1. (a) Requirement.— The Secretary of the Air Force shall ensure that members of the Space Force who complete an initial Space Force officer training course are assigned—

   1. (1) in a manner that sustains acquisition billet manning levels comparably to operational billet manning levels; and
   2. (2) to Space Force billets allocated to the National Reconnaissance Office at a manning level that is sufficient to maintain effective operation of the National Reconnaissance Office.

2. (b) Report.— Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, and not later than October 31 of each year through 2030, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the Committees on Armed Forces of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report describing—

   1. (1) the number and percentage of authorized and assigned Space Force officer billets, by grade and year group, within—

      1. (A) acquisition career fields; and
      2. (B) operational career fields;
   2. (2) the manning rate for junior officer billets of the Space Force, disaggregated by career field and organization, including the National Reconnaissance Office;
   3. (3) any identified shortfalls or imbalances in acquisition manning relative to operational manning in the Space Force; and
   4. (4) actions taken or planned to achieve and sustain comparable manning levels for billets in acquisition and operations for Space Force officers.

(Added Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(a), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1172.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, referred to in subsec. (b), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 119–60, which was approved Dec. 18, 2025.