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.
On Dec. 10 the 3,086-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 “designed to sustain and strengthen the national defense.”
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 “woke” by conservative lawmakers have been stripped down or removed altogether.
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 “Warrior Dividend” $1,776 payments to troops, with a similar payment being replicated by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Boosting Recruitment
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’s second term.
The NDAA’s recruitment-related provisions:
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Increase recruiter access in high schools.
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Expands opportunities for students to get involved in Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), and allows them to transfer if they don’t have a program housed at their high school.
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Designate JROTC as a part of the military, allowing military recruiters to directly reach out to members of JROTC. It was previously a civilian program and military recruiters were prevented from contacting JROTC members.
SERVE Act
These provisions were initially included in legislation known as the Service Enlistment and Recruitment of Valuable Engagement (SERVE) Act intended to enhance military recruitment by promoting the benefits of service and expanding access for high school students.
That bill was put forward in April by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a combat veteran. House Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Lance Gooden (R-TX) led the bipartisan effort in the other chamber.
“Wearing the uniform set me on course for a life of service, and I want to ensure that all young Americans have the opportunity to learn of the benefits of joining our military,” Ernst told Military.com. “I am thrilled to see my SERVE Act becoming law as part of the NDAA.
“My legislation will turbocharge recruitment and ensure that the incredible recruiting resurgence happening under Donald Trump becomes permanent.”
Kiggans, in a statement made in April, said that America’s youth simply aren’t being provided the information necessary to be privy to the various opportunities available to them.
“The SERVE Act is about turning that around by reconnecting our youth with a powerful call to service and opening doors to leadership, education, and purpose,” Kiggans said. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill sends a clear message that we believe in our next generation, and we’re ready to invest in their future and the future security of our nation.”
Strong Numbers in 2025
Military recruiting dipped in 2022 and 2023 under the Biden administration. The opposite has happened this year.
“My legislation will turbocharge recruitment and ensure that the incredible recruiting resurgence happening under Donald Trump becomes permanent.”
Recruiting numbers went through the roof for the Coast Guard, which saw its biggest numbers in decades. USCG announced last month that its accession numbers exceeded fiscal year goals and achieved the highest numbers since 1991, with 5,204 active-duty enlisted service members—equivalent to hitting 121% of its target of 4,300 members for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, 2024, and concluded Sept. 30, 2025.
In June the Army announced it had already met its recruiting goal with four months in Fiscal Year 2025 to spare. It was a stark turnaround attributed by officials to not just the COVID-19 pandemic but the minimal numbers of younger individuals who were neither fit nor willing to serve in the armed forces.
Along with updating and expanding training programs, another reason for the increase is being attributed to the expansion of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course that helps potential recruits meet the service’s academic or physical requirements.
Also in June, the Navy announced it had already met its recruiting goals well ahead of schedule. They were positioned by mid-summer to send more than 40,600 future sailors to Recruit Training Command by September. In 2024, the service surpassed its recruiting goal of 40,600 by 378 members.
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