FY24SenateNational Defense 

Authorization Act (NDAA)

Summary of S. 2226

The National Defense Authorization Act 

for Fiscal Year 2024

As of August9th, 2023

Passed in 

Committee

Passed in 

Chamber Agreement Final Passage

Signed into 

Law

House June 22, 2023 July 14, 2023

Senate June 23, 2023 July 27, 2023
Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................................................- 1 -

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD - AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDING (ALL DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS).......- 3 -

AIR NATIONAL GUARD - AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDING (ALL DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)............- 3 -

LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS...................................................................................................................................- 3 -

ARMY PROGRAMS ...................................................................................................................................................- 3 -

AIR FORCE PROGRAMS..........................................................................................................................................- 4 -

RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION ..............................................................................- 4 -

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.....................................................................................................................- 4 -

MILITARY PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATIONS ....................................................................................................- 5 -

MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY .........................................................................................................................- 7 -

MEMBER EDUCATION, TRAINING, TRANSITION...........................................................................................- 8 -

DECORATIONS AND OTHER AWARDS, MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS AND OTHER MATTERS.........- 8 -

ENHANCED RECRUITING EFFORTS...................................................................................................................- 9 -

COMPENSATION AND OTHER PERSONNEL BENEFITS ................................................................................- 9 -

HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS...............................................................................................................................- 10 -

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................- 11 -

GENERAL PROVISIONS ........................................................................................................................................- 11 -

SPACE FORCE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT..................................................................................................- 12 -

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION................................................................................................................................- 12 -

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS: PROCUREMENT ................................................................................................- 18 -

SASC COMMITTEE REPORT REQUIREMENTS / ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST ................................- 18 -
- 1 -

Executive Summary

This guide provides a short summary of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Fiscal Year 2024

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

To obtain a complete understanding of any particular provision, users are encouraged to review 

the actual bill text. Bill text and the conference report can be found on NGB-LL’s website: 

https://www.nationalguard.mil/leadership/joint-staff/personal-staff/legislative-liaison/. Beyond the 

legislative provisions, there are a number of directive reports with specific relevance to the National 

Guard. Readers are encouraged to review this report language for their own situational awareness. 

Status: 

On July 27, 2023, the Senate passed the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act. This updated 

summary reflects the engrossed bill language with added additional amendments or amended 

language marked using asterisks (*). 

On June 23, 2023, the Senate Armed Services Committee passed their FY24 National Defense 

Authorization Act. The bill authorizes a total of $886.3 billion in fiscal year 2024 funding for national 

defense. Within this topline, the legislation authorizes $844.3 billion for the Department of Defense 

(DOD) and $32.4 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy (DOE).

Highlights: 

• Elevates the position of the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau to the rank of General

(Note, this is a FY 2024 CNGB approved legislative proposal)

• Authorizes the Space Force to become a single-component military service

• Requires SecDef to retain a Federally Funded Research and Development Center 

(FFRDC) to perform an independent assessment of the feasibility and advisability of moving 

ANG space assets (personnel, equipment, resources, etc.) into the single-component 

USSF by 1 FEB 2025. The assessment should analyze three COAs: status quo, move all 

ANG space assets to the USSF, create a SNG.

• Authorizes SecDef to transfer members of the USAFR and the ANG to the USSF

• Authorizes Dual Basic Allowance for Housing for Training for RC members without 

dependents (Note, this is a FY 2024 CNGB approved legislative proposal)

• Authorizes ANG membership of the Air Force Reserve Forces Policy Committee (Note, this 

is a FY 2024 CNGB approved legislative proposal)

• Clarifies the National Guard has access to the Defense Environmental Restoration Program

• Requires the SecDef to alternate appointments of deputy commanders for certain 

combatant commands between officers of the National Guard and the Reserves no less 

frequently than every two terms. The provision also authorizes the SECDEF to waive the 

requirements of this provision when in the national interest

• Requires a plan for modernizing the Air Force fighter force structure

• Requires members of the reserve component to receive special and incentive pay in the 

same monthly amount that is paid to a member in the regular component when such pay is 

made for the purpose of maintaining a skill certification or proficiency identical to those 

required in the regular component, or when such pay is made to compensate reserve 
- 2 -

component members for exposure to hazards or risks identical to those that regular 

component members are exposed

• Directs DOD to pay reserve component pilots sufficient compensation to cover all inactiveduty training periods per month necessary for the pilots to obtain or maintain an 

aeronautical rating or designation

• Authorizes the SecDef to order the Ready Reserve to active duty to respond to a significant 

cyber incident

• Reduces minimum quantity of Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory 

• Authorizes a 5.2% pay raise for service members

• The following HASC NDAA Provisions were not included:

• Does NOT include TRICARE Dental Plan for the Selected Reserve 

• Does NOT establish a Space National Guard

• Does NOT establish the eligibility of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to be 

appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

• Does NOT include transferring officers between the active and inactive reserve NG

(Note, this is a FY 2024 CNGB approved legislative proposal)
- 3 -

National Guard Accounts Overview

Army National Guard - Authorization of Funding (All Dollars in Thousands)

Army 

National 

Guard

FY24 PB

Request

HASC 

Mark

Delta 

from PB

SASC 

Mark 

Delta

from PB

Conference 

Report

FY24

Delta 

from 

PB

O&M $8,683,104 $8,687,104 $4,000 $8,681,424 -$1,680

MILCON $340,186 $590,942 $250,756 $650,567 $310,381

Army National Guard End Strength

Army 

National 

Guard

FY24 PB 

Request

HASC 

Mark

Delta 

from PB

SASC 

Mark 

Delta 

from 

PB

Conference 

Report

FY24

Delta from 

PB

End Strength 325,000 325,000 - 325,000 -

AGR 30,845 30,845 - 30,845 -

Dual Status 

Technicians 22,294 22,294 - 22,294 -

ADOS 17,000 17,000 - 17,000 -

Air National Guard - Authorization of Funding (All Dollars in Thousands) 

Air 

National 

Guard

FY24 PB

Request

HASC 

Mark

Delta 

from PB

SASC 

Mark

Delta 

from PB

Conference 

Report

FY24

Delta from 

PB

O&M $7,253,694 $7,234,194 -$19,500 $7,370,574 $116,880

MILCON $178,722 $331,064 $152,342 $322,292 $143,570

Air National Guard End Strength

Air National 

Guard

FY24 PB 

Request

HASC 

Mark

Delta 

from PB

SASC 

Mark

Delta 

from 

PB

Conference 

Report

FY24

Delta from 

PB

End Strength 108,400 108,400 - 105,000 -3,400

AGR 25,713 25,713 - 25,333 -380

Dual Status 

Technicians 9,830 9,830 - 10,994 1,164

ADOS 16,000 16,000 - 16,000 -

LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS

Army Programs

*Sec. 111. Report on Army Requirements and Acquisition Strategy for Night Vision 

Devices.*

RECOMMENDED FUNDING AUTHORIZATIONS DO NOT EQUAL FINAL FUNDING. FINAL FUNDING 

LEVELS WILL BE DECIDED BY APPROPRIATIONS BILLS 
- 4 -

This section would require the Secretary of the Army to submit a report on night vision devices no 

later than February 29, 2024, to the congressional defense committees. 

Sec. 112. Army Plan for Ensuring Sources of Cannon Tubes.

This section would direct the Secretary of the Army to update the assessment of the Secretary on 

the sufficiency of the development, production, procurement, and modernization of the defense 

industrial base for cannon and large caliber weapons tubes.

*Sec. 113. Strategy for Army Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Program.*

This section would require after fiscal year 2025, the Secretary of the Army shall include a strategy 

of the Army for tactical wheeled vehicles.

Air Force Programs

*Sec. 133. Modification to Minimum Inventory Requirement for A–10 Aircraft.*

This section would amend Fiscal Year 2017 & 2016 NDAAs, as amended by section of the NDAA

for Fiscal Year 2023 is further amended by striking “153 A-10 aircraft” and inserting “135 A-10 

aircraft.

Sec. 134. Modification to Minimum Requirement for Total Primary Mission Aircraft

Inventory of Air Force Fighter Aircraft.

This section would reduce the number of fighter aircraft that the Air Force would be required to 

maintain from 1,145 fighters to 1,112.

Sec. 135. Modification of Limitation on Divestment of F–15 Aircraft.

