§ 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) and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (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 career path in the acquisition field that attracts the highest quality officers and enlisted personnel.

(2) 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.

(3) 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, Technology, and Logistics 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.)