Pub. L. 93-155, tit. III, sec. 301

Sec. 301. (a) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1973, and ending June 30, 1974, each component of the Armed Forces is authorized an end strength for active duty personnel as follows: (1) The Army, 803,806; (2) The Navy, 566,320; (3) The Marine Corps, 196,419; (4) The Air Force, 666,357. (b) The end strength for active duty personnel prescribed in subsection (a) of this section for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974, shall be reduced by 43,000. Such reduction shall be apportioned among the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force in such manner as the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe, except that in applying any portion of such reduction to any military department, the reduction snail be applied to the maximum extent practicable to the support forces of such military department. The Secretary of Defense shall report to the Congress within 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act on the manner in which this reduction is to be apportioned among the military departments and among the mission categories described in the Military Manpower Requirements Report. This report shall include the rationale for each reduction. (c) The Committee on Armed Services of the House shall report to the House by April 1, 1974, a detailed and independent study on the advisability of maintaining our present military commitment to Europe in view of the current economic and military situation in Europe.