2021, and all Reserve and National Guard troops to be vaccinated by June 20, 2022.
“This is quite literally a matter of life and death for our Soldiers, their families and the communities in which we live,” Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle said in a statement. “Case counts and deaths continue to be concerning as the Delta variant spreads, which makes protecting the force through mandatory vaccination a health and readiness priority for the total Army.”
Those who do not comply could face “suspension and relief,” according to the statement.
All active-duty troops across four military branches will be required to be vaccinated by the end of the year.
The U.S. Air Force said active-duty military members will have a deadline of Nov. 2, 2021, to get vaccinated. Reserve and National Guard troops will have a deadline of Dec. 2, 2021.
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps set deadlines last month for active-duty service members to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 28, 2021. Reserve service members in both branches will be required to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 28, 2021.