Lawmakers are resisting plans by the Navy to cut the size of its ship and submarine fleet, rallying behind a push to procure an additional attack submarine and raising alarm about impending ship retirements.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said troops from several military vessels could face a hostile situation as they set up the pier off the coast of Gaza and assist with the delivery of aid.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to approve $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, ending months of political deadlock that saw the bill stall due to Republican opposition to arming Ukraine while Russia gained momentum on the battlefield.
The Army is expected to hit its enlistment goal of 55,000 recruits for fiscal 2024 and enlist another 5,000 through a delayed entry program, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
A persistent deficit of affordable and available early child care for military families could be improved under a new bill that seeks to establish partnerships between the military and civilian child care providers.
The Department of Veterans Affairs would be required to submit detailed data on abortions performed at its facilities under a bill introduced Tuesday by Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
The Navy urgently needs Congress to pass a stalled national security spending plan to replenish the nearly $1 billion in munitions spent to counter attacks by Iran and its proxies in the Middle East in the past six months, the Navy secretary said.
Recommendations from a panel of lawmakers tasked with improving the quality of life for troops include a 15% pay raise for junior enlisted service members, no more referrals for physical therapy, optometry, women’s health and other specialties, and a basic allowance for housing that covers 100% of estimated costs.
Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the top general for U.S. forces in Europe, said Thursday that the military will continue to push troops into Eastern Europe as host countries build up the infrastructure to accommodate them amid a renewed threat from Russia.