§ 630.4 - Responsibilities.

(a) The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans (DCSOPS) is responsible for establishing law enforcement policy and procedures for the military absentee and deserter apprehension programs. The DCSOPS will—

(1) Exercise staff supervision over Army law enforcement activities.

(2) Integrate operational control of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) elements at the U.S. Army Deserter Information Point (USADIP).

(3) Provide operational control of the NCIC elements at the USADIP.

(4) Be the Department of the Army point of contact for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on absentee and deserter apprehension policy matters.

(b) The Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (DCSPER) is responsible for establishing personnel policy on absentees and deserters and will—

(1) Exercise staff supervision over the USADIP.

(2) Develop programs to assist commanders in deterring absenteeism.

(3) Evaluate statistical profile data furnished by the Commanding General (CG), U.S. Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM) and CG, U.S. Army Personnel Information Systems Command (PERSINSCOM).

(c) Commanders of major Army commands (MACOMs) will—

(1) Supervise reporting and coordinate Army programs for the return to military control (RMC) of absentees, deserters, defectors, and special category absentees.

(2) Ensure deserters returned to military control are reported IAW this part to end apprehension actions.

(3) Provide military police support for the return of special category absentees and deserters from foreign countries to the Continental United States (CONUS) when required.

(4) Assist in the return of soldiers to overseas commands under status of forces agreement.

(5) Assure that recommended changes to Army Regulation 5-9 are proposed and coordinated with other MACOMs.

(d) Commanding General, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC) is responsible for—

(1) Entering and clearing subjects of USACIDC investigations and special category absentees reported by overseas commanders in the NCIC wanted person file.

(2) Coordinating retrieval of records through the Director, U.S. Army Crime Records Center (USACRC) from the Defense Investigative Service (DIS) for special category absentees.

(e) Commander, U.S. Army Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center (USAEREC) will—

(1) Receive documentation and provide verification of reports of desertion and return to military control.

(2) Maintain a centralized deserter data base for deserter statistical reporting requirements from the Automated Personnel Accounting System.

(3) Maintain management data received on DD Form 616 (Report of Return of Absentee) to identify—

(i) The number of deserters returned to military control monthly.

(ii) The mode of return (surrender to or apprehended by military authorities, Department of Defense civilian police, civilian authorities, or FBI).

(iii) Cases administratively closed (death, discharge, erroneous entry, and so forth). Date should be recorded in the processing month to hasten report compilation.

(f) Chief, U.S. Army Deserter Information Point will—

(1) Verify and document reports of desertion and return to military control.

(2) Maintain a central deserter data base.

(3) Provide data to DCSOPS, DCSPER, CG, PERSCOM and CG, PERSINSCOM, as required.

(4) Complete cross checks against the Army Enlisted Master File (EMF), Joint Service Software, and other data systems to prevent false apprehension.

(5) Query other Army automated personnel files to prevent mistaken reports of desertion.

(6) Provide DD Form 553 (Deserter/Absentee Wanted by the Armed Forces) and DD Form 616 (Report of Return of Absentee) to military and civilian law enforcement authorities, to include the FBI when appropriate.

(7) Advise U.S. Department of State, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services, of U.S. Army alien deserters who are known or suspected to have entered a foreign country, return to military control, or are discharged in absentia.

(8) Enter wanted information into the NCIC.

(g) All Army installation commanders with active Army manpower assets have responsibilities for reporting and returning deserters to military control.

(1) Coordinating installation commanders return of deserters to military control within their designated areas of responsibility.

(2) Supporting installation commanders have responsibility for all locations within 50 miles of their respective installations. When efficiency and economy demand, these distances can be increased or diminished as determined between the coordinating installation and the supporting installation.

(h) Installation provost marshals will endeavor or resolve procedural arrangements at the lowest command level IAW AR 5-9.