WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced he secured multiple priorities in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 to improve the lives of servicemembers and military families. The legislation passed out of committee last week on a bipartisan basis and authorizes $778 billion in national defense funding for fiscal year 2022. Since being elected in 2015, Senator Tillis has secured more than $3 billion for North Carolina’s military installations.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Tillis led the effort to pass an across the board 2.7 percent pay raise for both military servicemembers and the DOD civilian workforce. Senator Tillis’ personnel subcommittee also made efforts to support military spouse employment and expand health care for military members and their families.

“I was proud to lead multiple successful bipartisan efforts, including providing a pay raise for our servicemembers and expanded options to improve the lives of military families,” said Senator Tillis. “Since being elected, one of my top priorities has been ensuring Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, New River, and Seymour Johnson have the resources they need as they continue to play an important role in protecting the nation. This bipartisan legislation will be a big win for North Carolina’s servicemembers and our military families, and I look forward to a full vote in the Senate.”

A summary of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 is available here.

FY2022 Military Construction for North Carolina Installations:

 Camp Lejeune - $42.2 million

• II MEF Operations Center Replacement (INC) - $42.2 million

 MCAS Cherry Point – $91.4 million

• Aircraft Maintenance Hangar - $57.9
• F-35 Flightline Utilities Modernization- $33.5

 Fort Bragg – $27.2 million

• Emergency Water System - $7.7 million
• MW Microgrid Utilizing Existing and New Generators - $19.5 million

 Total MILCON Funding - $160.8 million

Senator Tillis’ Priorities Secured in the NDAA:

 End Strength/Pay and Compensation

• Authorizes active duty end strength levels
  • Army: 485,000
  • Marine Corps: 178,500
  • Navy: 346,200
  • Air Force: 329,220
• Provides for a 2.7 percent pay raise for members of the Armed Forces.

 Military/Civilian Personnel Policy

• Expands bereavement leave for military personnel that would permit servicemembers to take up to two weeks of leave in connection with the death of a spouse or child.
• Increases servicemember parental leave to 12 weeks for all primary and secondary caregivers on the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Establishes a pilot program providing direct hire authority to hire military spouses stationed at a duty station outside of the United States to a term position within the DOD.

Healthcare

• Includes coverage of preconception and prenatal carrier screening tests for certain medical conditions under the TRICARE program.
• Authorizes an increase in funding of $70 million for Impact Aid — $50 million for supplemental Impact Aid and $20 million for Impact Aid for military children with severe disabilities. 

 Military Justice and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

• In addition, to creating a Special Victims Prosecutors Office to sit within each Service to handle sexual assault and related crimes, this amendment criminalizes sexual harassment within the UCMJ, and makes significant improvements to prevention efforts, including the following:
  • (1) Enhanced data collection and analysis; 
  • (2) Creation of a Primary Prevention Workforce in DOD; 
  • (3) SecDef’s establishment and funding of an annual primary Prevention Research Agenda across DOD;
  • (4) The return to full functionality of the DAC-IPAD, the Defense Advisory Commission for the Prevention of Sexual Misconduct, and the Military Justice Review Panel;
  • (5) Parity of training, funding, and access to defense investigators, expert witness, and other resources for military defense counsel;
  • (6) Resourcing of this significant new way forward in the processing and adjudication of special victim offenses. 
• Tillis provisions would also make these new policies and programs applicable to the Coast Guard by agreement between the SecDef and the Secretary of Homeland Security.

 Military Family Readiness and Dependents Education

• Authorizes the establishment of a pilot program to provide employment for military spouses through a fellowship with employers across a variety of industries.

###