REP. FRENCH HILL SECURES WIN FOR ARKANSAS IN 2026 NDAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) voted for H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 231-196. The bill supports our military personnel and families, strengthens our national defense, modernizes our military capabilities, and includes two amendments introduced by Rep. Hill that will directly benefit central Arkansas.

Rep. Hill said, "Maintaining a strong national defense is one of Congress's most important responsibilities. With aggression from foreign adversaries like China and Russia continuing, and a security environment that is increasingly dynamic and complex, America's military must have the capabilities necessary to confront emerging challenges. This bill makes critical investments to keep our forces the strongest in the world. It delivers well-deserved pay raises for servicemembers in Arkansas and ensures they have the weapons, training, and support needed to deter threats and defend our nation.

"I am especially proud that two of my amendments were included in this year's NDAA. The first requires the Air Force to submit a report on C-130J training capacity and requirements, which could result in more C-130Js being assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base. The second supports the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, which provides world-class marksmanship training for National Guard members from across the country."

Background:

H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Fiscal Year 2026, authorizes approximately $892.6 billion for national defense, including $844 billion for the Department of Defense and $34 billion for the Department of Energy. The legislation provides a 3.8 percent pay raise for all servicemembers, expands military bonuses and special pay, increases the Family Separation Allowance, broadens housing allowance eligibility, and enhances bereavement and convalescent leave. It also accelerates modernization by funding next-generation platforms such as F-35 fighters, KC-46 tankers, B-21 bombers, naval vessels, and missile defense systems, and restores a focus on lethality, merit, and accountability.

Rep. Hill's Amendments

• C-130J Training Report: Requires the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report on the C-130J Formal Training Unit (FTU), which is responsible for training all future Air National Guard C-130J pilots and loadmasters. The report will review C-130J training throughput, backlogs, annual training numbers, and plans for FY 2027-2030 to ensure the Air National Guard's transition to C-130Js is adequately supported.
  
  
• National Guard Marksmanship Training Center (NGMTC): Requires the Secretary of the Army to designate the NGMTC as an institution under the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), make its courses Guard-centric, award Guardsmen a Master Marksmanship Training identifier, integrate programs into the Army Program Objective Memorandum, and ensure the NGMTC remains within the Arkansas National Guard.