§ 238.8 - Responsibilities and authorities.

(a) Requests for DoD support of community relations programs shall, except as otherwise specified in this Instruction, be evaluated and approved or disapproved at the lowest practicable echelon or command (see § 238.5(a)(2)).

(b) The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) is the sole authority for granting any exception to the policy contained in part 237 of this title and in this part.

(1) The ASD(PA) is the sole authority for approving all DoD support of community relations programs in the National Capital area (see § 238.11 and § 238.13), except speaking engagements (see § 238.12), and for DoD support of the following programs outside that area:

(2) National and international programs, including national conventions and meetings (except those programs taking place in overseas areas which are solely of internal concern to a Unified or Specified Commander); see §§ 238.11, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18.

(3) Programs outside the 50 United States which are not within a Unified or Specified Command's area of responsibility.

(4) Programs where the officially designated flight and parachute demonstration teams (Golden Knights, Blue Angels, Thunderbirds) perform, in accordance with § 238.10.

(5) Programs held on a military installation involving an aerial review of more than one Military Service, and programs involving any aerial review, flyover, or aircraft demonstration held elsewhere within the United States or as outlined in paragraph (b)(2) of this section (except for flyovers for civic-sponsored observances of and official ceremonies for Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day, authorized by the Secretaries of the Military Departments), in accordance with § 238.10.

(6) Programs that require acting as the sole point of official contact within the Department of Defense for liaison between the Department of Defense and the headquarters and Washington offices of national organizations and other national non-Government groups, except for those organizations representing a specific interest of a single Military Service, e.g., Association of the U.S. Army, Air Force Association, Navy League, Marine Corps League, etc. (see paragraph (d) of this section).

(7) Programs that provide information to national organizations, including business and industry groups, and call for approving support of the activities of such organizations and groups, in accordance with § 238.13. (See part 237a of this title.)

(c) The Unified and Specified Commanders, except as specified in § 238.8(b), have been and are designated to act for and in behalf of the Secretary of Defense in implementing the provisions of part 237 of this title and this part in their overseas area of responsibility (excluding the States of Hawaii and Alaska).

(d) The Secretaries of the Military Departments, except as specified in paragraph (b) of this section, are authorized to approve requests for DoD support of community relations programs, and to:

(1) Approve the unofficial use of the official insignia of their Departments, except where such use is prohibited by law.

(2) Conduct direct communication and liaison with organizations representing specific interests of their respective Military Departments. Military Departments which maintain liaison with such organizations are required to carry on their activities in accordance with the letter and the spirit of policies set forth in parts 237, 91, and 40 of this title, (respectively). ASD(PA) shall be responsible for monitoring the liaison activities between Military Departments and these organizations.

(3) Delegate to local major unit commanders authority to support local programs jointly planned and conducted by border communities in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, with their counterparts in Mexico.

(i) Local programs are defined as those which center on and are of primary interest in a U.S. or Mexican border community.

(ii) Favorable determinations shall be based on the significance of the program, defense interest, advance consultation, and approval of appropriate U.S. consular officials, coordination with other Federal agencies, as required, and the concurrence of municipal authorities involved.

(e) The Head of the Interservice Sports Committee shall act for the ASD(PA) in all matters pertaining to interservice competition and joint military Service participation in national and international sports. See § 238.17.

(f) The Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs)(ASD(ISA)) shall coordinate DoD support of foreign disaster relief operations, in accordance with § 238.19.

(g) The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics) shall be responsible for certain miscellaneous public affairs-related activities, as specified in § 238.19.