2012-18963. Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY:

DoD.

ACTION:

Renewal of Federal Advisory Committee.

SUMMARY:

Under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 2166(e), the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C. Appendix), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(a), the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Army Education Advisory Committee (hereafter referred to as “the Committee”).

The Committee shall provide independent advice and recommendations on matters relating to U.S. Army educational matters.

The Committee shall report to the Secretary of Defense, through the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. The Secretary of the Army may act upon the Committee's advice and recommendations. The Committee shall be composed of not more than 15 members, who are eminent authorities in the field of defense, management, leadership, and academia.

All Committee members shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense and all member appointments require annual renewal by the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of Defense may approve the appointments of Committee members for three-year terms of service; however, no member, unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense, may serve more than two consecutive terms of service. This same term of service limitation also applies to any DoD authorized subcommittees. Committee members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are not full-time or permanent part-time federal officers or employees, shall be appointed under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, and serve as special government employees. In addition, all Committee members, with the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, shall serve without compensation. Each Committee member is appointed to provide advice on behalf of the government on the basis of his or her best judgment without representing any particular point of view and in a manner that is free from conflict of interest.

The Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff (G-3/5/7), U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, will serve as a non-voting member of the Committee and will appoint the Committee's Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from the total Committee membership. The Secretary of the Army or designated representative may invite other distinguished Government officers to serve as non-voting observers of the Committee. The Secretary of the Army, pursuant to DoD policies and procedures, may appoint, as deemed necessary, non-voting consultants to provide special expertise to the Committee. These consultants, if not full-time or part-time government employees, shall be appointed under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, shall serve as special government employees, shall be appointed on an intermittent basis to work specific Committee-related efforts, and shall have no voting rights.

The Department, when necessary, and consistent with the Committee's mission and DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees deemed necessary to support the Committee. Establishment of subcommittees will be based upon a written determination, to include terms of reference, by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, or the Committee's sponsor.

Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered Committee, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Committee for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Committee; nor can any subcommittee or its members update or report directly to the Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees.

All subcommittee members shall be appointed in the same manner as Committee members; that is, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint subcommittee members even if the member in question is already a Committee member. Subcommittee members, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, may serve a term of service on the subcommittee of three years subject to annual renewals; however, no member shall serve more than two consecutive terms of service on the subcommittee.

Subcommittee members, if not full-time or part-time government employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, and shall serve as special government employees, whose appointments must be renewed by the Secretary of Defense on an annual basis. With the exception of travel and per diem for official Committee related travel, subcommittee members shall serve without compensation.

All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b), governing Federal statutes and regulations, and governing DoD policies/procedures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Committee shall meet at the call of the Designated Federal Officer (DFO), in consultation with the Committee's Chairperson. The estimated number of Committee meetings is two per year.

In addition, the DFO is required to be in attendance at all Committee and subcommittee meetings for the entire duration of each and every meeting; however, in the absence of the DFO, the Alternate DFO shall attend the entire duration of the Committee or subcommittee meeting. Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or interested organizations may submit written statements to the Committee membership about the Committee's mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned Committee meetings.

All written statements shall be submitted to the DFO, and this individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information for the Committee's DFO can be obtained from the GSA's FACA Database—https://www.fido.gov/​facadatabase/​public.asp.

The DFO, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will announce planned meetings of the Committee.

The DFO, at that time, may provide additional guidance on the submission of written statements that are in response to the stated agenda for the planned meeting in question.

Dated: July 30, 2012.

Aaron Siegel,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.