From the President’s Budget to conference—and how ROA turned advocacy into wins for the Reserve Component

Every NDAA story begins with the president’s budget submission to Congress. That blueprint does more than set toplines. It frames priorities, timelines and trade-offs, and it serves as the foundation for Armed Services subcommittee marks in both chambers.

Committees test assumptions against requirements, translate strategy into bill text, and lay down the first red lines that steer the debate. From there, subcommittees mark their sections, full committees amend and adopt, and the House and Senate pass their versions to set up a conference.

This year, final negotiations unfolded amid — and during — the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a grinding backdrop that added complexity to scheduling, staffing and floor choreography. And because last year’s NDAA delivered historic quality-of-life reforms via the House Quality of Life Panel — including full coverage of costs associated with drill weekends — many expected FY 2026 to be more modest and less dramatic.

That said, the drama still arrived, only in different places. ROA stepped into that arena with a clear aim: make sure reserve equities are visible in the text, defensible in the math, and executable on the ramp.

Modernization with purpose: HMMWVs, C-130s and KC-46s

Army Tactical Wheeled Vehicles (Section 111).  ROA pressed for modernization parity for the Army Reserve’s aging tactical wheeled vehicle fleet, partnering with AM General for the second consecutive NDAA to secure funding pathways and keep HMMWV recapitalization at the forefront of the debate. The final bill extends the Army Tactical Wheeled Vehicle strategy through FY 2027, giving the Army, Congress and ROA an authorization bridge to address safety, maintenance and mission readiness for the Reserve.

C-130 inventory and modernization (Section 145).  Airlift is how the Reserve carries America’s logistics on ordinary days and surges in extraordinary ones. ROA rebuilt ties with the Navy Reserve legislative office and collaborated extensively on C-130 modernization, recognizing contested logistics as a joint fight. On Capitol Hill, ROA worked closely with Rep. Barry Loudermilk’s office, culminating in recognition of Eric Johnson, the congressman’s senior defense and policy adviser, with ROA’s Excellence in Legislative Readiness Award for his role advancing recapitalization priorities. In law, Section 145 extends the minimum C-130 inventory through FY 2026 and adds a modernization report, keeping the fleet steady while recapitalization plans mature.

Tanker protection, KC-46 accountability, and seeing more at Seymour (Sections 141 and 164).  Aerial refueling is the connective tissue of U.S. global operations, and reserve units shoulder a major share. ROA supported raising the tanker fleet minimum and protecting KC-135 primary mission aircraft inventory during KC-46 recapitalization, so reserve squadrons are not hollowed out mid-transition. At the same time, Section 164 ties additional KC-46 deliveries to credible corrective action on Category 1 deficiencies, marrying modernization with accountability.

Those priorities were not shaped from afar. They were informed on the ramp. During an ROA tour of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, ROA had exclusive access to see the KC-46 up close, speak with aircrews and maintainers, and hear directly how the Pegasus’ strengths and pain points play out under day-to-day operations. That firsthand experience sharpened ROA’s modernization recommendations for the Air Force Reserve, particularly around reliability, training and mission planning.

Fighters in transition: F-15s and A-10s, with continuity as the watchword

F-15E retirements and the path to EX II (Section 142). The FY 2026 NDAA holds the line on no F-15E retirements in FY 2026, then allows phased reductions thereafter — an authorization choice that protects training pipelines and Total Force fighter experience while recapitalization plans, including EX II fielding, come into focus.

ROA’s support for the F-15 platform, particularly the EX II, was identified in a high-level meeting with Chief of the Air Force Reserve Lt. Gen. John Healy, ROA Air Force Service Section Vice President Susan Lukas, and ROA Director of Legislation and Military Policy Matthew Schwartzman.

Following that, Schwartzman and the Air Force legislative liaison office worked hand in hand on areas of mutual interest, including sufficient F-15 fielding to sustain reserve training, surge capacity and deterrence.

A-10 inventory and Whiteman Air Force Base (Section 147).  Congress set an A-10 primary mission aircraft inventory floor and authorized limited retirements — guardrails to prevent premature divestment while transition plans are written. ROA’s approach here was deliberately local and operational, including direct collaboration with 442nd Fighter Wing leadership, coordinated closely with Lukas, ROA Department of Missouri President Don Stockton, and Sen. Eric Schmitt’s office to shape the inventory language and protect Whiteman’s mission continuity. Going forward, ROA’s focus is singular: help the 442nd secure the appropriations it needs so the victory written into authorization is realized on the flight line.

