NGAUS and EANGUS are supporting 24 amendments to the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act that will be debated this week by the full House.
The amendments include one that would maintain the Army National Guard end strength until Congress has time to study the recommendations of the National Commission on the Future of the Army due early next year. Another would stop at 48 the number of AH-64 Apache helicopters that could be transferred from the Army Guard to the active component before Sept. 30, 2016.
Other amendments address a Guardsman’s receipt of retirement pay, additional funding for the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program and access to education benefits.
The House Rules Committee meets tonight to consider which amendments can be included in the floor debate. The amendments can be found at www.ngaus.org/amendments-house-ndaa-fy16.
“We would like Congress to consider these amendments, most of which would benefit the men and women of the National Guard,” said retired Col. Pete Duffy, the NGAUS legislative director. “End strength and force structure of the Army Guard are just two of the important areas they address.
“We appreciate the efforts of the members of Congress who have introduced these amendments and hope the Rules Committee will see fit to include them in the debate this week.”