§1781. Office of Family Policy

(a) Establishment.-There is in the Office of the Secretary of Defense an Office of Family Policy (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "Office"). The Office shall be under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Personnel.

(b) Duties.-The Office-

(1) shall coordinate programs and activities of the military departments to the extent that they relate to military families; and

(2) shall make recommendations to the Secretaries of the military departments with respect to programs and policies regarding military families.

(c) Staff.-The Office shall have not less than five professional staff members.

(Added Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, §568(a)(1), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 330 .)

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this subchapter were contained in Pub. L. 99–145, title VIII, Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 678 , as amended, which was set out as a note under section 113 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104–106, §568(e)(1).

Joint Family Support Assistance Program

Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VI, §675, Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2273 , provided that:

"(a) Program Required.-The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a joint family support assistance program for the purpose of providing to families of members of the Armed Forces the following types of assistance:

"(1) Financial and material assistance.

"(2) Mobile support services.

"(3) Sponsorship of volunteers and family support professionals for the delivery of support services.

"(4) Coordination of family assistance programs and activities provided by Military OneSource, Military Family Life Consultants, counselors, the Department of Defense, other Federal agencies, State and local agencies, and non-profit entities.

"(5) Facilitation of discussion on military family assistance programs, activities, and initiatives between and among the organizations, agencies, and entities referred to in paragraph (4).

"(6) Such other assistance that the Secretary considers appropriate.

"(b) Locations.-The Secretary of Defense shall carry out the program in not more than six areas of the United States selected by the Secretary. Up to three of the areas selected for the program shall be areas that are geographically isolated from military installations.

"(c) Resources and Volunteers.-The Secretary of Defense shall provide personnel and other resources of the Department of Defense necessary for the implementation and operation of the program and may accept and utilize the services of non-Government volunteers and non-profit entities under the program.

"(d) Procedures.-The Secretary of Defense shall establish procedures for the operation of the program and for the provision of assistance to families of members of the Armed Forces under the program.

"(e) Relation to Family Support Centers.-The program is not intended to operate in lieu of existing family support centers, but is instead intended to augment the activities of the family support centers.

"(f) Implementation Plan.-

"(1) Plan required.-Not later than 90 days after the date on which funds are first obligated for the program, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] a report setting forth a plan for the implementation of the program.

"(2) Elements.-The plan required under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

"(A) A description of the actions taken to select the areas in which the program will be conducted.

"(B) A description of the procedures established under subsection (d).

"(C) A review of proposed actions to be taken under the program to improve coordination of family assistance program and activities between and among the Department of Defense, other Federal agencies, State and local agencies, and non-profit entities.

"(g) Report.-

"(1) Report required.-Not later than 270 days after the date on which funds are first obligated for the program, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] a report on the program.

"(2) Elements.-The report shall include the following:

"(A) A description of the program, including the areas in which the program is conducted, the procedures established under subsection (d) for operation of the program, and the assistance provided through the program for families of members of the Armed Forces.

"(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of the program in providing assistance to families of members of the Armed Forces.

"(C) An assessment of the advisability of extending the program or making it permanent.

"(h) Duration.-The authority to carry out the program shall expire at the end of the three-year period beginning on the date on which funds are first obligated for the program."

Recognition of Military Families

Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title V, §581, Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1489 , provided that:

"(a) Findings.-Congress makes the following findings:

"(1) The families of both active and reserve component members of the Armed Forces, through their sacrifices and their dedication to the Nation and its values, contribute immeasurably to the readiness of the Armed Forces.

"(2) Without the continued support of military families, the Nation's ability to sustain a high quality all-volunteer military force would be undermined.

"(3) In the perilous and challenging times of the global war on terrorism, with hundreds of thousands of active and reserve component military personnel deployed overseas in places of combat and other imminent danger, military families are making extraordinary sacrifices and will be required to do so for the foreseeable future.

"(4) Beginning in 1997, military family service and support centers have responded to the encouragement and support of private, non-profit organizations to recognize and honor the American military family during the Thanksgiving period each November.

"(b) Military Family Recognition.-In view of the findings in subsection (a), Congress determines that it is appropriate that special measures be taken annually to recognize and honor the American military family.

"(c) Department of Defense Programs and Activities.-The Secretary of Defense shall-

"(1) implement and sustain programs, including appropriate ceremonies and activities, to recognize and honor the contributions and sacrifices of the American military family, including families of both active and reserve component military personnel;

"(2) focus the celebration of the American military family during a specific period of each year to give full and proper recognition to those families; and

"(3) seek the assistance and support of appropriate civilian organizations, associations, and other entities (A) in carrying out the annual celebration of the American military family, and (B) in sustaining other, longer-term efforts to support the American military family."