End strength and MEDEVAC: A fight for lives and strategic depth

Section 411 sets the numbers — and those numbers tell a story. The NDAA grows end strength for the Army National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, Air Force Reserve and significantly for the Coast Guard Reserve, while reducing the Army Reserve by 3,800 and the Air National Guard by 1,400.

For ROA, these reductions are not abstract. They hit hardest in Army Reserve aviation and MEDEVAC, the lifeline capability that has driven battlefield survival to historic highs.

At ROA’s annual conference, this risk took center stage during a defining panel, “Current and Future Planning for Helicopters and Aeromedical Casualty Evacuation During Large-Scale Land Combat Operations.” The discussion confronted the Army’s plan to eliminate all Army Reserve rotary-wing aviation units by October 2026.

The panel was moderated by ROA Executive Director, retired Army Reserve Maj. Gen. John Hashem, and joined by senior aviation and aeromedical experts who examined how the Army’s transformation risks erasing critical strategic depth in combat casualty evacuation, homeland response and sustainment operations. While modernization and unmanned systems promise new capabilities, panelists agreed eliminating Reserve aviation would create gaps that could take years to rebuild, weakening both national and domestic response capacity.

In direct response, ROA delegates voted unanimously to adopt a resolution supporting Sen. Ted Cruz’s RESCUE Act, a measure designed to preserve joint force aeromedical evacuation capability.

The resolution commits ROA to championing MEDEVAC and related aviation functions within the Reserve Component, ensuring highly skilled aviators, medics and maintainers remain integral to the Total Force.

Readiness for the fights we don’t get to choose

Munitions and two-war planning (Sections 361–364).  The NDAA’s tighter reporting on minimum munitions production, industrial surge capacity and two-war readiness is more than paperwork. It is how Congress forces the system to confront real requirements and timelines.

ROA credits former intern Peter Donlon, whose draft publication, Bombs Over Beijing: A Look at the Reserve Components in Large-Scale Combat Operations, helped quantify the gap between current stockpiles and real-world consumption rates, sharpened the case for allied demand planning, and underscored the Reserve’s role in sustained operations.

Indo-Pacific mobilization (Section 383).  Modeled on the historic “Nifty Nugget” mobilization stress test, Section 383 directs a comprehensive Indo-Pacific mobilization readiness study, including Reserve integration and a civilian skills inventory, to ensure planning reflects the Total Force. ROA’s engagement began when retired Army Sgt. Maj. Minyard identified the large-scale mobilization challenge and the relevance of Nifty Nugget at a Reserve Forces Policy Board summit, later reinforced by insights from the Honorable Robert Keohane, former assistant secretary of defense for manpower and readiness, at last year’s annual meeting.

People first: TAP and AvIP parity

Transition Assistance Program (Section 571). TAP is where readiness meets real life — jobs, families and the transitions reservists navigate more than once. ROA testified before Congress twice on reforms incorporated into the FY 2026 NDAA, particularly the authority allowing Reserve Component members to waive their TAP requirement under scoped conditions.

This marks the second consecutive year ROA secured a portion of its five-point TAP improvement plan in the NDAA, working closely with Chairman Van Orden, who also partnered with ROA on landmark USERRA reform and received ROA’s Excellence in Legislative Readiness Award.

Aviation Incentive Pay (Section 613).  AvIP parity has been years in the making, dating back to 2022. ROA life member and former legislative director Susan Lukas began the effort with TMC President Jack Du Teil, achieving early progress in the FY 2022 NDAA. When implementation stalled due to cost concerns, Du Teil raised the issue with Secretary Pete Hegseth at a roundtable attended by ROA Director of Programs and Events Trey Criner. In the final hours of this year’s conference, ROA spearheaded a coalition letter supported by more than 24 organizations, pushing the Senate-only provision into the conference report. Section 613 now requires the Defense Department to evaluate AvIP and establish a standardized framework on an accelerated timeline.

The road ahead: Turning policy into readiness

The NDAA is more than a bill. It is a promise. ROA’s work now shifts from authorization to implementation, focusing on appropriations, oversight and execution.

ROA will continue pressing for KC-46 fixes before fielding, tanker inventory protections, C-130 recapitalization, AvIP parity implementation, mobilization readiness and parity reforms across the Reserve Component.

The FY 2026 NDAA affirms what ROA has long maintained: The Reserve Component is indispensable to America’s defense. Advocacy helped shape this year’s wins, but the measure of success will be seen in aircraft on the ramp, crews in the cockpit, medics in the cabin, and readiness in the fight.