§1722a. Special requirements for military personnel in the acquisition field

(a) Requirement for Policy and Guidance Regarding Military Personnel in Acquisition.-The Secretary of Defense shall require the Secretary of each military department (with respect to such military department), in collaboration with the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Chief of Space Operations (with respect to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, respectively), and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (with respect to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the unified combatant commands, the Defense Agencies, and the Defense Field Activities) to establish policies and issue guidance to ensure the proper development, assignment, and employment of members of the armed forces in the acquisition field to achieve the objectives of this section as specified in subsection (b).

(b) Objectives.-Policies established and guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a) shall ensure, at a minimum, the following:

(1) A single-track career path in the acquisition field that attracts the highest quality officers and enlisted personnel.

(2) A dual-track career path that attracts the highest quality officers and enlisted personnel and allows them to gain experience in and receive credit for a primary career in combat arms and a functional secondary career in the acquisition field in order to more closely align the military operational, requirements, and acquisition workforces of each armed force.

(3) A number of command positions and senior noncommissioned officer positions, including acquisition billets reserved for general officers and flag officers under subsection (c), sufficient to ensure that members of the armed forces have opportunities for promotion and advancement in the acquisition field.

(4) A number of qualified, trained members of the armed forces eligible for and active in the acquisition field sufficient to ensure the optimum management of the acquisition functions of the Department of Defense and the appropriate use of military personnel in contingency contracting.

(c) Reservation of Acquisition Billets for General Officers and Flag Officers.-(1) The Secretary of Defense shall-

(A) establish for each military department a sufficient number of billets coded or classified for acquisition personnel that are reserved for general officers and flag officers that are needed for the purpose of ensuring the optimum management of the acquisition functions of the Department of Defense; and

(B) ensure that the policies established and guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a) by the Secretary of each military department reserve at least that minimum number of billets and fill the billets with qualified and trained general officers and flag officers who have significant acquisition experience.

(2) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure-

(A) a sufficient number of billets for acquisition personnel who are general officers or flag officers exist within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the unified combatant commands, the Defense Agencies, and the Defense Field Activities to ensure the optimum management of the acquisition functions of the Department of Defense; and

(B) that the policies established and guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a) by the Secretary reserve within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the unified combatant commands, the Defense Agencies, and the Defense Field Activities at least that minimum number of billets and fill the billets with qualified and trained general officers and flag officers who have significant acquisition experience.

(3) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that a portion of the billets referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) involve command of organizations primarily focused on contracting and are reserved for general officers and flag officers who have significant contracting experience.

(d) Relationship to Limitation on Preference for Military Personnel.-Any designation or reservation of a position for a member of the armed forces as a result of a policy established or guidance issued pursuant to this section shall be deemed to meet the requirements for an exception under paragraph (2) of section 1722(b) of this title from the limitation in paragraph (1) of such section.

(e) Report.-Not later than January 1 of each year, the Secretary of each military department shall submit to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment a report describing how the Secretary fulfilled the objectives of this section in the preceding calendar year. The report shall include information on the reservation of acquisition billets for general officers and flag officers within the department concerned.

(Added Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VIII, §834(a)(1), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4535 ; amended Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VIII, §842, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 914 ; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title IX, §902(16), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1544 ; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, §924(b)(27), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3825 ; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title X, §1081(a)(23), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1920 .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–81 substituted single comma for double commas after "the Chief of Staff of the Air Force".

Pub. L. 116–283, §924(b)(27)(B), which directed substitution of "the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment" for "the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics", could not be executed because of the intervening amendment by Pub. L. 116–92. See 2019 Amendment note below.

Pub. L. 116–283, §924(b)(27)(A), substituted ", the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Chief of Space Operations (with respect to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, respectively)" for "and the Commandant of the Marine Corps (with respect to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, respectively)".

2019-Subsecs. (a), (e). Pub. L. 116–92 substituted "Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment" for "Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics".

2015-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–92, §842(a), inserted ", in collaboration with the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps (with respect to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, respectively)," after "military department)".

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 114–92, §842(b)(2), inserted "single-track" before "career path".

Subsec. (b)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 114–92, §842(b)(1), (3), added par. (2) and redesignated former pars. (2) and (3) as (3) and (4), respectively.