This section would modify section 150 of NDAA for Fiscal Year 2023 to include an accounting of 

remaining service life, upgrades, and other modifications made to each F-15 as part of the required

report prior to divestment.

Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation

*Sec. 227. Limitation on Availability of Funds for Travel for Office of Under Secretary of 

Defense for Personnel and Readiness Pending a Plan for Modernizing Defense Travel 

System.*

This section would require that not more than 85 percent of appropriated funds may be obligated or 

expended until the Secretary of Defense submits to the HASC and SASC supporting justification 

material underpinning the decision to cease current modernization efforts for the Defense Travel 

System (DTS), and a plan going forward for modernizing or replacing such system.

Operations and Maintenance

*Sec. 313. Modification of Definition of Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Purpose of Pilot 

Program.*

This section would change fuel terms (applicable material) to mean - (A) monoglycerides, 

diglycerides, and triglycerides; free fatty acids; or fatty acid esters.

*Sec. 315. Technical Assistance for Communities and Individuals Potentially Affected by 

Releases at Current and Former Department of Defense Facilities.*

This section would no later than 180 the enactment of this Act direct the Secretary of Defense shall 

furnish technical assistance through the Technical Assistance for Public Participation (TAPP) 

Program of the Department of Defense to communities, or individuals who are members thereof, 

that have been affected by a release of a pollutant affirmatively determined to have originated from 

a facility under the jurisdiction of, or formerly used by or under the jurisdiction of, the Department.
- 5 -

Sec. 323. Modification of Authority for Environmental Restoration Projects at National 

Guard Facilities.

This section would amend sections 2700, 2701, 2703, and 2707 of title 10, United States Code, 

and section 345(f) of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2022 to clarify that the National Guard has access 

to the Defense Environmental Restoration Program for the purposes of conducting environmental

cleanup rather than having to use its readiness funding out of Operation and Maintenance 

accounts.

*Sec. 325. Dashboard of Funding Relating to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and 

Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.*

This section would require the Secretary of Defense to include with the submission to Congress by 

the President of the annual budget of the Department of Defense for a fiscal year a separate 

budget justification document that consolidates all information pertaining to activities of the

Department of Defense relating to perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances, 

including funding for and descriptions of - (1) research and development efforts; (2) testing; (3) 

remediation; (4) contaminant disposal; and (5) community outreach.

*Sec. 326. Report on Schedule and Cost Estimates for Completion of Testing and 

Remediation of Contaminated Sites and Publication of Cleanup Information.*

This section would require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report detailing a proposed 

schedule for the completion of testing and remediation activities, including remediation of 

perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances, at military installations, facilities of the 

National Guard, and formerly used defense sites in the United States where the Secretary 

obligated funding for environmental restoration activities in fiscal year 2022.

*Sec. 328. Government Accountability Office Report on Testing and Remediation of 

Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.*

This section would require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to the 

congressional defense committees a report assessing the state of ongoing testing and remediation 

by the Department of Defense of current or former military installations contaminated with 

perfluoroalkyl substances or polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Military Personnel Authorizations

Sec. 411. End Strength for Selected Reserve.

This provision authorizes 325,000 personnel for the Army National Guard and 105,000 personnel 

for the Air National Guard.

This provision would authorize Selected Reserve component end strengths in line with the

Department of Defense's request for all reserve components except for the Air National Guard. The

committee has received regular updates from the Department and the military services on end 

strength projections for fiscal year 2023, as well as the current state of recruiting in all of the 

military services, and believes the Department's end strength request for the Selected Reserve in 

the Air National Guard is unattainable for fiscal year 2024 based on current trends. Statutory end 

strengths must be both consistent with the National Defense Strategy and attainable by the military 

services, and this provision would meet both requirements.

The committee believes that it will be a multi-year effort to reverse the downward trend in

military recruiting and does not want to encourage the military services to lower recruiting 

standards in order to attain short-term goals. Legislating unreachable end strength numbers would 

set the military services up for failure by guaranteeing continued recruiting shortfalls, putting undue 

strain on recruiting forces, and ultimately compromising readiness by encouraging quantity over 

quality in recruiting. The committee believes that the United States military is best served by 

bringing in high numbers of high-quality recruits.
- 6 -

The committee notes that under section 115 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of

Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments are authorized to increase statutory end

strength levels for the Selected Reserve by up to three percent. In the event that the recruiting

environment improves more rapidly than expected in fiscal year 2024, the Air National Guard could 

reach an end strength in excess of 108,000 airmen in the Selected Reserve. Further, the 

committee notes that, under section 123a of title 10, United States Code, in the event of a war or 

national emergency, the President is authorized to waive statutory end strengths. Should additional 

funding be required to support a better than projected recruiting environment, the committee would 

look favorably upon any request to reprogram funds into military personnel accounts.

This provision would also require the end strengths authorized in this provision to be

proportionately adjusted based on units in the Selected Reserve serving on active duty at the end 

of the fiscal year and individual members not in units in the Selected Reserve who are on active 

duty without their consent at the end of the fiscal year.

Sec. 412. End Strength for Reserve on Active Duty.

This provision authorizes 30,845 ARNG positions for the Army National Guard and 25,333

positions for the Air National Guard.

The committee once again notes its concern that the Air Force has gone too far in requesting

increases in Reserves on Active Duty in support of the Reserves at the expense of military 

technician positions. The Air Force has yet to provide a sufficient justification to the committee for 

these conversions. The committee remains concerned about the impact that such conversions 

would have on the readiness of the Air Force. Therefore, this provision would fix end strengths for 

Reserves on Active Duty in support of the Reserves for the Air National Guard and Air Force 

Reserve at fiscal year 2023 levels.

Sec. 413. End Strength for Military Technicians (Dual Status).

This provision authorizes 22,294 dual status technicians for the Army National Guard and 10,994

for the Air National Guard.

The provision would also establish limits on the number of temporary technicians authorized

to be employed within the end strengths set forth by this section to not more than 25 percent of the

total authorized strength for each component.

The committee once again notes its concern that the Air Force has gone too far in requesting

increases in Reserves on Active Duty in support of the Reserves at the expense of decreases in 

military technician positions. The Air Force has yet to provide a sufficient justification to the 

committee for these conversions. The committee remains concerned about the impact that such 

conversions would have on the readiness of the Air Force and therefore this provision would fix the 

end strength for military technicians in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve at fiscal year 

2023 levels.

Finally, the provision would also prohibit under any circumstances the coercion of a military

technician (dual status) by a State into accepting an offer of realignment or conversion to any other

military status, including as a member of the Active, Guard, and Reserve program of a reserve

component. The provision would further specify that if a technician declines to participate in such a

realignment or conversion, no further action may be taken against the individual or the individual’s

position.

Sec. 414. Maximum Number of Reserve Personnel Authorized to be on Active Duty for 

Operational Support.

This provision authorizes 17,000 ADOS positions for the Army National Guard and 16,000 ADOS 

positions for the Air National Guard.
- 7 -

Military Personnel Policy

*Sec. 502. Prohibition on Appointment or Nomination of Certain Officers Who are Subject to 

Special Selection Review Boards.*

This section changes title 10, United States 8 Code, to read as follows - officers on reserve activestatus list. United States Code, is amended: ‘‘(B) shall not be forwarded for appointment or 

nomination to the Secretary of Defense, the President, or the Senate, as applicable.’’

Sec. 504. Updating Authority to Authorize Promotion Transfers Between Components of the 

Same Service or a Different Service. 

This section would amend sections 578 and 624 of title 10, United States Code, to authorize the 

Secretary of a military department to transfer the promotion selection of a regular officer or warrant 

officer to the reserve component and integrate the officer into the corresponding promotion list 

based upon the officer’s date of rank in his or her current grade.

Sec. 508. Removal of Active-Duty Prohibition for Members of the Air Force Reserve

Policy Committee.

Note, this is a FY 2024 CNGB approved legislative proposal. This section would amend section 

10305 of title 10, United States Code, to authorize members of the Air National Guard and the Air 

Force Reserve who are on Active Duty to serve as members of the Air Force Reserve Policy 

Committee.

*Sec. 521. Alternative Promotion Authority for Reserve Officers in Designated Competitive 

Categories.*

This section changes Title 10 by adding chapter 1413 - Alternative Promotion Authority for Officers 

in Designated Competitive Categories. Authorizes each Secretary of a military department to 

designate one or more competitive categories for promotion of officers under sec 14005 of this title 

that are under the jurisdiction of such Secretary as a competitive category of officers whose 

promotion, retirement, and continuation on the reserve active-status list shall be subject to 

provisions of this chapter.

