2022-00707. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)), Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION:

30-Day information collection notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by February 14, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angela Duncan, 571-372-7574, [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Status of the Forces Survey of Reserve Component Members; OMB Control Number 0704-0616.

Type of Request: Regular.

Number of Respondents: 16,515.

Responses per Respondent : 1.

Annual Responses: 16,515.

Average Burden per Response: 20 minutes.

Annual Burden Hours: 5,505 hours.

Needs and Uses: The Status of Forces Reserve Survey (SOFS-R) is a DoD-wide survey of Reserve and National Guard used in evaluating existing policies and programs, establishing baseline measures before implementing new policies and programs, and monitoring the progress of policies/programs that make a difference in the lives of Reserve component members and their families. The survey assesses topics such as financial well-being, reintegration programs following activation/deployment, outreach to civilian employers, employer support, family support programs, and benefits ( i.e. education, commissary/exchange, health care), and suicide awareness. Data is aggregated by appropriate demographics, including Service, paygrade, gender, race/ethnicity, activation status, and other indicators. In order to be able to meet reporting requirements for DoD leadership, the Military Services, and Congress, the survey needs to be completed annually. As required by the National Defense Authorization Act, the results of this survey are used by each of the Service Secretaries to evaluate and update training. In addition, The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness uses the SOFS-R to suggest changes to services supporting Reserve component members' ability to return to their families and their civilian jobs following activation/deployment as well as addressing retention, health care, and family life issues.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: Ms. Jasmeet Seehra.

You may also submit comments and recommendations, identified by Docket ID number and title, by the following method:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, Docket ID number, and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

DoD Clearance Officer: Ms. Angela Duncan.

Requests for copies of the information collection proposal should be sent to Ms. Duncan at [e-mail].

Dated: January 11, 2022.

Aaron T. Siegel,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.