[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 46419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23391]



[[Page 46419]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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    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 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Title and OMB Number: Gulf War Illnesses Related Information 
Collections--Generic Clearance; OMB Number 0704-[To be Determined].
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Number of Respondents: 3,507.
    Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 3,507.
    Average Burden Per Response: 45 minutes.
    Annual Burden Hours: 2,630.
    Needs And Uses: The information collections addressed by this 
notice are necessary to facilitate the investigations of the Office of 
the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses into the experiences of 
Gulf War veterans during the war that may be related to the illnesses 
experienced by some Gulf War veterans. The information collected will 
be used to determine which Gulf War veterans may have further 
information about potential exposure incidents, to discover if there 
are any other observed incidents of exposure, 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.
    Information collections covered in the proposed collection 
Chemical/Biological Incident Survey. Respondents are Gulf War veterans 
whose units were in the vicinity of a positive chemical/biological 
detection, alarm, or other reported incident. The purpose of this 
survey is to develop investigational leads to assist investigators in 
their search for confirmation of the presence or use of chemical or 
biological agents during the Gulf War.
    Possible Weapons Sites. Respondents are Gulf War veterans who 
served in units that reported possible storage sites for chemical or 
biological weapons agents. The purpose of this survey is to develop 
possible investigational leads that may assist investigators in their 
search for confirmation of the presence or use of chemical or 
biological agents during the Gulf War.
    Depleted Uranium. Respondents are Gulf War veterans who served in 
units that may have placed them in contact with equipment potentially 
contaminated with depleted uranium (DU). Veterans will include 
personnel who were in or on U.S. combat vehicles at the time they were 
struck by DU munitions fired from U.S. tanks and personnel who were in 
contact with equipment either as a member of unit involved in 
retrograde operations, or as a member of a battle damage assessment 
team.
    Pesticide Exposure Survey. Respondents are Gulf War veterans. 
Outreach letters will be mailed to Gulf War veterans based on their 
unit assignment during the Gulf War and their period of deployment. 
Calls will be made to respondents to ask information on experiences 
with pesticides during the Gulf War deployment.
    Pesticides Use/Application. Gulf War veterans who served as 
physicians, environmental science officers, entomologists, preventive 
medicine specialists, field sanitation team members, and veterans who 
served in logistics and supply positions will be contacted to determine 
which pesticides were used (including those purchased locally) and how 
they were employed in the Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and 
Desert Storm.
    Water Contamination. Respondents will be preventive medicine 
specialists, field sanitation specialists, and transportation personnel 
involved with the maintenance of water transport vehicles who served in 
the Gulf War.
    Food Contamination. Respondents will be preventive medicine 
specialists, field sanitation specialists, and food service personnel 
to determine what steps were taken to ensure the safety of the food 
provided to Gulf War troops.
    Oil Well Fires. Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who reported 
contact with oil well fires in calls to the DoD Incident Reporting 
Line. Veterans will be contacted to get first hand accounts of their 
experience with oil well fire smoke, precautions they took, and the 
duration of their exposure under the oil well fire plume.
    Retrograde Equipment. Respondents will be Gulf War veterans 
involved in vehicle cleaning operations prior to vehicles being shipped 
from the Gulf and personnel who accompanied vehicles during their 
retrograde shipment.
    Armed Services Medical Department Personnel. Respondents will be 
medical personnel who served in the Gulf War. These personnel will be 
contacted to complete a survey of their experiences with medical 
surveillance, vaccine administration, and medical recordkeeping during 
the Gulf War deployment.
    Combat Stress Control. Respondents will be military chaplains who 
served in the Gulf War. These chaplains will be surveyed to understand 
their experiences as participants in combat stress control.
    Enemy Prisoners of War. Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who 
served in military police or medical units that were involved in the 
processing and treatment of enemy prisoners of war during the Gulf War 
deployment.
    Petroleums, Oils, and Lubricants. Respondents will be Gulf War 
veterans who served in units during the Gulf War deployment that were 
involved in the acquisition, distribution, and use of petroleums, oils, 
and lubricants.
    Personnel Deployed on Designated Deployments. Respondents will be 
former members of the Armed Services (including active and reserve 
component) who served during designated deployments. Personnel will be 
surveyed about their perceptions and experiences with Medical Force 
Protection, Medical Surveillance, and health support during the 
designated deployment.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: Ms. Allison Eydt.
    Written comments and recommendations on the proposed information 
collection should be sent to Ms. Eydt at the Office of Management and 
Budget, Desk Officer for DoD, Room 10235, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.
    DoD Clearance Officer: Mr. Robert Cushing.
    Written requests for copies of the information collection proposal 
should be sent to Mr. Cushing, WHS/DIOR, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302.

    Dated: August 26, 1998.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-23391 Filed 8-31-98; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M