STRATEGIC PLAN TO LINK JOINT OFFICER DEVELOPMENT TO OVERALL MISSIONS AND GOALS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

SEC. 531. STRATEGIC PLAN TO LINK JOINT OFFICER DEVELOPMENT TO OVERALL MISSIONS AND GOALS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.(a) Plan Required.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall develop a strategic plan for joint officer management and joint professional military education that links joint officer development to the accomplishment of the overall missions and goals of the Department of Defense, as set forth in the most recent national military strategy under section 153(d) of title 10, United States Code. Such plan shall be developed for the purpose of ensuring that sufficient numbers of officers fully qualified in occupational specialties involving combat operations are available as necessary to meet the needs of the Department for qualified officers who are operationally effective in the joint environment.(2) The Secretary shall develop the strategic plan with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.(b) Matters to be Included.—As part of the strategic plan under subsection (a), the Secretary shall include the following:(1) A statement of the levels of joint officer resources needed to be available to properly support the overall missions of the Department of Defense, with such resources to be specified by the number of officers with the joint specialty, the number of officers required for service in joint duty assignment positions, and the training and education resources required. (2) An assessment of the available and projected joint officer development resources (including officers, educational and training resources, and availability of joint duty assignment positions and tours of duty) necessary to achieve the levels specified under paragraph (1).(3) Identification of any problems or issues arising from linking resources for joint officer development to accomplishment of the objective of meeting the levels specified under paragraph (1) to resolve those problems and issues and plans.(4) A description of the process for identification of the present and future requirements for joint specialty officers.(5) A description of the career development and management of joint specialty officers and of any changes to be made to facilitate achievement of the levels of resources specified in paragraph (1), including additional education requirements, promotion opportunities, and assignments to fill joint assignments. 118 STAT. 1896(6) An assessment of any problems or issues (and proposed solutions for any such problems and issues) arising from linking promotion eligibility to completion of joint professional military education.(7) An assessment of any problems or issues (and proposed solutions for any such problems and issues) arising from linking prescribed lengths of joint duty assignments to qualification as joint specialty officers.(8) An assessment of any problems or issues (and proposed solutions for any such problems and issues) arising from current law regarding expected rates of promotion for joint specialty officers and officers who are serving in, or have served in, joint duty assignments (other than those serving in, or who have served in, the Joint Staff and joint specialty officers).(9) An assessment of any problems or issues (and proposed solutions for any such problems and issues) arising from current applicability of scientific and technical qualification waivers for designation as joint specialty officers.(10) An assessment of the viability of the use of incentives (such as awarding ribbons) to any person who successfully completes a joint professional military education program of instruction.(11) An assessment of the feasibility and utility of a comprehensive written examination as part of the evaluation criteria for selection of officers for full-time attendance at an intermediate or senior level service school.(12) An assessment of the effects on the overall educational experience at the National Defense University of a small increase in the number of private-sector civilians eligible to enroll in instruction at the National Defense University.(13) An assessment of the propriety and implications in providing joint specialty officer qualification to all qualifying reserve offices who have achieved the statutory prerequisites.(c) Inclusion of Reserve Component Officers.—In developing the strategic plan required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall include joint officer development for officers on the reserve active-status list in the plan.(d) Report.—The Secretary shall submit the plan developed under this section to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives not later than January 15, 2006.(e) Additional Assessment.—Not later than January 15, 2007, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives, as a follow-on to the report under subsection (d), a report providing an assessment of, and initiatives to improve, the performance in joint matters of the following:(1) Senior civilian officers and employees in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Agencies, and the military departments.(2) Senior noncommissioned officers.(3) Senior leadership in the reserve components.