Sec. 522. Selected Reserve and Ready Reserve Order to Active Duty to Respond to a 

Significant Cyber Incident.

This section would amend section 12304 of title 10, United States Code, to: (1) Authorize the 

Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in

which the Coast Guard is operating to order units and members of the Selected Reserve or 

Individual Ready Reserve, without the consent of the members, to Active Duty to respond to a

significant cyber incident; and (2) Remove the requirement that an order to Active Duty to augment 

the active forces be for a named operational mission.

*Sec. 523. Mobilization of Selected Reserve for Preplanned Missions in Support of the 

Combatant Commands.*

This section would change section 12304b(b)(1) of title 10, United States Code by (1)

redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;(2) by striking “Units”

and inserting (A) Except as provided under subparagraph (B), “units”; and (3) by adding at the end 

the following new subparagraph: (B) In the event the President's budget is delivered later than April 

1st in the year prior to the year of the mobilization of one or more units under this section, the

Secretary concerned may submit to Congress the information required under subparagraph (A) in 

a separate notice.

Sec. 524. Alternating Selection of Officers of the National Guard and the Reserves

as Deputy Commanders of Certain Combatant Commands.

This section would amend section 164 of title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 

Defense to alternate appointments of deputy commanders for certain combatant commands 
- 8 -

between officers of the National Guard and the Reserves no less frequently than every two terms. 

The provision would authorize the Secretary of Defense to waive the requirements of this provision 

when in the national interest.

Sec. 525. Grade of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Note, this is a FY 2024 CNGB approved legislative proposal. This section would amend section 

10505 of title 10, United States code to require that the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau be 

appointed to serve in the grade of general, and that the Secretary of Defense designate this 

position as one of the general officer positions to be excluded from the limitations of section 526a 

of title 10, United States Code.

Sec. 531. Modification of Limitation on Enlistment and Induction of Persons Whose Score

on the Armed Forces Qualification Test is Below a Prescribed Level.

This section would amend section 520 of title 10, United States Code, to limit the number of 

enlistments of people who score between the tenth and thirty first percentile of the Armed Forces 

Qualification Test to 4 percent of the total number of people who enlist in a fiscal year. The 

provision would authorize the Secretary of Defense to increase the limitation to 20 percent of the 

total number of new recruits upon the request of the Secretary of the military department 

concerned.

Sec. 537. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Personnel Grade Cap.

This section would prohibit the Secretary concerned from appointing or employing a military or 

civilian employee whose annual pay rate exceeds the equivalent of the rate payable for GS-10 to 

any position with duties solely related to diversity, equity, and inclusion policy.

Member Education, Training, Transition

Sec. 551. Future Servicemember Preparatory Course.

This section would require the Secretary of the military department concerned to establish a future 

servicemember preparation course if, during a fiscal year within an Armed Force, the number of 

enlisted recruits who score lower than a 31 on the Armed Forces Qualification Test exceeds 10 

percent of the total number of recruits.

Sec. 554. Community College Enlisted Training Corps Demonstration Program.

This section would require the Secretary of each military department to establish an Enlisted 

Training Corps (ETC) demonstration program at a community or junior college. As part of the 

demonstration program, the Secretary concerned may provide financial assistance to individuals 

enrolled in an ETC unit who agree to enlist in the Armed Forces upon completion of, or 

disenrollment from, the program. The provision would also require the Secretary of Defense to 

submit an annual report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 

Representatives on the status of the demonstration program.

Sec. 557. Army Physical Fitness Test.

This section would designate the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) as the physical fitness test of 

record for the U.S. Army. This provision would expressly authorize the Army to continue using the 

Army Combat Fitness Test, but not as the official physical fitness test of record. The provision 

would also authorize the Army to update, replace, or modify the events and scoring standards in 

the APFT as the needs of the U.S. Army require after a pilot period of at least 24 months.

Decorations and Other Awards, Miscellaneous Reports and Other Matters

Sec. 583. Prohibition on Requiring Listing of Gender or Pronouns in Official 

Correspondence.
- 9 -

This section would prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from requiring members of the 

Armed Forces or DOD civilian employees to list their gender or pronouns in official 

correspondence.

Enhanced Recruiting Efforts

*Sec. 592. Increased Access to Potential Recruits at Secondary Schools.*

This section would provide to military recruiters access to career fairs or similar events upon a 

request made by military recruiters for military recruiting purposes.

*Sec. 593. Increased Access to Potential Recruits at Institutions of Higher Education.*

This section would change Section 983(b) of title 10 to increase access to potential recruits. 

Compensation and Other Personnel Benefits

Sec. 601. Pay of Members of Reserve Components for Inactive-Duty Training to Obtain or 

Maintain an Aeronautical Rating or Designation.

This section would amend chapter 3 of title 37, United States Code, to require the Secretaries of 

the military departments to pay certain members of the Reserve component who receive aviation 

incentive pay under section 334(a) of title 37, United States Code, such compensation for a 

number of periods of inactive-duty training each month sufficient for the member to obtain or 

maintain aeronautical rating or designation.

Sec. 602. Modification of Calculation Method for Basic Allowance for Housing to More 

Accurately Assess Housing Costs of Junior Members of Uniformed Services.

This section would de-link Basic Allowance for Housing rates for junior enlisted members in the 

grades of E-1 through E-4 to specific housing types. This modification would give the Secretary of 

Defense additional flexibility to ensure equitable housing rates can be calculated in markets with 

limited housing inventory.

Sec. 604. Dual Basic Allowance for Housing for Training for Certain Members of Reserve 

Components.

Note, this is a FY 2024 CNGB approved legislative proposal. This section would amend section 

403(g) of title 37, United States Code, to authorize reserve component members without 

dependents who would normally have to permanently change station for attendance at a school for 

a duration between 140 and 365 days to be paid basic allowance for housing at both the location of 

the school as well as their permanent residence, if they are returning to that residence after 

completion of the school.

Sec. 621. Modification of Special and Incentive Pay Authorities for Members of Reserve 

Components.

This section would amend section 357 of title 37, United States Code, to require the Secretaries of 

the military departments to pay a member of the reserve component a special and incentive pay in 

the same monthly amount paid to a member in the regular component of such Armed Force when 

the special and incentive pay is made for the purpose of maintaining a skill certification or 

proficiency identical to a skill certification or proficiency required of the member in the regular 

component, or when such pay is made to compensate the member of the reserve component for 

exposure to hazards or risks identical to hazards or risks to which the member of the regular 

component was exposed.

The provision would also amend section 602(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117-81) to require the Secretaries concerned to evaluate each type 

or category of special and incentive pay separately for the purposes of certifying whether 
- 10 -

implementing such section would have a detrimental effect on the force structure of the Armed 

Forces affected by implementation of section 357 of title 37, United States code.

*Sec. 623. One-year Extension of Certain Expiring Bonus and Special Pay Authorities.*

This section would change authorities Relating to Reserve Forces.--Section 910(g) of title 37, 

United States Code, relating to income replacement payments for reserve component members 

experiencing extended and frequent mobilization for active duty service by extending to December 

31, 2024.

Sec. 631. Modification of Requirements for Approval of Foreign Employment by Retired and 

Reserve Members of the Uniformed Services.

This section would amend section 908 of title 37, United States Code, to: (1) Authorize the 

Secretary of the military department concerned to delegate approval authority for foreign 

employment of retired and reserve members of the Armed Forces only to an official of the military 

department at or above the level of an Assistant Secretary or, in the event of a vacancy in the 

position of such an official, a civilian official performing the duties of that position; and (2) Require 

additional information in annual reports on approvals for retired general and flag officers.

Sec. 632. Restrictions on Retired and Reserve Members of the Armed Forces Receiving 

Employment and Compensation Indirectly from Foreign Governments Through Private 

Entities.

This section would amend section 908 of title 37, United States Code, to prohibit a retired or

Reserve member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force from receiving 

employment and related compensation for work performed for a foreign government through a 

private entity unless approved by the Secretary of the military department concerned and the 

Secretary of State.

Health Care Provisions

Sec. 701. Extension of Period of Eligibility for Health Benefits Under TRICARE Reserve 

Select for Survivors of a Member of the Selected Reserve.

