March 2, 2021 One New York Times poll found a third of active-duty and guard members don't want the vaccine, and Pentagon leaders say that's their choice to make. SHOW TRANSCRIPT The U.S. military is not planning to make vaccinations mandatory for service members even though a large portion of troops around the world are resisting the shots so far. “If you believe, as I did, it's the right thing for you, please consider accepting it when it's offered to you," Lloyd Austin said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he won’t mandate vaccines. According to a New York Times poll, one-third of active-duty and guard members aren’t interested in getting the vaccine.