10 U.S.C. § 10541 — National Guard and reserve component equipment: annual report to Congress

**(a)** The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Congress each year, not later than March 15, a written report concerning the equipment of the National Guard and the reserve components of the armed forces for each of the three succeeding fiscal years. **(b)** Each report under this section shall include the following: (1) Recommendations as to the type and quantity of each major item of equipment which should be in the inventory of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of each reserve component of the armed forces. (2) A statement of the quantity and average age of each type of major item of equipment which is expected to be physically available in the inventory of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of each reserve component as of the beginning of each fiscal year covered by the report. (3) A statement of the quantity and cost of each type of major item of equipment which is expected to be procured for the Selective Reserve of the Ready Reserve of each reserve component from commercial sources or to be transferred to each such Selected Reserve from the active-duty components of the armed forces. (4) A statement of the quantity of each type of major item of equipment which is expected to be retired, decommissioned, transferred, or otherwise removed from the physical inventory of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of each reserve component and the plans for replacement of that equipment. (5) A listing of each major item of equipment required by the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of each reserve component indicating— (A) the full war-time requirement of that component for that item, shown in accordance with deployment schedules and requirements over successive 30-day periods following mobilization; (B) the number of each such item in the inventory of the component; (C) a separate listing of each such item in the inventory that is a deployable item and is not the most desired item; (D) the number of each such item projected to be in the inventory at the end of the third succeeding fiscal year; and (E) the number of nondeployable items in the inventory as a substitute for a required major item of equipment. (6) A narrative explanation of the plan of the Secretary concerned to provide equipment needed to fill the war-time requirement for each major item of equipment to all units of the Selected Reserve, including an explanation of the plan to equip units of the Selected Reserve that are short of major items of equipment at the outset of war. (7) For each item of major equipment reported under paragraph (3) in a report for one of the three previous years under this section as an item expected to be procured for the Selected Reserve or to be transferred to the Selected Reserve, the quantity of such equipment actually procured for or transferred to the Selected Reserve. (8) A statement of the current status of the compatibility of equipment between the Army reserve components and active forces of the Army, the effect of that level of incompatibility on combat effectiveness, and a plan to achieve full equipment compatibility. (9) An assessment of the extent to which the National Guard possesses the equipment required to perform the responsibilities of the National Guard pursuant to sections 251, 252, 253, 12304(b), and 12406 of this title in response to an emergency or major disaster (as such terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ([42 U.S.C. 5122](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section5122&num=0&edition=prelim))). Such assessment shall— (A) identify any shortfall in equipment provided to the National Guard by the Department of Defense throughout the United States and the territories and possessions of the United States that is likely to affect the ability of the National Guard to perform such responsibilities; (B) evaluate the effect of any such shortfall on the capacity of the National Guard to perform such responsibilities in response to an emergency or major disaster that occurs in the United States or a territory or possession of the United States; and (C) identify the requirements and investment strategies for equipment provided to the National Guard by the Department of Defense that are necessary to plan for a reduction or elimination of any such shortfall. (10) A joint assessment by the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on the efforts of the Army to achieve parity among the active component, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard with respect to equipment and capabilities. Each assessment shall include a comparison of the inventory of high priority items of equipment available to each component of the Army described in preceding sentence, including— (A) AH–64 Attack Helicopters; (B) UH–60 Black Hawk Utility Helicopters; (C) Abrams Main Battle Tanks; (D) Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles; (E) Stryker Combat Vehicles; and (F) any other items of equipment identified as high priority by the Chief of Staff of the Army or the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. **(c)** Each report under this section shall be expressed in the same format and with the same level of detail as the information presented in the annual Five Year Defense Program Procurement Annex prepared by the Department of Defense. **(d)** Each report under this section concerning equipment of the National Guard shall also include the following: (1) A statement of the accuracy of the projections required by subsection (b)(5)(D) contained in earlier reports under this section, and an explanation, if the projection was not met, of why the projection was not met. (2) A certification from the Chief of the National Guard Bureau setting forth an inventory for the preceding fiscal year of each item of equipment— (A) for which funds were appropriated; (B) which was due to be procured for the National Guard during that fiscal year; and (C) which has not been received by a National Guard unit as of the close of that fiscal year.