Defense Department Releases Budget Plan for 2025

The Defense Department unveiled its budget request for fiscal year 2025, marking a significant step toward personnel parity. The plan calls for several thousand fewer Army and Navy personnel on active duty and an equal number of positions in the Reserve and National Guard.

Among the budget proposal’s main points are:

• There will be a 7,800 permitted billet reduction in the active component and a 2,100 position increase in the reserve component.
• The Army plans to move 1,000 active duty billets to the Army Reserve in order to lower the number by 1,700.
• The Navy intends to shift 500 of those positions to the Navy Reserve in order to reduce the number of active sailors by 5,500.
• The Marine Corps plans to add 500 more members to its Reserve forces while keeping its active force intact.
• The Air Force will keep 2,700 members in the Air National Guard and 400 members in the Reserve in addition to its current active force level.
• The only other force to see an increase in active duty is the Space Force, which will see guardians expand from 9,400 to 9,800.
• The $182 billion projected budget includes a 4.5% pay increase for military members.
• Among the initiatives are raising the bar for troops to get the basic necessities allowance and funding programs that prevent sexual assault, suicide, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as accessibility.
• A particular $130 million is allotted to insider threat mitigation in the budget.

The Pentagon stresses that Congress must act quickly to approve a budget, emphasizing that stable, consistent financing is required to achieve defense objectives.

The urgency was emphasized by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who said, “We cannot afford any more lost time that we cannot buy back.”