This section would amend section 1076d of title 10, United States Code, to extend eligibility for 

TRICARE Reserve Select from 6 months to 3 years for survivors of deceased members of the 

reserve components who were enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select at the time of their deaths. 

The provision would be effective on October 1, 2025.

*Sec. 707. Sense of Congress on Access to Mental Health Services Through Tricare.*

This section would establish the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should take all 

necessary steps to ensure members of the National Guard and the members of their families who 

are enrolled in TRICARE have timely access to mental and behavioral health care services through 

the TRICARE program.

Sec. 713. Department of Defense Overdose Data Act of 2023.

This section would require the Secretary of Defense to submit an annual report to the 

congressional defense committees on the number of annual overdoses among servicemembers. 

The annual reporting requirement would begin one year after the date of enactment of this Act and 

sunset five years after the date of enactment of this Act.

*Sec. 724. Report on Mental and Behavioral Health Services Provided by Department of 

Defense.*

This section would require the Director of the Defense Health Agency to submit to HASC and 

SASC a report that contains the current wait times for members of the Armed Forces, including 

members of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed 
- 11 -

Forces who are enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select under section 1076d of title 10, United States 

Code, to receive mental and behavioral health services, disaggregated by State.

Organization and Management

*Sec. 928. Limitation on Establishment of New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Positions; 

Hiring Freeze.*

This section would prohibit the Secretary of Defense in establishing any new positions within the 

Department of Defense with responsibility for matters relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion; or

fill any vacancies in positions in the Department with responsibility for such matters.

General Provisions

Sec. 1053. Report on use of Tactical Fighter Aircraft and Bomber Aircraft for Deployments 

and Homeland Defense Missions.

This section would require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the use of tactical 

fighter aircraft and bomber aircraft for deployments and homeland defense missions. 

*Sec. 1081. Comprehensive Strategy for Talent Development and Management Department 

of Defense Computer Programming Workforce.*

This section would make a policy of the Armed Forces, including the reserve components, to 

establish appropriate and effective talent development and management policies and practices that 

allow for the military departments to present an adaptable, qualified workforce training and 

education standard with respect to computer programming skill needs for the workforce of the 

Department of Defense, including technical and nontechnical skills related to artificial intelligence 

and software coding.

*Sec. 1087. 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2023.*

This section would amend Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm et seq.) to include the 

following: “was an employee of the Department of Defense or any other Federal agency, worked 

during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on September 18, 2001, for a 

contractor of the Department of Defense or any other Federal agency, or was a member of a 

regular or reserve component of the uniformed services; and performed rescue, recovery,

demolition, debris cleanup, or other related services at the Pentagon site of the terrorist-related 

aircraft crash of September 11, 2001, during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and 

ending on the date on which the cleanup of the site was concluded, as determined by the WTC 

Program Administration.”

*Sec. 1090. Briefing on Air National Guard Active Associations.*

This section would require the Secretary of the Air Force to brief the HASC and SASC on the 

potential increase in air refueling capacity and cost savings, including manpower, to be achieved 

by making all Air National Guard KC–135 units active associations.

*Sec. 1313. Report on Coordination with Private Entities and State Governments with 

Respect to the State Partnership Program.*

This section would require The Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the feasibility of 

coordinating with private entities and State governments to provide resources and personnel to 

support technical exchanges under the Department of Defense State Partnership Program 

established under section 341 of title 10, United States Code.

*Sec. 1399CCCCC. Promoting Security and the Rule of Law in the Western Hemisphere.*

This section would stablish the sense of Congress that the United States should strengthen 

security cooperation with democratic partner nations in the Western Hemisphere. This includes 

enhancing the institutional capacity and technical capabilities of defense and security institutions in 
- 12 -

democratic partner nations to conduct national or regional security missions, including expanding 

the National Guard State Partnership Programs.

Space Force Personnel Management

Sec. 1802. Space Force Personnel Management Act Transition Plan.

This section would prohibit a transition plan under this section until the SecAf certifies any State 

National Guard affected by the transfer of units, personnel billets, equipment, and resources into 

the Space Force will be made whole by the transfer of additional assets under the control of the 

SecAf into the affected State National Guard and submits a report that includes a transition plan to 

move all units, personnel billets, equipment, and resources performing core Space Force functions, 

under the operational control of the Space Force, or otherwise integral to the Space Force mission 

that may exist in the reserve components of the Department of the Air Force into the Space Force.

Sec. 1803. Comprehensive Assessment of Space Force Equities in the National

Guard.

This section would Require the SecDef to conduct an independent study to assess the feasibility 

and advisability of moving all units, personnel billets, equipment, and resources performing core 

Space Force functions, under the operational control of the Space Force, or otherwise integral to 

the Space Force mission that may exist in the National Guard and into a single-component Space 

Force.

Sec. 1844. Placement of Officers on the Space Force Officer List.

This provision authorizes officers of the Space Force who transferred in accordance with section 

1743 from the Air Force Reserve or the Air National Guard shall be placed on the Space Force 

officer list in an order determined by their respective grades and dates or rank. 

*Sec. 1843. Transfer to the Space Force of Members of the Air Force Reserve and the Air 

National Guard.*

This section would allow officers and enlisted during the transition period, the Secretary of Defense 

may, with their consent, transfer a covered officer of the Air Force Reserve or the Air National 

Guard to, and appoint the officer in, the Space Force. 

Military Construction

Sec. 2406. Extension of Authority to Carry Out Certain Fiscal Year 2021 Projects.

This section would extend the authorization of certain fiscal year 2021 Environmental Resilience 

and Conservation Investment Program projects until October 1, 2024.

ERCIP Projects: Extension of 2021 Project Authorizations 

State Installation Project Original 

Authorized 

Amount

Arkansas Ebbing ANG Base PV Arrays and Battery Storage $2,600

*Sec. 2601. Authorized Army National Guard Construction and Land Acquisition Projects.*

Using amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in section 2606 and 

available for the National Guard and Reserve as specified in the funding table in section 4601, the 

Secretary of the Army may acquire real property and carry out military construction projects for the 

Army National Guard locations inside the United States, and in the amounts, set forth in the 

following table:

Army National Guard
- 13 -

State Location FY2024 

Request

Senate

Agreement

Alabama Fort McClellan; Cost to Complete: Enlisted 

Barracks, TT

-- $7,000

Alabama Huntsville; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $4,650

Arizona Surprise Readiness Center $15,000 $15,000

Arkansas Fort Chaffee; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $610

California Bakersfield; Cost to Complete: Vehicle 

Maintenance Shop

-- $1,000

California Camp Roberts; Cost to Complete: Automated 

Multipurpose Machine Gun (MPMG) Range

-- $5,000

Colorado Peterson Space Force Base; Cost to Complete: 

NG Readiness Center

-- $3,000

Connecticut Putnum; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $6,125

Florida Camp Blanding, Automated Multipurpose 

Machine Gun Range

-- $11,000

Guam Barrigada; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $6,900

Idaho Jerome; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $1,250

Idaho Jerome County Regional Site, NG Vehicle 

Maintenance Shop

$17,000 $17,000

Illinois Bloomington; Cost to Complete: NG Vehicle 

Maintenance Shop

-- $5,250

Illinois North Riverside NG Maintenance Center, NG 

Vehicle Maintenance Shop

$24,000 $24,000

Indiana Shelbyville; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center Add/Alt

-- $5,000

Kansas Topeka; Cost to Complete: NG/Reserve Center 

Building

-- $5,856

Kentucky Burlington, Vehicle Maintenance Shop -- $16,400

Kentucky Frankfort; Cost to Complete: NG/Reserve Center 

Building

-- $2,000

Louisiana Camp Beauregard; Collective Training 

Unaccompanied Housing Open-Bay (P&D)

-- $2,400

Louisiana Camp Beauregard; Cost to Complete: NG 

Readiness Center

-- $2,000

Louisiana Camp Minden; Cost to Complete: Collective 

Training Unaccompanied Housing, Open Bay

-- $3,718

Maine Northern Maine Range Complex; Automated 

Multipurpose Machine Gun Range (P&D)

