Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps instructor pay

(a) Non-foreign area COLA Not later than July 1, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall revise the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Standardized Instructor Pay Scale to increase the otherwise applicable minimum instructor pay for instructors located outside of the continental United States or in Alaska by the amount of the non-foreign area cost-of-living allowance rate pursuant to section 5941 of title 5, United States Code, or the post allowance rate pursuant to section 5924 of title 5, United States Code, as appropriate for the area in which the instructor is located and as would be applicable if the instructor were an employee eligible for such allowance. (b) Report Not later than April 1, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall complete an analysis of the impact of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Standardized Instructor Pay Scale on recruitment and retention of Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps instructors and submit to the congressional defense committees a report containing such analysis. Such report shall include— (1) the total number of authorized Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps instructor positions, disaggregated by Armed Force, as of— (A) January 31, 2027; (B) January 31, 2026; and (C) January 31, 2025; (2) the total number of such instructor positions, disaggregated by Armed Force, that were vacant as of each of the dates specified in paragraph (1); (3) a description of the efforts of the Department of Defense to fill such instructor positions; and (4) any recommendations of the Secretary to address issues identified in such analysis.