President Trump has signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 into law. In doing this the President is keeping another campaign promise to rebuild and restore our military readiness. This is the earliest the bill has been passed and signed into law in more than two decades. The bill helps the Department of Defense develop a more lethal and resilient force, and grows the size of our forces by authorizing an increase of 15,600 troops across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. It also authorizes end strengths of 487,500 in the Army; 335,400 in the Navy; 186,100 in the Marine Corps; and 329,100 in the Air Force. Additionally, the bill authorizes a 2.6 percent military pay raise for our service members the largest in 9 years.
The NDAA will increase training and improve readiness, authorizing 20 Combat Training Center Rotations for the Army as well as improvements to the readiness of naval surface ships. Furthering President Trump’s goal of developing our warfighting capabilities in space, the NDAA authorizes the United States Space Command to be established under the United States Strategic Command. The bill also requires a comprehensive review of both wounded warrior care and mental health services to ensure service members receive the best possible treatment. It makes substantial improvements to the transition assistance program designed to provide training tailored to Service members’ post-separation plans. Click here for more information on this comprehensive bill.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.
