Authorizers halt Army end-strength slide, punt on unfunded requirements

摘要

House and Senate defense authorization conferees have agreed to halt Army end strength reductions in fiscal year 2017 but declined to provide money for a list of unfunded requirements the service sent Congress earlier this year. During an afternoon briefing on Capitol Hill, staffers from the House and Senate Armed Services committees told reporters the defense authorization conference bill authorizes Army procurement at the levels included in the president's budget request. Lawmakers plan to arrest the reduction in Army end strength, which was capped at 475,000 in the active component in FY-16 and set to drop to 460,000 in FY-17 before halting at 450,000 in FY-18. The FY-17 conference bill authorizes 476,000 soldiers in the active component, 199,000 in the Army Reserve, and 343,000 in the Army National Guard. The president's budget sought end strengths of 195,000 in the Army Reserve and 335,000 in the Army National Guard. The Senate bill was consistent with these figures, while the House bill called for increases to 480,000 for the active component, 205,000 for the Reserve and 350,000 for the Guard.