SPACE PERSONNEL CAREER FIELDS.

SEC. 547. SPACE PERSONNEL CAREER FIELDS.(a) Strategy Required.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop a strategy for the Department of Defense that will—(1) promote the development of space personnel career fields within each of the military departments; and(2) ensure that the space personnel career fields developed by the military departments are integrated with each other to the maximum extent practicable.(b) Report.—Not later than February 1, 2004, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the strategy developed under subsection (a). The report shall include the following:(1) A statement of the strategy developed under subsection (a), together with an explanation of that strategy. (2) An assessment of the measures required for the Department of Defense and the military departments to integrate the space personnel career fields of the military departments.(3) A comprehensive assessment of the adequacy of the actions of the Secretary of Air Force pursuant to section 8084 of title 10, United States Code, to establish for Air Force officers a career field for space.(c) General Accounting Office Review and Reports.—(1) The Comptroller General shall review the strategy developed under subsection (a) and the status of efforts by the military departments in developing space personnel career fields.(2) The Comptroller General shall submit to the committees referred to in subsection (b) two reports on the review under paragraph (1), as follows:(A) Not later than June 15, 2004, the Comptroller General shall submit a report that assesses how effective that Department of Defense strategy and the efforts by the military departments, when implemented, are likely to be for developing the personnel required by each of the military departments who are expert in development of space doctrine and concepts of space operations, the development of space systems, and operation of space systems.(B) Not later than March 15, 2005, the Comptroller General shall submit a report that assesses, as of the date of the report—(i) the effectiveness of that Department of Defense strategy and the efforts by the military departments in developing the personnel required by each of the military departments who are expert in development of space doctrine and concepts of space operations, the development of space systems, and in operation of space systems; and(ii) progress made in integrating the space career fields of the military departments.117 STAT. 1481