-- $2,800

Maine Saco; Cost to Complete: National Guard Vehicle 

Maintenance Shop

-- $7,420

Massachusetts Camp Edwards; Cost to Complete: Automated 

Multipurpose Machine Gun (MPMG) Range

-- $3,000

Mississippi Camp Shelby; JFTC Railhead Expansion (P&D) -- $2,200

Mississippi Camp Shelby; Cost to Complete: Maneuver Area 

Training Equipment Site Addition

-- $5,425
- 14 -

Mississippi Southaven; NG Readiness Center $22,000

Missouri Belle Fontaine, NG Readiness Center $28,000 $28,000

Nebraska Bellevue; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $9,090

Nebraska Greenlief Training Site; Collective Training 

Unaccompanied Housing Open-Bay (P&D)

-- $1,200

Nebraska Mead Training Site; Cost to Complete: Collective 

Training Unaccompanied House, Open Bay

-- $1,913

Nebraska North Platte; Cost to Complete: NG Vehicle 

Maintenance Shop

-- $400

New Hampshire Concord; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $200

New Hampshire Littleton, NG Vehicle Maintenance Shop Add $23,000 $23,000

New Jersey Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst; Cost to 

Complete: NG Readiness Center

-- $605

New Mexico Rio Rancho Training Site, NG Vehicle 

Maintenance Shop Add

$11,000 $11,000

New York Lexington Avenue Armory, NG Readiness Center -- $70,0001

North Carolina Salisbury; Army Aviation Support Facility (P&D) -- $2,200

North Dakota Camp Grafton; Institutional Post-Initial Military 

Training, Unaccompanied Housing (P&D)

-- $1,950

North Dakota Dickinson; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $5,425

Ohio Camp Perry Joint Training Center, NG Readiness 

Center

$19,200 $19,200

Ohio Columbus; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $4,000

Oklahoma Ardmore; Cost to Complete: Vehicle Maintenance 

Shop

-- $400

Oregon Washington County; NG Readiness Center $26,000 $26,000

Pennsylvania Hermitage; NG Readiness Center $13,600 $13,600

Pennsylvania Moon Township; Cost to Complete: Combined 

Support Maintenance Shop

-- $3,100

Puerto Rico Fort Allen; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $3,676

Rhode Island Camp Fogarty Training Site; Collective Training 

Unaccompanied Housing Open-Bay (P&D)

-- $1,990

Rhode Island North Kingstown $30,000

South Carolina Aiken County Readiness Center $20,000 $20,000

South Carolina Joint Base Charleston; Cost to Complete: NG 

Readiness Center

-- $4,373

South Carolina McCrady Training Center, Auto MPMG 

Range

$7,900 $7,900

South Dakota Sioux Falls, RTC -- 5,2502

Tennessee Campbell Army Airlfield, Army Air Traffic Control 

Towers (P&D)

-- $2,500

Tennessee McMinnville; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $500

Texas Fort Cavazos, General Purpose Instruction Bldg 

(P&D)

-- $2,685

Texas Fort Worth; Cost to Complete: Aircraft -- $6,489
- 15 -

Maintenance Hangar Add/Alt

Texas Fort Worth; Cost to Complete: NG Vehicle 

Maintenance Shop

-- $381

Utah Camp Williams; Collective Training 

Unaccompanied Housing, Senior NCO and 

Officer (P&D)

-- $2,875

Vermont Bennington; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center

-- $3,415

Virgin Islands St. Croix; Cost to Complete: Army Aviation 

Support Facility

-- $4,200

Virgin Islands St. Croix: Cost to Complete: Ready Bldg -- $1,710

Virginia Sandston RC & FMS 1, Aircraft Maintenance 

Hangar

$20,000 $20,000

Virginia Troutville; Cost to Complete: Combined Support

Maintenance Shop Addition

-- $2,415

Virginia Troutville; Cost to Complete: NG Readiness 

Center Addition

-- $2,135

West Virginia Parkersburg; NG Readiness Center (P&D) -- $3,300

Wisconsin Viroqua, NG Readiness Center $18,200 $18,200

Worldwide 

Unspecified

Planning and Design $34,286 $34,286

Worldwide 

Unspecified

Unspecified Minor Construction $63,000 $63,000

Military Construction, Army National Guard Total $340,186 $650,567

1. Appropriations authorization discrepancy exists between SEC. 2601 and Sec. 4601 for New York NG Readiness Center: 

Sec. 2601 lists $90M and Sec. 4601 lists $70M.

2. New SD Project listed in Engrossed Bill.

*Sec. 2604. Authorized Air National Guard Construction and Land Acquisition Projects.*

Using amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in section 2606 and 

available for the National Guard and Reserve as specified in the funding table in section 4601, the 

Secretary of the Air Force may acquire real property and carry out military construction projects for 

the Air National Guard locations inside the United States, and in the amounts, set forth in the

following table:

Air National Guard

State Location FY2024 

Request

House 

Agreement

Alabama Montgomery Regional Airport, F35 ADAL SQ 

OPS 

$7,000 $7,000

Alaska Eielson Air Force Base; AMC Standard Dual Bay 

Hangar (P&D)

-- $3,700

Alaska Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, ADAL Alert 

Crew Facility Hgr 18

-- $7,000

Arizona Tucson, Mcca: Aircraft Arresting System (New 

Rwy)

$11,600 $11,600

Arkansas Ebbing Air National Guard Base; 3-Bay Hangar -- $54,000

Arkansas Ebbing Air National Guard Base; Aircrew Flight 

Equipment/Step

-- $9,300

Arkansas Ebbing Air National Guard Base; Special Access 

Program Facility

-- $12,700

Colorado Buckley Space Force Base, Aircraft Corrosion $12,000 $12,000
- 16 -

Control

Indiana Fort Wayne International Airport; Fire Station $8,900 $8,900

Mississippi Field ANG Base; Cost to Compete: 172nd Airlift 

Wing Fire/Crash Rescue Station

-- $8,000

Missouri Rosecrans ANG Base; 139th Airlift Wing Entry 

Control Point (P&D)

-- $2,000

Missouri Rosecrans ANG Base; Entry Control Point (P&D) -- $2,000

Oregon Portland International Airport, Special Tactics 

Complex, Phase 1

$22,000 $22,000

Oregon Portland International Airport, Special Tactics 

Complex, Phase 2

$18,500 $18,500

Oregon Portland International Airport, Special Tactics 

Complex, Phase 3

-- $20,000

Oregon Portland International Airport, Special Tactics 

Complex, Phase 4

-- $11,000

Pennsylvania Harrisburg International Airport, Entry Control 

Facility

-- $8,000

Wisconsin Truax Field, F-35: MM&I Fac, B701 -- $5,200

Wisconsin Volk ANGB; Fire/Crash Rescue Station (P&D) -- $670

Worldwide 

Unspecified 

Planning and Design $35,600 $35,600

Worldwide 

Unspecified

Unspecified Minor Construction $63,122 $63,122

Military Construction, Air National Guard Total $178,722 $322,292

Sec. 2606. Authorization of Appropriations, National Guard and Reserve.

This section would authorize appropriations for the reserve component military construction

projects authorized for construction for fiscal year 2024 in this Act. This provision would also 

provide an overall limit on the amount authorized for military construction projects for each of the 

reserve components of the military departments. The state list contained in this report is the 

binding list of the specific projects authorized at each location.

Sec. 2607. Extension of Authority to Carry Out Certain Fiscal Year 2018 Project at Hulman 

Regional Airport, Indiana.

This section would extend the authorization contained in section 2604 of the Military Construction 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, Division B, Title XXVI, of the National Defense 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) for one project until October 1, 2024, or 

the date of the enactment of an Act authorizing funds for military construction for fiscal year 2025, 

whichever is later.

National Guard and Reserve: Extension of 2018 Project Authorization

State Installation Project Original 

Authorized 

Amount

Indiana Hulman Regional 

Airport

Construct Small Arms Range $8,000

Sec. 2608. Extension of Authority to Carry Out Certain Fiscal Year 2019 Project at Francis S. 

Gabreski Airport, New York.

This section would extend the authorization contained in section 2604 of the Military Construction 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Division B, Title XIII, of the John S. McCain National 

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232) for one project until October 
- 17 -

1, 2024, or the date of the enactment of an Act authorizing funds for military construction for fiscal 

year 2025, whichever is later.

National Guard and Reserve: Extension of 2019 Project Authorization 

State Installation Project Original 

Authorized 

Amount

New York Francis S. Gabreski 

Airport

Security Forces/ Comm. 

