Lawmakers back White House FY26 plans for more troops, 3.8% pay hike

After months of positive news about military recruiting efforts, lawmakers are poised to back White House plans to boost the Defense Department's end strength by about 26,000 troops next year.

The extra service members are included in both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees' drafts of the annual defense authorization bill, which contains a series of policy and budgetary priorities for the military. Senators on the panel approved their version last week, while the House committee is scheduled to mark up its draft Tuesday.

Both plans call for a significant boost in troop numbers in fiscal 2026, with most additions in the Army and Navy ranks.

Earlier this year, White House officials in their budget plans for next year outlined a goal of 454,000 active-duty soldiers in fiscal 2026, an increase of 11,700 troops over this year. Similarly, the Navy would grow to 334,600 sailors, up 12,300 active-duty personnel from this year.

The plan also calls for a boost of 1,500 airmen from the current level of 320,000 Air Force service members and an increase of 600 Space Force active-duty personnel from the current end strength of 9,800 individuals.

The Marine Corps, with 172,300 personnel, would be the only active-duty service not to see an increase.

The increases would grow the armed forces to just over 1.3 million active-duty troops, the largest goal since fiscal 2023.