[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 9779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4850]
[[Page 9779]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
agency: Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of
Defense for Gulf War Illnesses.
action: Notice.
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In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy
Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses announces the proposed
extension of a public information collection that was submitted for
emergency review and approved in concept on November 21, 1997, and
seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited
on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information
collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of
the information collection on respondents, including through the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
dates: Consideration will be given to all comments received by April
27, 1998.
addresses: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed
information collection should be sent to the Office of the Special
Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses,
5113 Leesburg Pike, Suite 901, Falls Church, VA 22041, ATTN: Lieutenant
Colonel Art Nalls.
for further information contact: To request more information on this
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and
associated collection instruments, please write to the above address,
or call the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses at
(703)-578-8500.
Time and OMB Number: Department of Defense M256A1 Outreach; OMB
Number 0704-0399.
Needs and Uses: The information collection is necessary to
facilitate the investigation of possible, positive M256A1 chemical
warfare agent detections at different dates and locations in the Kuwait
Theater of Operations. The information collected will be used to
determine which Gulf War units and veterans may have further
information about these incidents, to discover if there any other
observed detections, to contribute to a better understanding of the
events during and after the Gulf War, and to encourage veterans to
enroll in a Department of Defense or Veterans Affairs medical program.
Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
Annual Burden Hours: 583.
Number of Respondents: 777.
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 45 minutes.
Frequency: On occasion.
supplementary information:
Summary of Information Collection
Respondents are Gulf War veterans who are not serving on active
duty and whose units were in the vicinity of the detection. Through
this outreach, veterans will contact the Office of the Special
Assistant on their own initiative. Veterans who call will be called
back by Contact Managers who will collect basic information. This
information will be passed on to investigators/analysts, who will
pursue more in-depth questions. The information sought by the outreach
letter will allow the Office of the Special Assistant to determine
which Gulf War units and veterans may have further information that
could contribute to the investigation of specific, possible M256A1
chemical detections; if there were any other M256A1 chemical detections
observed; and, if veterans are enrolled in either the DoD or Department
for Veteran Affairs medical programs. Relevant historical accounts
provided by veterans will be integrated in case narratives from which
private information will be removed. When approved for publication,
these case narratives will appear on the Office of the Special
Assistant's website, GulfLINK, which is fully open to the public.
Dated: February 20, 1998.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-4850 Filed 2-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M