Training Facility

$20,000

*Sec. 2609. Extension of Authority to Carry Out Certain Fiscal Year 2021 Projects.*

Notwithstanding section 2002 of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 

(division B of Public Law 116-283; 134 Stat. 4294), the authorizations set forth in the table in 

subsection (b), as provided in sections 2601, 2602, and 2604 of that Act (134 Stat. 4312, 4313, 

4314), shall remain in effect until October 1, 2024, or the date of the enactment of an Act

authorizing funds for military construction for fiscal year 2025, whichever is later.

National Guard and Reserve: Extension of 2021 Project Authorization 

State Installation Project Original 

Authorized 

Amount

Arkansas Fort Chaffee NG Readiness Center $15,000

California Bakersfield NG Vehicle Maintenance Shop $9,300

Colorado Peterson Space Force 

Base

NG Readiness Center $15,000

Guam Joint Region Marianas Space Control Facility #5 $20,000

Ohio Columbus NG Readiness Center $15,000

Massachusetts Devens Reserve Forces 

Training Area

Automated Multipurpose Machine 

Gun Range

$8,700

North Carolina Asheville Army Reserve Center/Land $24,000

Puerto Rico Fort Allen NG Readiness Center $37,000

South Carolina Joint Base Charleston NG Readiness Center $15,000

Texas Fort Worth Aircraft Maintenance Hangar 

Add/Alt

$6,000

Texas Joint Base San Antonio F-16 Mission Training Center $10,800

Virgin Islands St. Croix Army Aviation Support Facility $28,000

Virgin Islands St. Croix CST Ready Building $11,400

Sec. 2610. Modification of Authority to Carry Out Fiscal Year 2022 Project at Nickell 

Memorial Armory, Kansas.

This section would recommend a provision that would modify the authorization contained in section 

2606 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117-81) for

the construction of a sensitive compartmented information facility project at Nickell Memorial 

Armory, Kansas.

Sec. 2612. Authority to Conduct Restoration and Modernization Projects at the First City 

Troop Readiness Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This section would recommend a provision that would authorize the Army National Guard to repair 

the roof of the South 23rd Street Readiness Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania if certain

conditions are met.
- 18 -

The committee notes that due to the arrangement of the leased facility, this authorization is 

required to conduct this repair project.

*Sec. 2702. Prohibition on Conducting Additional Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 

Round.*

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize an additional Base Realignment and Closure 

(BRAC) round.

Additional Provisions: Procurement

*Sec. 5131. Inventory of C–130 Aircraft.*

This section would amend the Prohibition on Reduction of C–130 Aircraft Assigned to National 

Guard listed in FY23 NDAA by striking ‘‘2023’’ and inserting ‘‘2024’’.

SASC Committee Report Requirements / Items of Special Interest

Aircraft Survivability Equipment.

The committee is concerned about the threats posed to low flying U.S. military aircraft from enemy 

air defense systems. Department of Defense fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters operating at low 

altitudes often are exposed to threats. These threat systems are widely proliferated and are a 

significant risk to our forces.

Additionally, the committee understands that in-aircraft survivability equipment and weapons 

engagement training aids and opportunities are not as available to the reserve component

aviation enterprise as they are to the active component. This creates a disparity in training 

uniformity that could negatively affect National Guard and reserve aviator readiness, and reduces

their capability to assist the active component during conflict operations.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretaries of the military departments, or their designees, 

and representatives from the National Guard and reserve components, to provide a briefing to the 

congressional defense committees, not later than March 1, 2024, on the service strategy for 

fielding and maintaining aircraft survivability equipment on U.S. military aircraft to counter modern 

enemy air defense systems and other widely proliferated threats, including identification of

commercial off-the-shelf capabilities that would provide threat replication and simulation, and a list 

of National Guard and reserve aviation training sites where this training could be implemented.

KC-135 Emergency Response Refuel Equipment Kit.

The committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the Committees on 

Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, no later than June 1, 2024, on 

the implications of the National Guard’s KC-135 fleet lacking the Emergency Response Refuel 

Equipment Kit (ERREK). The briefing should address: (1) If, without ERREK, the National

Guard’s KC-135 fleet will be able to meet capability requirements to transfer fuel on and off the 

aircraft for disaster relief operations where there is no ground power infrastructure available to 

move fuel to support fuel truck, bladder, or ground fuel tanks; (2) The consequences to the

National Guard’s intended missions without this KC-135 capability; and (3) How the National Guard 

intends to meet these capability requirements.

Modernization of the Air Force Fighter Force Structure.

The committee needs a better understanding of the U.S. Air Force long range plans for 

modernizing the fighter force. The Air Force is currently operating several series of aircraft in

the inventory, including A-10, F-15, F-16, F-22, and F-35. Adding the Next Generation Air 

Dominance (NGAD) and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) platforms to the force is in

the Air Force's longer-term plans.
- 19 -

The committee understands that the Air Force now has specific force structure modernization plans 

for at least 10 of its 29 fighter squadrons in the Air Reserve Component (ARC) through fiscal year 

2031. The committee believes that this time horizon is too close to provide adequate information 

about the future of the total fighter force. Questions that remain unanswered include whether the 

U.S. Air Force planning to recapitalize all of the other 19 ARC fighter squadrons or shift one or 

more squadrons to other high priority missions and whether the U.S. Air Force is planning to shift 

missions for any of the active duty fighter squadrons. A longer-term assessment could help clarify 

Air Force plans and could help as well to:

(1) Provide the Congress with a clear understanding of the U.S. Air Force's plans and the 

ability to provide more informed oversight;

(2) Mitigate recruitment and retention challenges in skilled and experienced manpower that 

are associated with the uncertainty associated with looming divestments; and

(3) Avoid hindering recruitment/retention of servicemembers transitioning from Active Duty 

to the Reserve components.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to produce a plan for long-term 

support of fighter force structure in the active and reserve components. The Secretary shall provide 

a report on that plan to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 

Representatives not later than April 1, 2024.

That report shall detail plans for force structure, recapitalization, and sustainment for the next 20 

years. The report shall address specific year-by-year plans for procurement and unit activation or 

deactivation. Finally, the report shall also address the following:

(1) The appropriate mix of fighter force structure for the Active Duty and ARC units;

(2) The specific plan for modernizing each of the active duty units and the ARC units;

(3) How the U.S. Air Force will maintain readiness during units' recapitalization or change of 

missions; and

(4) Any plans to shift missions of active or reserve component units, and if so, explanation 

of the shifts and timing of implementation.

Report on Reuse of Modern Equipment from F-16 Aircraft Being Retired

The Air Force plans to divest F-16 Block 30/32 aircraft in the Air National Guard and Air Force 

Reserve components over the next several years as the fleet is upgraded to post-Block 30/32

F-16 aircraft. Many of these Block 30/32 aircraft contain upgraded and modernized equipment, 

such as active electronically scanned array radars, multi-function information distribution

system/joint tactical radio system communications terminals, upgraded radios, and 

countermeasures systems, among other equipment.

Many aircraft in the post-Block 30/32 F-16 fleet have not been outfitted with these upgrades. The 

committee believes that it would be prudent to harvest these upgraded systems from the

Block 30/32 aircraft and use these systems to upgrade post-Block 30/32 aircraft.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the 

congressional defense committees, not later than February 28, 2024, on the Air Force's plan to use 

equipment harvested from retiring aircraft to upgrade the F-16s that will remain in service.

UH-60 Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tank Systems

The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed 

Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than June 1, 2024, on the 

implications of the National Guard’s UH-60 Black Hawk fleet lacking crashworthy and ballistically 

tolerant Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tank Systems (IAFTS). The briefing should address: (1) If, without 

IAFTS, the National Guard’s UH-60 Black Hawks will have the auxiliary fuel capability necessary to

accomplish disaster relief, homeland security, and combat missions with added mission flexibility 

and extended station time; (2) The consequences to the National Guard’s intended missions 
- 20 -

without this UH-60 capability; and (3) How the National Guard intends to meet these capability 

requirements.

Locked Shields Exercise

The budget request included $469.4 million in Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, 

Defense-wide (RDDW) for PE 3625JCY Cyber Operations Technology Support.

The committee notes that the National Guard Bureau's Army Interagency Training and Education 

Center (AITEC), through the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), has led the United

States’ team in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of 

Excellence Locked Shields exercise, the only international critical infrastructure protection exercise 

in existence. This exercise is critically important to U.S. national security, and the committee

encourages robust interagency participation and solicitation of private industry and academia 

participation. The committee commends the coordination efforts and expertise of AITEC

throughout the foundational years of the Locked Shields exercise, and directs DISA to continue to 

coordinate the participating organizations and future host locations through AITEC.

