From: EANGUS National Office Please share the following Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points with other unit members
The House Has Completed Markup
The House Armed Services Committee completed its markup of the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act markup. The committee released the executive summary of their markup, and the total bill is expected to be released in the coming days as HASC completes its markup of the NDAA. As the bill heads to the House floor for consideration, EANGUS’s Legislative team will continue ensuring our Enlisted values and needs are at the forefront of every Congressmen’s mind.
- $841.5 billion for the Department of Defense
o $500 million under the PB request - Authorizes funding for all other unfunded requirements as requested by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Commanders of EUCOM, AFRICOM, CENTCOM, NORTHCOM, and SOUTHCOM
- Establishes and implements a Space National Guard
- Authorizes the Chief of each military service Reserve Component to be a three-star officer.
- Directs the Comptroller General to review the capabilities provided by the Reserve Components to respond to near-peer conflict scenarios and their readiness.
Army National Guard
- Authorizes funding for ARNG end strength at 325,000 Soldiers.
o Consistent with PB Request and FY23 - $554.7 million for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPV)
- $828.9 million for the modernization of 42 AH-64E Apache Block IIIA helicopters for the Army
- No request for AH-64E Apache Block IIIB new-build helicopters
- $760.75 million for 24 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Army
- $153.2 million for 26 UH-60 Black Hawk L and V model helicopters for the Army
- $421.4 million for CH-47 Chinook helicopters for the Army
o four additional aircraft more than requested. - $6.6 million for MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS
o None requested for Army National Guard - $5.2 million to modify Bradley Fire Support Team (BFIST)
- $1.07 billion for the Abrams Upgrade Program
o $276.5 million more than requested. - $756.6 million for the Stryker upgrade program for the Army
o $142.6 million more than requested. - $579.1 million for 24 Paladin Integrated Management Systems
o $110 million more than requested. - $839.4 million for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs)
- $590.9 million for ARNG military construction (MILCON), including authorized funding for projects in 17 states.
- Requires the Secretary of the Army to submit to the congressional defense committees the analysis of alternatives document for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program or risk limiting the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for FY24 for the Office of the Secretary of the Army for travel of persons.
- Directs the Secretary of the Army to brief the House Committee on Armed Services not later than December 1, 2023, on how the Army plans to incorporate digital engineering, artificial intelligence, and other dual-use capabilities to assess FVL rotorcraft drive systems.
- Requires the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Army, and CNGB to provide a briefing, by no later than March 1, 2024, on the feasibility of transferring a portion of any projected Army recruit shortfalls to the Army National Guard for allocation to State Guard formations.
- Directs the Secretary of the Army and CNGB to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than February 1, 2024, on the Army’s plans for the integration of the MQ-1C into the National Guard and the potential benefits and drawbacks of further integrating it into the National Guard’s operational capabilities.
Air National Guard
- Appropriates funding for ANG end strength at 108,400 Airmen.
o Consistent with PB Request - Prohibits reduction of C-130 aircraft assigned to the National Guard at 271 with a sunset date of October 1, 2024
- Reduces minimum inventory requirements of A-10 aircraft in FY23 to 135
o Reduction of 18 from 153 to 135 - $5.1 billion for F-35A Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force
o $124.8 million less than requested. - $2.7 billion for F-15EX aircraft for the Air Force
o $108.4 million less than requested. - $2.8 billion for KC-46A Pegasus aircraft for the Air Force
- $34.9 million for C-130J for the Air Force
- $93.1 million for C-130H modifications
o $22 million more than requested for iMAFFs - $1.07 million for F-16 AESA Radars for the Air National Guard
- $331.0 million for ANG MILCON, including authorized funding for projects in 10 states.
- Prohibits the Secretary of the Air Force from reducing the number of primary mission aircraft inventory KC-135 aircraft from the Air Force Guard and Reserve
- Prohibits the Secretary of the Air Force from reducing the fighter flying mission of any Air National Guard fighter squadron until 180 days after the Secretary submits the fighter recapitalization plan for ANG squadrons.
o Hearing Timestamp: 2:20:26-2:30:36 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to designate the F-35 continuous capability and development and delivery program as a major subprogram of the F-35 acquisition program.
- Requires the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a report on the Secretary’s plan for maintaining proficient aircrews in specific mission areas.
- Directs the Secretary of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Navy to annually submit a report to the congressional defense committees, concurrent with the President’s budget request, regarding each Department’s Next Generation Air Dominance and Collaborative Combat Aircraft acquisition programs.
- Directs the Secretary of the Army and CNGB to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than March 1, 2024, on remotely piloted aircraft units with launch and recovery elements that are geographically separated from mission control and maintenance elements.
- Joint-Personnel
- Requests a 5.2 percent military and civilian personnel pay raise.
o 0.6 percent more than enacted FY23 levels - $83.5 million for National Guard Youth Challenge program
- $50 million for National Guard STARBASE program
- $300 million for the National Guard Counter-drug program
- $30 million for National Guard Counter-drug Schools
- $11.9 million for SPP Training
- Waives TRICARE Dental fees and copays for all members of the Selected Reserve
- Extends through December 31, 2024, various expiring bonus and special pay authorities for military personnel, including special pay and bonus authorities for reserve personnel, military healthcare professionals, nuclear officers, and consolidated pay authorities for officer and enlisted personnel.
- Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide the House Committee on Armed Services a report identifying current suicide prevention training efforts, any gaps in suicide prevention training, and measures of effectiveness.
- Directs the Comptroller General to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed Services, a comprehensive review of the scope of unpaid and delayed payments to service members and their families, and provide recommendations for improving efficiencies.
- Removes the Basic Allowance for Housing from the calculation of service member eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance
- Directs the Director of NGB to brief the House Committee on Armed Services, not later than December 31, 2023, on current gaps in how the National Guard Bureau and the 54 State National Guard organizations would like to deploy their array of resources better.
- Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, and others to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than December 31, 2023, on incorporating NGB into training for Electronic Warfare (EW) and Multi-domain Operations (MDO) for the Northeast.
- Directs the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, in coordination with the Commander, U.S. Cyber Command, to submit a report to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Armed Services not later than May 31, 2024, on utilization of National Guard and Reserve Forces in Cyberspace Operations
EANGUS will continue to monitor the status of the NDAA not only in the House of Representatives but also in the Senate. If you have any questions about the NDAA or other National Guard Enlisted issues, please feel free to contact Kevin Hollinger (EANGUS Legislative Director) at kevin@eangus.org or (202) 670-1826 or Contact Michaela Johnson (EANGUS Legislative Assistant) at michaela@eangus.org.
EANGUS strongly supports the re-introduction of S. 5142 Healthcare for Our Troops Act, introduced during the 117th Congress. This legislation would have provided Reserve Component (R.C.) servicemembers with zero-cost TRICARE insurance. Additionally, this legislation expands TRICARE eligibility to R.C. servicemembers currently working for the federal government in their civilian capacity.
S.5142 – Healthcare for Our Troops Act was introduced by Sen Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Sen Susan Collins (ME) on November 29, 2022, during the 117th Congress 2nd Session.
Servicemembers are required to meet medical deployment ability requirements. An estimated 130,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists do not have health insurance under the currently disjointed systems of third-party health contractors and Periodic Health Assessments (PHAs), significantly impacting the Reserve Component’s medical readiness. Inconsistent healthcare coverage for members of the Reserve Component makes meeting these requirements difficult to achieve.
S. 5142, Healthcare for Our Troops Act, would have ensured servicemembers meet the medical standards of a deployable force at no cost to the servicemember. This change provides the Department of Defense (DoD) with a powerful recruiting and retention tool and a significant employer incentive to retain talented individuals in gainful civilian employment.
EANGUS does not believe that dental care only will make a significant improvement in medical readiness. As a last resort effort, the Reserve components use mitigating systems to provide zero-cost dental care and improve dental readiness. They currently use mass medical events with dental providers, a dental voucher system, and send servicemembers to providers near annual training facilities at the cost of the reserve components. With all these systems currently in place, there is no reason to believe that dental insurance solely would significantly improve reserve component readiness. Furthermore, no such plan, system, or program for healthcare currently exists. Healthcare issues are often more complex, time-consuming, and expensive to correct. We believe the most significant impact would be that the enlisted, especially our junior ranking members, would have to take more time away from civilian employers to complete the required dental care currently provided during their military service time.
Under current law, National Guard and Reserve servicemembers who are federal employees in their civilian capacity are ineligible to enroll in TRS. This creates confusion in coordinating benefits for servicemembers and their families and prevents servicemembers from establishing continuity of care and treatment as they deploy or transition in or out of the federal government. S. 5142 would have struck the language that disallows servicemembers from accessing TRS simply due to working for the federal government in their civilian capacity.
Don’t hesitate to contact your representative and urge them to support the re-introduction of S. 5142 into the 118th Congress by responding to this Call-To-Action.
If you have further questions regarding the Health Care for Our Troops Act, please do not hesitate to contact Kevin Hollinger at kevin@eangus.org or contact him direct at (202) 670-1826
S. 503 was introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Feb. 16, 2023. The Senate bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. This is the second time Feinstein and Rubio have introduced this legislation.
Companion legislation to this Senate bill was included in the last two versions of the National Defense Authorization Act introduced in the House. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., reintroduced a House version of the Space National Guard Establishment Act on May 2, 2023. The House bill was cosponsored by Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Rep. William Keating, D-Mass., Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo.
S. 503 and H.R. 3048, if enacted, would allow the nearly 1,000 airmen currently performing space missions in the National Guard to continue executing these crucial missions unimpeded while providing the Space Force with combat surge capabilities and delivering space-trained personnel and capabilities to support domestic operations and natural disasters.
The Department of Defense is fielding two options regarding reserve components within the Space Force, but has proposed merging all space missions into a full- and part-time force with no Space Guard.
EANGUS Member Survey
In keeping with the EANGUS tradition of presenting its members with the most pertinent information possible, we request that all members take this short twelve-question survey. Its purpose is to provide the Committee on Retiree Affairs with the feedback needed to develop our program. We’d like to target our program to not just retirees but also to those within five years of retiring. We want to ensure that everyone has access to all the programs, information, and benefits they have earned.
Your answers will guide the future of our program. Thank you! Your feedback, please
EANGUS Healthcare Survey
EANGUS invites you to take a brief 30-second survey to provide your feedback on the importance of healthcare and your military service.
EANGUS Resources
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Go to the EANGUS-WCFA website for the criteria to apply for WCFA Grants and Interest-Free Loans.
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