The National Defense Authorization Act would be good for those that like to keep up on the lastest news that might affect us

The much-anticipated annual defense authorization bill cleared a House-Senate Conference Committee late last week and includes the following key points of interests for Reservists and National Guard members:

• Establish a $700 billion defense authorization plan for fiscal 2018
• 2.4 percent pay raise for all Active/Reserve/National Guard members
• Boost military end strength by more than 20,000 service members, to include:
  • 8,500 new soldiers (7,500 in active duty, 500 each in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve)
  • 5,000 new sailors (4,000 in active duty, 1,000 in the reserves)
  • 5,800 new airmen (4,100 in active duty, 900 in the Guard, 800 in the Reserve)
  • 1,000 new active-duty Marines
• Permanent extension of the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance, which pays about $300 a month to military widows and widowers to offset other lost benefits (which were set to expire in May 2018)
• Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will remain untouched for now
• Adds 90 new joint strike fighters to the military’s fleet and a third new littoral combat ship, but cancels controversial plans for a new "Space Corps” in favor of less ambitious bureaucratic changes within the Defense Department’s space programs.

Lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have maintained for months that a sizable boost in defense spending is needed to keep up with military readiness and modernization shortfalls.

The U.S. House and Senate will still need to approve the conference committee legislation in the coming weeks by an up-or-down vote. The president has stated he will support the legislation.   READ HERE>