[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]] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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