553 
† HR 4310 PP
Subtitle E—Miscellaneous 
Authorities and Limitations 
SEC. 1041. ENHANCEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE 
CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF 
REGARDING THE NATIONAL MILITARY STRAT-
EGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 153 of title 
10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) NATIONAL MILITARY STRATEGY.— 
‘‘(1) NATIONAL MILITARY STRATEGY.—(A) The 
Chairman shall determine each even-numbered year 
whether to prepare a new National Military Strategy 
in accordance with this subparagraph or to update a 
strategy previously prepared in accordance with this 
subsection. The Chairman shall complete preparation 
of the National Military Strategy or update in time 
for transmittal to Congress pursuant to paragraph 
(3), including in time for inclusion of the report of 
the Secretary of Defense, if any, under paragraph (4). 
‘‘(B) Each National Military Strategy (or up-
date) under this paragraph shall be based on a com-
prehensive review conducted by the Chairman in con-
junction with the other members of the Joint Chiefs 
of Staff and the commanders of the unified and speci-
fied combatant commands. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:32 Dec 07, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00553
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\SENENR\H4310.PP
H4310
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with
554 
† HR 4310 PP
‘‘(C) Each National Military Strategy (or up-
date) submitted under this paragraph shall refer to 
and support each of the following: 
‘‘(i) The most recent National Security 
Strategy prescribed by the President pursuant to 
section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 
(50 U.S.C. 404a). 
‘‘(ii) The most recent annual report of the 
Secretary of Defense submitted to the President 
and Congress pursuant to section 113 of this 
title. 
‘‘(iii) The most recent Quadrennial Defense 
Review conducted by the Secretary of Defense 
pursuant to section 118 of this title. 
‘‘(iv) Any other national security or defense 
strategic guidance issued by the President or the 
Secretary of Defense. 
‘‘(D) Each National Military Strategy (or up-
date) submitted under this paragraph shall do the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) Describe the strategic environment and 
the opportunities and challenges that affect 
United States national interests and United 
States national security. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:32 Dec 07, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00554
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\SENENR\H4310.PP
H4310
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with
555 
† HR 4310 PP
‘‘(ii) Describe the threats, such as inter-
national, regional, transnational, hybrid, ter-
rorism, cyber-attack, weapons of mass destruc-
tion, asymmetric challenges, and any other cat-
egories of threats identified by the Chairman, to 
the United States national security. 
‘‘(iii) Identify the United States national 
military objectives and the relationship of those 
objectives to the strategic environment and to the 
threats described under clause (ii). 
‘‘(iv) Identify the operational concepts, mis-
sions, tasks, or activities necessary to support the 
achievement of the objectives identified under 
clause (iii). 
‘‘(v) Identify the fiscal, budgetary, and re-
source environments and conditions that, in the 
assessment of the Chairman, impact the strategy. 
‘‘(vi) Identify the implications of current 
force planning and sizing constructs for the 
strategy. 
‘‘(vii) Identify and assess the capacity, ca-
pabilities, and availability of United States 
forces (including both the regular and reserve 
components) to support the execution of missions 
required by the strategy. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:32 Dec 07, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00555
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\SENENR\H4310.PP
H4310
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with
556 
† HR 4310 PP
‘‘(viii) Identify areas in which the armed 
forces intends to engage and synchronize with 
other departments and agencies of the United 
States Government contributing to the execution 
of missions required by the strategy. 
‘‘(ix) Identify and assess potential areas in 
which the armed forces could be augmented by 
contributions from alliances (such as the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)), inter-
national allies, or other friendly nations in the 
execution of missions required by the strategy. 
‘‘(x) Identify and assess the requirements 
for contractor support to the armed forces for 
conducting training, peacekeeping, overseas con-
tingency operations, and other major combat op-
erations under the strategy. 
‘‘(xi) Identify the assumptions made with 
respect to each of clauses (i) through (x). 
‘‘(E) Each update to a National Military Strat-
egy under this paragraph shall address only those 
parts of the most recent National Military Strategy 
for which the Chairman determines, on the basis of a 
comprehensive review conducted in conjunction with 
the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:32 Dec 07, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00556
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\SENENR\H4310.PP
H4310
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with
557 
† HR 4310 PP
commanders of the combatant commands, that a 
modification is needed. 
‘‘(2) RISK
ASSESSMENT.—(A) The Chairman 
shall prepare each year an assessment of the risks as-
sociated with the most current National Military 
Strategy (or update) under paragraph (1). The risk 
assessment shall be known as the ‘Risk Assessment of 
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’. The Chair-
man shall complete preparation of the Risk Assess-
ment in time for transmittal to Congress pursuant to 
paragraph (3), including in time for inclusion of the 
report of the Secretary of Defense, if any, under para-
graph (4). 
‘‘(B) The Risk Assessment shall do the following: 
‘‘(i) As the Chairman considers appro-
priate, update any changes to the strategic envi-
ronment, threats, objectives, force planning and 
sizing constructs, assessments, and assumptions 
in the National Military Strategy. 
‘‘(ii) Identify and define the strategic risks 
to United States interests and the military risks 
in executing the missions of the National Mili-
tary Strategy. 
‘‘(iii) Identify and define levels of risk dis-
tinguishing between the concepts of probability 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:32 Dec 07, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00557
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\SENENR\H4310.PP
H4310
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with
558 
† HR 4310 PP
and consequences, including an identification of 
what constitutes ‘significant’ risk in the judg-
ment of the Chairman. 
‘‘(iv) Identify and assess risk in the Na-
tional Military Strategy by category and level 
and the ways in which risk might manifest itself, 
including how risk is projected to increase, de-
crease, or remain stable over time, and, for each 
category of risk, assess the extent to which cur-
rent or future risk increases, decreases, or is sta-
ble as a result of budgetary priorities, tradeoffs, 
or fiscal constraints or limitations as currently 
estimated and applied in the most current fu-
ture-years defense program under section 221 of 
this title. 
‘‘(v) Identify and assess risk associated with 
the assumptions or plans of the National Mili-
tary Strategy about the contributions or support 
of— 
‘‘(I) other departments and agencies of 
the United States Government (including 
their capabilities and availability); 
‘‘(II) alliances, allies, and other friend-
ly nations, (including their capabilities, 
availability, and interoperability); and 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:32 Dec 07, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00558
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\SENENR\H4310.PP
H4310
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with