INDEPENDENT TASK FORCE ON TRANSFORMATION AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION.

SEC. 903. INDEPENDENT TASK FORCE ON TRANSFORMATION AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION. (a) Findings.— Congress finds the following: 112 STAT. 2092 (1) The post-Cold War era is marked by geopolitical uncertainty and by accelerating technological change, particularly with regard to information technologies. (2) The combination of that geopolitical uncertainty and accelerating technological change portends a transformation in the conduct of war, particularly in ways that are likely to increase the effectiveness of joint operations. (3) The Department of Defense must be organized appropriately in order to fully exploit the opportunities offered by, and to meet the challenges posed by, this anticipated transformation in the conduct of war. (4) The basic organization of the Department of Defense was established by the National Security Act of 1947 and the 1949 amendments to that Act. (5) The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–433) dramatically improved the capability of the Department of Defense to carry out operations involving joint forces, but did not specifically address issues pertaining to the development of joint operations. (6) In the future, the ability to achieve improved operations of joint forces, particularly under rapidly changing technological conditions, will depend on improved force development for joint operations. (b) Independent Task Force on Transformation and Department of Defense Organization.— The Secretary of Defense shall establish a task force of the Defense Science Board to examine the current organization of the Department of Defense with regard to the appropriateness of that organization for preparing for a transformation in the conduct of war. The task force shall be established not later than November 1, 1998. (c) Duties of the Task Force.— The task force shall assess, and shall make recommendations for the appropriate organization of, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the individual Armed Forces, and the executive parts of the military departments for the purpose of preparing the Department of Defense for a transformation in the conduct of war. In making those assessments and developing those recommendations, the task force shall review the following: (1) The general organization of the Department of Defense, including whether responsibility and authority for issues relating to a transformation in the conduct of war are appropriately allocated, especially among the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the individual Armed Forces. (2) The joint requirements process and the requirements processes for each of the Armed Forces, including the establishment of measures of effectiveness and methods for resource allocation. (3) The process and organizations responsible for doctrinal development, including the appropriate relationship between joint force and service doctrine and doctrinal development organizations. (4) The current programs and organizations under the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Armed Forces devoted to innovation and experimentation related to a transformation in the conduct of war, including the appropriateness of— 112 STAT. 2093 (A) conducting joint field tests; (B) establishing a separate unified command as a joint forces command to serve, as its sole function, as the trainer, provider, and developer of forces for joint operations and for conducting joint warfighting experimentation; (C) establishing a separate Joint Concept Development Center to monitor exercises and develop measures of effectiveness, analytical concepts, models, and simulations appropriate for understanding the transformation in the conduct of war; (D) establishing a Joint Battle Laboratory to conduct joint experimentation and to integrate the similar efforts of the Armed Forces; and (E) establishing an Assistant Secretary of Defense responsible for transformation in the conduct of war. (5) Joint training establishments and training establishments of the Armed Forces, including those devoted to professional military education, and the appropriateness of establishing national training centers. (6) Other issues relating to a transformation in the conduct of war that the Secretary considers appropriate. (d) Report.— The task force shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report containing its assessments and recommendations not later than February 1, 1999. The Secretary shall submit the report to the Committee on National Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate not later than March 1, 1999, together with the recommendations and comments of the Secretary of Defense.