Title II — Department of Defense Administration

S. 2452 · 115th Congress · Feb 26, 2018 · Lineage

II Department of Defense Administration

A General Administration Matters

Sec. 201 Authority to treat military units as unavailable for deployment due to a significant readiness deficiency

(a)

Request To Treat—

(1)

In general— A member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other than the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, may request the Secretary of Defense to treat a military unit of an Armed Force or Armed Forces of which such member is a chief of staff as unavailable for a scheduled deployment due to a significant readiness deficiency or deficiencies.

(2)

Units of the National Guard— For purposes of this section, a unit of the National Guard has the following as a chief of staff:

(A)

The Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, in the case of the Army National Guard of the United States.

(B)

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, in the case of the Air National Guard of the United States.

(b)

Final decision on request nondelegable— The Secretary of Defense may not delegate the final decision on any request under subsection (a).

(c)

Notice to Congress on action upon request—

(1)

Notice required— Not later than 30 days after the Secretary of Defense acts on a request under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a written notice on such action.

(2)

Elements— The notice on any requested action under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(A)

The military unit covered by the requested action.

(B)

A description of the significant readiness deficiency or deficiencies providing the basis for the requested action.

(C)

The action of the Secretary.

(D)

If the military unit is treated by the Secretary as unavailable for a scheduled deployment—

(i)

a description of the scheduled deployment dates, missions, and locations for which the unit is unavailable;

(ii)

a description of the actions, if any, taken to mitigate the unavailability of the unit; and

(iii)

a description of the risks, if any, resulting from treating the unit as unavailable.

Sec. 202 Annual report on Requests For Forces

(a)

Annual report required— Not later than January 1, 2019, and each year thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on all Requests For Forces (RFFs) involving military units (other than military units of the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) during the preceding fiscal year.

(b)

Elements— Each report under subsection (a) shall set forth, for the fiscal year covered by such report, the following:

(1)

A description of each Request for Forces described by that subsection, including the force package sought and associated dates and locations.

(2)

The extent to which each such Request for Forces was sourced by the Department of Defense, including the force package provided and associated dates and locations.

(3)

If any such Request For Forces was partially sourced or not sourced—

(A)

the rationale for such partial sourcing or non-sourcing; and

(B)

a description of any mitigation measures taken in response to such partial sourcing or non-sourcing.

B Personnel Matters

Sec. 211 Annual defense manpower requirements report matters

(a)

Date of submittal— Subsection (a) of section 115a of title 10, United States Code, is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking “not later than 45 days after the date on which” and inserting “on the date on which”.

(b)

Enumeration of required numbers of certain commissions officers— Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(i) In each such report, the Secretary shall also include a separate statement of the number of officers required for the next fiscal year in each grade as follows:

“(1) Major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel of each of the Army, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps.

“(2) Lieutenant commander, commander, and captain of the Navy.”

Sec. 212 Repeal of statutory specification of authorized strengths of certain commissioned officers on active duty

Effective as of October 1, 2018, the text of section 523 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

“The total number of commissioned officers serving on active duty in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps in each of the grades of major, lieutenant colonel, or colonel, or in the Navy in each of the grades of lieutenant commander, commander, or captain, at the end of any fiscal year shall be as specifically authorized by statute for such fiscal year.”

Sec. 213 Reports on joint qualification requirements for senior officers

(a)

Reports required— Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a military department shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report setting forth the results of a review, undertaken by the Secretary of the military department concerned for purposes of such report, of the requirements and policies of the Department of Defense related to the management of joint qualifications for officers before promotion to general or flag officer grade.

(b)

Elements— Each report required by subsection (a) shall include an analysis of the following:

(1)

The effect of joint qualification requirements on the ability of the military department concerned to train and develop critical military department-specific operational skills.

(2)

The effect of joint qualification requirements on the growth of joint headquarters organizations within the military department concerned.

(3)

The number of waivers granted by the Secretary of Defense under section 619a(b) of title 10, United States Code, during the period beginning on October 1, 2001, and ending on the date of such report, for the Armed Force or Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the military department concerned.

(4)

The effect of joint qualification requirements on the average length of assignments predating promotions to general or flag officer grade within the military department concerned during the period beginning on January 1, 1987, and ending on the date of such report.

(5)

Any other matters the Secretary of the military department concerned considers appropriate to facilitate an understanding of the effects of joint qualification requirements on the training and management of officers within such military department.