Membership Balance Plan

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Agency: Department of Defense

1. Authority: The Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) established the Reserve Forces Policy Board under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. §§ 175 and 10301 (as amended by Section 514 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, Public Law 111-383).
2. Mission/Function: The Reserve Forces Policy provides the Secretary of Defense, through the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) ("USD (P&R)") and the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs) ("ASD (RA)"), independent advice and recommendations on matters relating to the Reserve Components. The Reserve Forces Policy Board acts on matters referred to it by the Chairman and on any matter raised by a member of the Board. Under the provision of 10 U.S.C. § 113(c)(2), the Reserve Forces Policy Board provides to the Secretary of Defense, for transmittal to the President and the Congress, an annual report on the reserve programs of the Department of Defense and any other matters that the Board considers appropriate.
3. Points of View: The Secretary of Defense approves the appointment of all individuals to serve on the Reserve Forces Policy Board. Individuals who are not full-time or permanent federal officers/employees are appointed as experts and consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. § 3109 and serve as special government employee members; those who are full-time or permanent part-time federal officers/employees and are appointed by the Secretary of Defense serve as regular government employee members. All members – special government employees or regular government employees – are appointed to provide collective advice on the basis of their best judgment without representing any particular point of view and in a manner that is free from conflict of interest. Pursuant to DoD policy, all appointments are renewed on an annual basis by the Secretary of Defense.
4. Balance Factors: 10 U.S.C. § 10301, as amended, contains the membership requirements for the Board. Other criteria intended to help maintain a balanced membership on the Board are length of service and breadth of reserve experience, familiarity and experience with reservist family support issues, and familiarity and experience with reserve employment support issues.
5. Candidate Identification Process: The Department of Defense's member selection process for the Reserve Forces Policy Board requires that the USD (P&R) request nominees via a Federal Register Notice. Interested individuals apply for nomination with a biography and are added to a current list of possible candidates. Candidates will be further scrutinized by the Department of Defense according to governing statutes, regulations and administration policy. Candidates will then be submitted to ASD/RA for final recommendation(s) prior to submission to USD (P&R). The USD (P&R) will submit a list of candidates to the SECDEF for appointment.
6. Subcommittee Balance: Currently the Reserve Forces Policy Board does not use any subcommittees. However, if the Department determines that the Board requires the establishment of a subcommittee to perform tasks assigned to the Board by the Department of Defense, then the Department, according to governing statutes and regulations, will appoint subcommittee members, who are either regular government employee or special government employee members, in the manner used by the parent committee.
7. Other: Membership adheres to the administration's prohibition against registered lobbyists.
8. Date Prepared/Updated: July 15, 2011