NDAA FY 2027: Forces End Strengths

H.R. Sec. 401 & S. Sec. 401—Active Forces End Strengths

Both bills have Active Forces End Strengths of: 
(1) The Army            469,000
(2) The Navy            356,600
(3) The Marine Corps    173,700
(4) The Air Force       330,400
(5) The Space Force      13,200

H.R. Sec. 411 & S. Sec. 411—Reserves End Strengths

Both bills have Selected Reserves End Strengths of: 
(1) Army National Guard	   331,300
(2) Army Reserve           172,000
(3) Navy Reserve            56,500
(4) Marine Corps Reserve    34,700
(5) Air National Guard     107,400
(6) Air Force Reserve       67,400
(7) Coast Guard Reserve      8,500

For both Active Forces and Selected Reserves the numbers are the same
 as President Trump's request. See the table below.

National Defense Authorization Act: Quick View of Current Status

Overview of Current NDAA FY 2027

The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has a history of regular passage. FY2026 marked the 65th consecutive fiscal year that an annual defense authorization was enacted.

See: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10516

(i) House

On May 13, 2026, Mr. Rogers, Rep., of Alabama and Mr. Smith, Dem., of Washington, introduced H.R. 8800, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for Department of Defense.

See: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8800

On July 22, 2026, the House passed H.R.8800. The vote was largely along party lines.

Seven Republicans voted Nay:

Brecheen of Oklahoma	Burchett of Tennessee
Crane of Arizona	Hageman of Wyoming
Luna of Florida	Massie of Kentuck
Roy of Texas

Six Democrats voted Yae:

Cuellar of Texas	Davis of North Carolina
Golden of Maine	Gonzalez, V. of Texas
Gray of California	Perez of Washington

See: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026278?Page=2

(ii) Senate

On June 15, 2026, S.4784, was introduced in the Senator Roger Wicker,Rep., of Mississippi. No further action as of September 30, 2026.

SBA: Selling to the Federal Government (October 7, 2026)

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Marine Corps Meets 2026 Goal with Over 31,000 New Recruits

October 2, 2026, The Marine Corps met its fiscal year 2026 recruitment goal with over 31,000 enlisted Marines, thanks to a high volume of interested applicants and strong retention. Read more in the Marine Times.

Harvard University Transforms Waste Wool from American Woolen Company into Cladding for Retrofits

September 27, 2026, Grinham Research Group at Harvard University has developed an insulating cladding tile made from waste wool, which was presented at this year's Oslo Architecture Triennale.

For the Oslo Architecture Triennale installation, Grinham Research Group sourced preconsumer waste wool from the American Woolen Company in Connecticut. It used a mixture of naturally coloured and dyed fibres, which resulted in the variations in tile colours.

Grinham Research Group saw the potential in wool's insulative, fire-resistant and antibacterial properties, and wanted to save it from being discarded as a residual material in the agricultural and textile industries.

Read more HERE.

Buy American Waiver Relating to Certain Textile Equipment Approved

September 17, 2026, The USDA-ARS Cotton Quality and Innovation Research Unit requires a roving frame and a rotor spinning frame to support fiber-to-yarn processing research, cotton quality improvement, and pilot-scale textile development. These machines provide essential process control capabilities, including adjustable drafting, twist settings, rotor speeds, and small-batch experimental operation, all necessary for research not feasible in commercial production mills.

See the waiver HERE.

DLA Troop Support Honors Gloria Simons for Service in Clothing and Textiles

October 1, 2026, Standing before an room filled with colleagues, service members and loved ones, Army Brig. Gen. Sean Kelly, commander of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, marked an extraordinary milestone this month as the command celebrated the retirement of two longtime federal civil servants whose careers span a combined 76 years.

Gloria Simons and William “Bill” Diaz were formally recognized for 41 and 35 years of distinguished service, respectively. As the nation’s combat logistics support agency, DLA delivers end-to-end global supply chain solutions to all military branches and combatant commands, a strategic mission carried out through the sustained expertise of dedicated civil servants like Simons and Diaz.

Simons, a strategic sourcing specialist in the CLOTHING and TEXTILES supply chain, began her 40-year career on Oct. 2, 1985, as a supply clerk at Norfolk Naval Air Station, Virginia. Over four decades, she held critical logistics posts across DLA Troop Support Subsistence, DLA Energy at Fort Belvoir, the Defense Commissary Agency and Clothing and Textiles, strengthening supply chain agility at every phase of her service.

Read more HERE.