Each year, the House and Senate armed services committees take up national defense authorization bills. The House of Representatives passed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA; H.R. 5515 ) on May 24, 2018. The Senate passed its version of the NDAA ( H.R. 5515 ) on June 18, 2018. These bills contain numerous provisions that affect military personnel, retirees, and their family members. Provisions in one version are sometimes not included in the other, are treated differently, or are identical in both versions. Following passage of each chamber's bill, a conference committee typically convenes to resolve the differences between the respective chambers' versions of the bill. The FY2019 NDAA conference report was passed by the House on July 26, 2018, and the Senate on August 1, 2018. On August 13, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the bill into law ( P.L. 115-232 ). This report highlights selected personnel-related issues that may generate high levels of congressional and constituent interest. CRS will update this report to reflect enacted legislation. Related CRS products are identified in each section to provide more detailed background information and analysis of the issues. For each issue, a CRS analyst is identified. Some issues discussed in this report were previously addressed in the FY18 NDAA ( P.L. 115-91 ) and discussed in CRS Report R44923, FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues , by Kristy N. Kamarck, Lawrence Kapp, and Barbara Salazar Torreon, or other reports. Those issues that were considered previously are designated with an asterisk in the relevant section titles of this report. Background: The authorized active duty end-strengths for FY2001, enacted in the year prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, were as follows: Army (480,000), Navy (372,642), Marine Corps (172,600), and Air Force (357,000). Over the next decade, in response to the demands of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Congress substantially increased the authorized personnel strength of the Army and Marine Corps. Congress began reversing those increases in light of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011, the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan beginning in 2012, and budgetary constraints. Congress halted further reductions in Army and Marine Corps end-strength in FY2017, providing slight end-strength increases that year and more substantial increases in FY2018. End-strength for the Air Force generally declined from 2004-2015, but increased from 2016-2018. End-strength for the Navy declined from 2002-2012, increased in 2013, and remained essentially stable through 2017 with a modest increase in 2018. Authorized end-strengths for FY2018 and FY2019 are in Figure 1 . Discussion: In comparison to FY2018 authorized end-strengths, the Administration's FY2019 budget proposed increases for the Army (+4,000), Navy (+7,500), Marine Corps (+100) and Air Force (+4,000). Section 401 of the enacted bill approved end-strengths identical to the Administration request. The enacted bill also adopted Section 402 of the House bill which adjusts the minimum end-strengths required by 10 U.S.C. §619 to a level equal to the authorized end-strengths set in Section 401. References: Previously discussed in CRS Report R44923, FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues , by Kristy N. Kamarck, Lawrence Kapp, and Barbara Salazar Torreon, and similar reports from earlier years. CRS Point of Contact: Lawrence Kapp. Background: The overall authorized end-strength of the Selected Reserves has declined by about 6% over the past 16 years (874,664 in FY2001 versus 823,900 in FY2018). Much of this can be attributed to the reductions in Navy Reserve strength during this period. There were also modest shifts in strength for some other components of the Selected Reserve. Authorized end-strengths for FY2018 and FY2019 are in Figure 2 . Discussion: Relative to FY2018 authorized end-strengths, the Administration's FY2019 budget proposed increases for the Navy Reserve (+100), Air Force Reserve (+200), and Air National Guard (+500); and no change for the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve. Section 411 of the enacted bill specified end-strengths identical to the Administration request. References: Previously discussed in CRS Report R44923, FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues , by Kristy N. Kamarck, Lawrence Kapp, and Barbara Salazar Torreon, and similar reports from earlier years. CRS Point of Contact: Lawrence Kapp. Background: DOD operates a health care delivery system that serves approximately 9.4 million beneficiaries. The military health system (MHS) provides care through DOD-operated and staffed medical and dental facilities (collectively referred to as military treatment facilities ) or through care from civilian providers purchased through an insurance-like program known as TRICARE. Currently, military treatment facilities (MTFs) are administered by each respective service surgeon general and provide a wide range of clinical services depending on its size, mission, and level of capabilities. TRICARE is administered by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a combat support agency that enables the Army, Navy, and Air Force medical services to provide a medically ready force and ready medical force to combatant commands in both peacetime and wartime. The DHA also operates six MTFs in the Washington DC metropolitan area. In 2016, Congress found that the organizational structure of the MHS could be streamlined to sustain the "medical readiness of the Armed Forces, improve beneficiaries' access to care and the experience of care, improve health outcomes, and lower the total management cost." Section 702 of the FY2017 NDAA ( P.L. 114-328 ) directed significant reform to the MHS and administration of MTFs by October 1, 2018. This reform includes transfer of administration and management of MTFs from each respective service surgeon to the Director, DHA; reorganization of DHA's internal structure; and redesignation of the Service Surgeons General as principal advisors for their respective military service, and as service chief medical advisor to the DHA. In June 2018, DOD submitted its final implementation plan to Congress. The implementation plan details how DOD will reform the MHS to a "streamlined organizational model that standardizes the delivery of care across the MHS with less overhead, more timely policy-making, and a transparent process for oversight and measurement of performance." DOD also included recommendations on legislative actions to assist with executing its implementation plan, which includes ability to implement 10 U.S.C. §1073c using a three-year phased-in approach; and authority for the Secretary of Defense to waive specific requirements in 10 U.S.C. §1073c if necessary for implementation feasibility or military health readiness. Discussion: Section 711 of the enacted bill incorporates DOD's recommendation for a three-year, phased-in approach to implementing 10 U.S.C. §1073c. The provision requires the DHA Director to assume responsibility for administration and management of each MTF no later than September 30, 2021. However, there are no authorities included in Section 711 to allow the Secretary of Defense to waive requirements in 10 U.S.C. §1073c. Section 711 also requires limitation on MTF closures and downsizing in connection with implementation of 10 U.S.C. §§1073c-1073d; establishment of a DHA subordinate organization for research and development; establishment of a DHA subordinate organization for public health; feasibility study on establishing a DHA subordinate organization for education and training; and feasibility study on establishing a Defense Health Command as a superseding organization to DHA. Section 712 of the enacted bill directs the Director of the DHA, by October 1, 2018, to implement an "organizational framework" that effectively delivers DOD health benefits, maximizes interoperability of military medical capabilities, and integrates those capabilities to support combatant commander requirements. As part of the organizational framework, Section 712 also requires DOD to establish four "defense health regions," two in the continental United States and two outside of the continental United States. Additionally, the service surgeons general are assigned new responsibilities focusing on manning, training, and equipping medical forces to meet MTF or combatant commander requirements. References: CRS In Focus IF10530, Defense Primer: Military Health System , by Bryce H. P. Mendez. CRS Point of Contact: Bryce H. P. Mendez. Background : According to Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) news, in about 25 years, the cemetery will run out of space as an active cemetery that would allow for future burials. Section 2 of Public Law 114-158 called for the Secretary of the Army in consultation with the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), to submit a report to Congress on the capacity of ANC. The Secretary of the Army's report, The Future of Arlington National Cemetery: Report on the Cemetery's Internment and Inurnment Capacity , February 14, 2017, identified the current status of ANC and provided future options, including restricting eligibility; expanding the geographical footprint of the cemetery; and other hybrid solutions. In July 2017, the cemetery conducted a survey in partnership with several military and veteran service organizations. Among the findings from this preliminary survey: 94% of the respondents want Arlington Cemetery to stay active well into the future; and nearly 50% who favor expansion also recognize the need to modify eligibility.