[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 250 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77045-77046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31222]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Establishment of Department of Defense Federal Advisory 
Committees

AGENCY: DoD.

ACTION: Establishment 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 establishing the charter 
for the Vietnam War Commemoration Advisory Committee (hereafter 
referred to as ``the Committee'').
    The Committee shall provide the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense, through the Director of Administration and 
Management (DA&M), independent advice and recommendations on the 
Department of Defense's (DoD) program to commemorate the 50th 
Anniversary of the Vietnam War.
    The Committee shall report to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of 
Defense, through the DA&M. The DA&M may act upon the Committee's advice 
and recommendations. The Committee shall be composed of no more than 20 
members, who are appointed by the Secretary of Defense. These members 
shall represent Vietnam Veterans, their families, and the American 
public. Candidates for the Committee shall be selected from the 
Military Services (both retired veterans and active members who served 
during the Vietnam era), the Department of Defense, the Department of 
State, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Intelligence 
Community. In addition, candidates

[[Page 77046]]

from nongovernmental organizations that support veterans or that 
contribute to the public's understanding of the Vietnam War shall be 
selected. The Secretary of Defense may approve the appointment of 
Committee members for a three-year term 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.
    The Secretary of Defense, through the DA&M, may appoint additional 
experts and consultants to provide advice to the Committee as subject 
matter experts. These subject matter experts may be regular government 
officers/employees or individuals appointed under the authority of 5 
U.S.C. 3109; however, subject matter experts shall not participate in 
the Committee's deliberations and shall not have Committee voting 
rights. 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 Department, when necessary and 
consistent with the Committee's mission and DoD policies and 
procedures, may establish Subcommittees, task groups, or working groups 
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.
    These Subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered 
Committee, and shall report all of their recommendations and advice 
solely to the Committee for full deliberation and discussion. 
Subcommittees have no authority to make decisions and recommendations, 
verbally or in writing, on behalf of the chartered Committee; nor can 
any Subcommittee or its members update or report directly to the DoD or 
any Federal officers or employees. All Subcommittee members shall be 
appointed in the same manner as the 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; however, no member shall 
serve more than two consecutive terms of service on the Subcommittee, 
unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense.
    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. Each Subcommittee 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.
    All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the 
Government in the Sunshine Act, 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 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.
    The Committee's 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 Committee's DFO, a 
properly approved Alternate DFO, duly appointed to the Committee 
according to DoD policies/procedures, 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 meeting of the Committee.
    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: December 21, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012-31222 Filed 12-28-12; 8:45 am]
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