President Donald Trump signed a $716 billion defense policy bill boosting military pay by 2.6%, their largest increase in 9 years.
The bill, formally known as the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, will introduce thousands of new recruits to active duty, reserve, and National Guard units, and replace aging tanks, planes, ships and helicopters with more advanced technology.
“Hopefully, we’ll be so strong we’ll never have to use it. But if we ever did, nobody has a chance,” Trump said.
The bill authorizes billions of dollars for military construction, including family housing. Among other domestic and international protections, the bill creates new legal protections for students at the Department of Defense Education Activity schools and requires the school system and the Pentagon to develop new policies for responding to reports on bases more generally.
It also sets policies and budget outlines for the Pentagon and an appropriations bill will later follow.
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