{"id":4455,"date":"2025-12-22T04:31:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T04:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/defense-bill-will-turbocharge-surging-military-recruiting-numbers-senator\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T04:31:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T04:31:18","slug":"defense-bill-will-turbocharge-surging-military-recruiting-numbers-senator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/defense-bill-will-turbocharge-surging-military-recruiting-numbers-senator\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense Bill Will “Turbocharge” Surging Military Recruiting Numbers: Senator"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 is now law after passing both chambers of Congress and being signed Thursday by President Donald Trump, incorporating numerous policies and provisions including continued efforts to boost service member recruitment.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 10 the\u00a03,086-page bill passed the House on a 312-112 vote (115 Democrats, 197 Republicans voted in favor), and the Senate followed up with approval one week later with broad bipartisan support in a 77-20 vote. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised both political sides in the vote aftermath and said the legislation is \u201cdesigned to sustain and strengthen the national defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

The massive defense spending bill appropriates funding that will impact the departments of Defense and Energy, health care, troops and salaries, research and development, immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Diversity initiatives described as \u201cwoke\u201d by conservative lawmakers have been stripped down or removed altogether.<\/p>\n

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Senior Advisor to the Secretary of War (Strategy) Eric Geressy delivers remarks at the Department of War\u2019s Recruiting Excellence Forum at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other beneficiaries of the legislation include Ukraine, set to receive over $400 million in aid over the next two years as the war against Russia continues, as well as all U.S. servicemembers who are receiving a 3.8% pay raise. Trump and the Pentagon this week also announced special one-time \u201cWarrior Dividend\u201d $1,776 payments to troops, with a similar payment being replicated by the U.S. Coast Guard.<\/p>\n

Boosting Recruitment<\/h2>\n

Another focus of the NDAA is to continue forward progression on service member recruitment, which has seen formidable upticks throughout the first 11 months or so of Trump\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n

The NDAA\u2019s recruitment-related provisions:<\/p>\n