END STRENGTHS FOR ACTIVE FORCES.

SEC. 401. END STRENGTHS FOR ACTIVE FORCES. (a) Fiscal Year 1996.— The Armed Forces are authorized strengths for active duty personnel as of September 30, 1996, as follows: (1) The Army, 495,000, of which not more than 81,300 may be commissioned officers. (2) The Navy, 428,340, of which not more than 58,870 may be commissioned officers. (3) The Marine Corps, 174,000, of which not more than 17,978 may be commissioned officers. (4) The Air Force, 388,200, of which not more than 75,928 may be commissioned officers. (b) Floor on End Strengths.— (1) Chapter 39 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: “§691. Permanent end strength levels to support two major regional contingencies “(a) The end strengths specified in subsection (b) are the minimum strengths necessary to enable the armed forces to fulfill a national defense strategy calling for the United States to be able to successfully conduct two nearly simultaneous major regional contingencies. “(b) Unless otherwise provided by law, the number of members of the armed forces (other than the Coast Guard) on active duty at the end of any fiscal year shall be not less than the following: “(1) For the Army, 495,000. “(2) For the Navy, 395,000. “(3) For the Marine Corps, 174,000. “(4) For the Air Force, 381,000. “(c) No funds appropriated to the Department of Defense may be used to implement a reduction of the active duty end strength for any of the armed forces for any fiscal year below the level specified in subsection (b) unless the Secretary of Defense submits to Congress notice of the proposed lower end strength levels and a justification for those levels. No action may then be taken to implement such a reduction for that fiscal year until the end of the six-month period beginning on the date of the receipt of such notice by Congress. “(d) For a fiscal year for which the active duty end strength authorized by law pursuant to section 115(a)(1)(A) of this title 110 STAT. 286for any of the armed forces is identical to the number applicable to that armed force under subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense may reduce that number by not more than 0.5 percent. “(e) The number of members of the armed forces on active duty shall be counted for purposes of this section in the same manner as applies under section 115(a)(l) of this title.”. (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: “691. Permanent end strength levels to support two major regional contingencies.”. (c) Active Component End Strength Flexibility.— Section 115(c)(1) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking out “0.5 percent” and inserting in lieu thereof “1 percent”.