To support this effort, the committee recommends an increase of $4.0 million in RDDW PE 

3625JCY for the purposes of facilitating travel, training, and infrastructure preparation for the 

exercise within the previously established organizational structure of the U.S. team.

Air Force National Guard and Reserve Military Technicians (Dual Status).

The amounts authorized to be appropriated for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve military 

technician (dual status) civilian payroll include the following increases from the budget request to 

accommodate increased military technician end strengths in the Air Force reserve components. 

The provision underlying these changes in funding levels is discussed in greater detail in title IV of 

this committee report.

[Changes in millions of dollars]

Air Force Reserve military technician payroll +27.5

Air National Guard military technician payroll +139.7

Total +167.2

Military Service Recruiting And Advertising.

The amounts authorized to be appropriated for recruiting and advertising activities of the military 

services include the following increases from the budget request:

[Changes in millions of dollars]

Army Active-Duty recruiting and advertising +138.1

Army Reserve recruiting and advertising +6.7

Army National Guard recruiting and advertising +50.7

Navy recruiting and advertising +80.8

Marine Corps recruiting and advertising +49.3

Air Force Active-Duty recruiting and advertising +40.9

Air Force Reserve recruiting and advertising +1.9

Air Force National Guard recruiting and advertising +23.4

Total +391.8

Unobligated Balances.

The budget request included $329.8 billion across the Operation and Maintenance accounts.

The committee notes that the Government Accountability Office has repeatedly issued 

recommendations for the Department of Defense to analyze its unobligated balances given 

historical trends and managerial use of the account.
- 21 -

Accordingly, the committee recommends a decrease of $129.6 million across Operation and 

Maintenance, Army; a decrease of $262.1 million across Operation and Maintenance, Navy; a

decrease of $233.7 million across Operation and Maintenance, Air Force; a decrease of $75.1

million across Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps; a decrease of $73.0 million across

Operation and Maintenance, Space Force; a decrease of $3.4 million across Operation and 

Maintenance, Army Reserve; a decrease of $23.4 million across Operation and Maintenance, 

Army National Guard; a decrease of $4.2 million across Operation and Maintenance, Navy 

Reserve; a decrease of $34.2 million across Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve; a 

decrease of $21.9 million across Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard; a decrease of 

$1.0 million across Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve; and a decrease of $15.0

million across Operation and Maintenance, Defense-wide (OMDW). The committee also 

recommends a decrease of $3.6 million in OMDW SAG 1PL1 Joint Chiefs of Staff; a decrease of 

$22.4 million in OMDW SAG 4GTA Defense Legal Services Agency; a decrease of $2.5 million in 

OMDW SAG 4GT3 Civil Military Programs; a decrease of $2.7 million in OMDW SAG 4GT6 

Defense Contract Audit Agency; a decrease of $15.5 million in OMDW SAG 4GTO Defense 

Contract Management Agency; and a decrease of $9.9 million in OMDW SAG 4GT9 Defense 

Information Systems Agency.

Feasibility of Co-locating 214th Attack Group MQ-9 Elements.

The committee notes that, with the advent of auto takeoff and landing capability in the MQ-9, 

maintaining line of sight is no longer a basing requirement for remotely piloted aircraft launch and 

recovery elements. The committee encourages the Air Force to consider whether geographically 

separated units can be restructured to a single location in order to provide operational efficiencies 

and eliminate adverse impacts to servicemembers currently required to report to multiple duty

stations.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the Chief of 

the National Guard Bureau, to review those remotely piloted aircraft units with launch and recovery 

elements that are geographically separated from their mission control elements and provide the 

Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives with a report, not 

later than January 31, 2024, with recommendations on the feasibility of co-locating those activities. 

The report should address anticipated reduction of operational costs and operational efficiencies 

gained.

Multi-domain Operations Training Ranges.

The committee is aware that the Army's multi-domain operations concept includes the combined 

arms employment of joint and Army capabilities to create and exploit relative advantages that 

achieve objectives, defeat enemy forces, and consolidate gains on behalf of joint force 

commanders. The committee notes that the Army will need necessary adversarial components to 

present a realistic threat training capability for joint forces. The committee believes that the 

Department of the Army should seek more opportunities to provide realistic intelligence communitycertified threat environments to new range areas in support of multi-domain operations training.

The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed 

Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than January 31, 2024,

that assesses the potential need for expansion of threat environment training. The briefing shall 

include: (1) Identification of the limitations of current multi-domain operations training ranges; (2) 

Identification of the Army's training range needs in support of multi-domain operations; and

(3) An assessment of additional range site locations to provide collective training to active, reserve, 

and National Guard soldiers.

National Guard Medical Training.
- 22 -

The committee is aware of existing programs that provide state-of-the-art trauma, critical care, 

behavioral health, public health, and other ancillary direct medical training at academic medical 

centers for Air National Guard and Army National Guard medical and non-medical personnel and 

State Partnership Program/Global Health Engagement international partners. The programs 

provide both critical training to support the readiness of participating National Guard units and 

additional opportunities to deepen State Partnership Program relationships with international

partners while offering these partners valuable training. This joint training minimizes medical 

operational gaps and promotes interoperability between civilian, military, and international

coalition partners, all at a significantly reduced cost compared to comparable in-house Department 

of Defense training.

For all these reasons, the committee supports these programs and encourages the Chief of the 

National Guard Bureau to continue delivering these preparedness programs through direct training 

services to include advanced trauma, public health, and combat lifesaver curriculums that prioritize

critical life-saving procedures, epidemiology of public health diseases, prevention and treatment, 

mass casualty triage, and psychological health.

Briefing on Indo-Pacific Command Contested Logistics Requirements.

The committee believes that a robust logistics system, providing both sufficient capacity to support 

major combat operations and resilience to operate under severe and sustained kinetic and nonkinetic attack, is vital to the Department of Defense’s (DOD) core missions of deterrence and 

warfighting. The committee is encouraged by recent DOD efforts to address contested logistics 

challenges, but remains concerned with the pace and scale of such efforts, as well as the 

resilience of such efforts in the face of attrition of equipment, logistics platforms, or prepositioned 

supplies.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the Committees 

on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than March

29, 2024, on the current ability of the joint force to conduct contested logistics in the Indo-Pacific 

Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility, and DOD efforts to improve contested logistics 

capabilities and capacity including:

(1) Current concepts for sustaining each service component in a conflict scenario;

(2) Total lift capacity requirements to complete combatant commander plans, to include 

force deployment, bulk fuel, munitions, and all other relevant classes of supply;

(3) Current and planned lift capacity in theater;

(4) Current and planned lift capacity out of theater that would be available to the combatant 

commander in a conflict scenario within relevant time frames;

(5) A vulnerability assessment of current and planned concepts for sustaining combat 

operations in INDOPACOM;

(6) An assessment of existing port infrastructure to support joint force peacetime and 

contingency operations, including the sufficiency of bilateral agreements to support contingency 

access to such infrastructure;

(7) Any relevant support contracts in the region expected to mitigate sustainment 

requirements in a contingency;

(8) Actions that can be undertaken and completed by each of the military departments 

within the next 4 years that would have the greatest impact on sustaining combat operations

across all domains in INDOPACOM, both constrained and unconstrained by costs, accesses, 

policy, and statute;

(9) An assessment of the extent to which deployed forces could meet logistical support 

requirements locally for consumables other than munitions and spare parts;

(10) A net assessment of U.S. capabilities to sustain prolonged combat operations in 

INDOPACOM in the 2027 time frame based on current projections of fielded capabilities;

(11) A report on which Army logistics capabilities reside within the Active Army component

compared with the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve; and, an assessment of the
- 23 -

risk incurred by that mix, to include potential delays to Joint Force employment as a result of 

mobilization delays; and

(12) Any other matters deemed relevant by the Secretary.

Review of Unfunded Priorities Lists.

The military services, combatant commands, the Missile Defense Agency, and the Chief of the 

National Guard Bureau are required by statute to provide the congressional defense committees 

with a report that contains a list of unfunded priorities with several associated justifications.

Congress has used these reports to evaluate the Department of Defense’s (DOD) budget request 

and make changes. The committee notes that these annual lists of unfunded programs and

activities have varied significantly over time.

Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of the United States to review: (1) The 

extent to which the officers specified under sections 222(a) and 222(b) of title 10, United States 

Code, have policies, procedures, and criteria in place to develop unfunded priorities lists; (2) The 

extent to which the type, quantity, or total dollar amount of unfunded priorities lists have changed 

over the last 10 years; (3) The extent to which Congress has appropriated funding for the

unfunded priorities submitted over the last 10 years; (4) The extent to which appropriations made 

for unfunded priorities in fiscal year 2023 affected DOD’s long-term budget plan, requirements 

planning, or major defense acquisition programs; and (5) Any other matters deemed appropriate by 

the Comptroller General.

The committee directs the Comptroller General to provide a briefing to the congressional defense 

committees on the preliminary findings of this review by April 30, 2024, with a final report to be 

submitted by a mutually agreed upon date.

National Guard State Partnership Program in the Indo-Pacific.

The committee strongly supports the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) as a means 

to strengthen U.S. alliances and partnerships with foreign counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region. 

The committee notes that the SPP currently maintains relationships with 16 foreign partners in the 

Indo-Pacific region. The committee supports efforts to leverage existing capacity in the National 

Guard to deepen cooperation with existing allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and to expand 

efforts to include additional foreign partners, as appropriate.

Therefore, not later than November 1, 2023, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategies, 

Plans, and Capabilities, in coordination with the Commander, United States Indo-Pacific

Command, the Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and the Chief of the National 

Guard Bureau, shall provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees summarizing 

ongoing SPP activities in the Indo-Pacific and identifying opportunities to expand such efforts to 

include new foreign partners, including an identification of any additional resources or authorities

necessary to support such activities.

Nationwide Integration of Time Resiliency for Operations.

The committee recognizes the need for resilient Position Navigation, and Timing (PNT), as PNT is 

integral to Department of Defense operations, continuity of operations and mission assurance, and 

other national critical functions. The committee remains concerned that there is insufficient 

redundancy in PNT, and therefore in the event of PNT disruption, continuity of operations would be 

at risk, including the operations of the National Guard and other federal, state, and local agencies

tasked with emergency services response and civil support whom National Guard forces may 

interact with in the course of their duties.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force, in 

coordination with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, to provide a briefing to the congressional 
- 24 -

defense committees, not later than February 1, 2024, assessing the utility of the Nationwide 

Integration of Time Resiliency for Operations (NITRO) program for providing assured PNT for 

continuity of operations in responding to military contingencies and supporting civil authorities. The

briefing shall include an assessment of: (1) Performance of NITRO in relation to PNT requirements; 

(2) Survivability of NITRO including to cyber, electromagnetic, and radiological threats; (3) Costs 

associated with manning, fielding, deploying, and maintaining NITRO; (4) Existing deployments of 

NITRO as well as currently planned future deployments; (5) Potential for nationwide and territorial 

deployment of NITRO to include timelines and costs; (6) Current coordination related to NITRO

between the National Guard Bureau and the National Executive Committee for Space-Based PNT; 

and (7) Policies, regulations, guidance, and federal statutes governing the communicating of

NITRO data with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.

Army National Guard Mission Assurance Program.

The committee remains concerned about the prospect of degradation of defense critical 

infrastructure from disruption that would affect the mobilization and movement of military forces 

and supplies in support of global and homeland operations.

For this reason, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the 

Secretaries of the military departments, the Commander of United States Northern Command,

and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, to establish a 

mission assurance program to acquire and maintain all-domain awareness of threats posed to

such defense critical infrastructure, and offer assistance to those entities in conducting all-domain 

threat assessments and remedial actions within their operational and information technology 

systems.

Additionally, the committee encourages the Secretary to work through existing assistance 

programs and organizations within the Department of Defense, such as the National Guard

Bureau's Army Interagency Training and Education Command (AITEC), to establish relationships 

with defense critical infrastructure operators to maintain awareness and ensure rapid response to 

adverse events.

Report on Critical Infrastructure Supporting National Security and Force Projection 

Activities.

The committee commends the Department of Defense (DOD) on efforts to address cyber 

vulnerabilities of servicemembers, military installations, the defense industrial base, and other

key components of the national security enterprise. The committee remains concerned, however, 

about the potential for cyberattacks against the homeland to impede the ability of the

DOD to conduct operations and functions.

The committee believes that the DOD must do more to address domain awareness gaps to ensure 

that vulnerabilities to military installations, which stem from dependence on critical infrastructure 

located in surrounding communities, do not present an attack vector which adversaries can exploit.

Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of 

the military departments, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and in consultation

with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to provide a report to the Committees on Armed Services 

of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than February 1, 2024, on vulnerabilities 

of military installations related to critical infrastructure supporting national security and force 

projection activities. The report shall be submitted in an unclassified form but may include a 

classified annex. The report shall include the following elements:

(1) Development of potential models for establishing processes, relationships, and 

command structures for proactively identifying vulnerabilities, responding to cyber incidents

involving DOD installations, and providing synchronized reporting to higher authorities;

(2) An assessment of the feasibility of designing and establishing a data repository within 

the DOD for resources and data related to potential cyber incidents involving DOD installations; 
- 25 -

tailored responses; impacts; and exercises to facilitate the sharing of policies, procedures, best 

practices, data, and emerging issues; and

(3) An assessment of the need for utilizing the planning and execution of integrated 

campaigning (as defined in the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Concept for Integrated Campaigning) at 

multiple echelons to understand potential adversary actions against U.S. Government and nongovernment partners and to better inform campaign plan assumptions.

Space Force Personnel Management (Secs. 1701-1752)

The committee recommends a set of provisions that would amend title 10, United States Code, by 

adding a new subtitle F, titled "Alternative Military Personnel Systems," and establishing 

thereunder a military personnel system for the Space Force. The provision would also make 

various technical and conforming amendments to provisions in title 10, 19, 28, 38, and 50, United 

States Code, to account for the creation of the Space Force personnel system.

Under the recommended provision, the U.S. Space Force would become a single-component 

military service, incorporating elements of personnel policy from existing authority in title 10, United 

States Code, pertaining to both active and reserve components from other Armed Forces. Of note, 

the single component Space Force personnel system would allow for greater flexibility in career 

management and progression for U.S. Space Force members, who would be allowed to go back 

and forth between full-time military service and part-time service throughout their careers.

Implementation of the military personnel system for the U.S. Space Force would be contingent 

upon a certification from the Secretary of the Air Force that any State National Guard affected by 

the transfer of units, personnel billets, equipment, and resources into the U.S. Space Force would 

be made whole by the transfer of additional assets under the control of the Secretary of the Air 

Force into the affected State National Guard. The Secretary concerned would also be required to 

submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes a transition plan to move all 

units, personnel billets, equipment, and resources that perform core Space Force missions, are 

under the operational control of the U.S. Space Force, or are otherwise integral to the U.S. Space 

Force mission that may exist in the reserve components of the Department of the Air Force into the 

U.S. Space Force. The provision would also require protections for affected members of the 

reserve components of the U.S. Air Force to ensure they would be able to remain in the reserve 

components without a negative impact on their careers if they chose not to transfer to the U.S. 

Space Force.

Under this title, the Secretary of Defense would also be required to enter into an agreement with a 

federally funded research and development center to conduct an independent study to assess the 

advisability and feasibility of moving personnel billets, equipment, and resources performing core 

space functions into the U.S. Space Force, as well as an analysis of the possibility of maintaining 

the current model in which the Air National Guard has units and personnel performing core space

functions; transitioning such units and personnel to the U.S. Space Force; and creating a new 

National Guard component of the U.S. Space Force. Such study shall be due to the Secretary of

the Air Force not later than February 1, 2025.

The committee notes that the transfer of capabilities from the National Guard to the U.S, Space 

Force is a unique requirement and based on the strategic importance of maintaining unified 

Federal control of space assets and capabilities under the new U.S. Space Force personnel 

management system. Should the Department of Defense ever seek to incorporate elements of the

U.S. Space Force military personnel system into the personnel systems of the Army or Air Force, 

the committee would not support any large-scale transfer of units, personnel billets, equipment, or 

resources of the State National Guards into single-component Army or Air Force services under 

such unified personnel management systems. The Army National Guard and Air National Guard 

provide critical capabilities for the Armed Services and the States, and must be maintained as 

standing reserve components of the Armed Forces.