[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33445-33446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13660]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY: DoD.

ACTION: Renewal of Federal Advisory Committee.

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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 United States Strategic Command Strategic Advisory Group (hereafter 
referred to as ``the Group'').
    The Group shall provide independent advice and recommendations 
related to U.S. Strategic Command and its operations.
    The Group shall report to the Secretary of Defense, through the 
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Commander of the U.S. Strategic 
Command. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may act upon the 
Group's advice and recommendations. The Group shall be composed of not 
more than 50 members who are eminent authorities in the fields of 
strategic policy formulation, nuclear weapon design and national 
command, control, communications, intelligence and information 
operations, or other important aspects of the Nation's strategic 
forces.
    All Group 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 Group 
members for four 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. Group 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 Group members, with the exception of travel and per diem 
for official travel, shall serve without compensation. Each Group 
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 Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command shall select the 
Group's chairperson from the total membership. In addition, the 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or designated representative may 
invite other distinguished Government officers to serve as non-voting 
observers of the Group, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 
may appoint consultants with special expertise to assist the Group on 
an intermittent basis. These consultants and non-voting observers are 
recommended from the Group

[[Page 33446]]

membership and a search is conducted for recognized experts with 
different perspectives pertaining to the specific issue under 
consideration by the Group. The consultants and non-voting observers 
are selected by the Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, and 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, and participate in Group deliberations, but have no voting 
rights whatsoever on the Group or any of its subcommittees, and shall 
not count toward the Group's total membership.
    The Department, when necessary, and consistent with the Group's 
mission and DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees 
deemed necessary to support the Group. 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 Group's sponsor. Such subcommittees shall not work 
independently of the chartered Group, and shall report all their 
recommendations and advice to the Group for full deliberation and 
discussion. Subcommittees have no authority to make decisions on behalf 
of the chartered Group; 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 
the Group members; that is, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint 
subcommittee members even if the member in question is already a Group 
member. Subcommittee members, with the approval of the Secretary of 
Defense, may serve a term of service on the subcommittee of four 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 Group 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, Deputy Advisory Committee 
Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Group shall meet at the call of the 
Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the Group's 
Chairperson. The estimated number of Group meetings is two per year.
    In addition, the Designated Federal Officer is required to be in 
attendance at all Group and subcommittee meetings for the entire 
duration of each and every meeting; however, in the absence of the 
Designated Federal Officer, the Alternate Designated Federal Officer 
shall attend the entire duration of the Group 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 Group 
membership about the Group's mission and functions. Written statements 
may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of 
planned meeting of the Group.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal 
Officer, and this individual will ensure that the written statements 
are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact 
information for the Group's Designated Federal Officer can be obtained 
from the GSA's FACA Database--https://www.fido.gov/facadatabase/public.asp.
    The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will 
announce planned meetings of the Group. The Designated Federal Officer, 
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: June 1, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012-13660 Filed 6-5-12; 8:45 am]
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