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1 1 (December 12, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/govycb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated December 12, 2018 Defense Primer: Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO) As a result of the nation's extended involvement in contingency operations around the globe, some servicemembers have experienced prolonged, frequent, and/or stressful deployments. In addition, preparation for deployments (e.g., training, exercises, temporary duty assignments) can lead to extended working hours or frequent travel away from home station. The pace of operations for individuals is commonly referred to as personnel tempo (PERSTEMPO) and can affect quality of life, work satisfaction, and overall morale for members and their families. Congress oversees the Department of Defense's (DOD's) PERSTEMPO management, policies and programs. In addition, congressional actions to authorize force size (i.e., end-strength) can affect the number of personnel available for deployment. Appropriated funds for military pay and benefits (including leave and morale programs) may compensate troops for time spent away. Background and Definitions During the mid-1990s, though the nation was not engaged in major conflict, a combination of force drawdowns and increased deployments in support of peacetime missions (e.g., peacekeeping and humanitarian operations) put stress on service members, particularly those in high-deploying specialty units. A 1996 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that DOD did not have consistent goals or policies for managing personnel tempo. Recognizing a need to more accurately measure the pace of operations on military personnel, in 1999, Congress first added a statutory definition for deployment, established high-deployment thresholds, and required Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) approval to exceed those thresholds. The law (P.L. 106-65) also required the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) to develop standardized terminology and policies for operating tempo for units (OPTEMPO) and personnel (PERSTEMPO). The law also required DOD to track and report on certain aspects of OPTEMPO and PERSTEMPO. Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the SECDEF suspended statutory high-deployment thresholds under the waiver authority in law. However, under DOD policy (DODI 1336.5), the Services continued to track deployment days. As operations in Afghanistan and Iraq intensified, many raised concerns that individuals within certain military occupational specialties were experiencing both lengthy and frequent deployments. While the PERSTEMPO measures captured deployment duration, they did not adequately capture the down time, or dwell time, members had between deployments. In 2007, DOD established deploy-to-dwell planning objectives, and in the FY2012 NDAA, Congress established a statutory definition of dwell time (See Table 2 for a timeline of selected events). Current DOD goals for dwell time are one year deployed to two years at home station (1:2) or greater for active component members and mobilization-to-dwell ratios for the reserve component of one year mobilized to five years demobilized (1:5). SECDEF approval is required for dwell ratios less than (1:1) and (1:4) respectively, although individuals may request a general or flag officer waiver to this threshold. Current definitions take into account a broad range of activities that keep service members away from home (Table 1). Activities not included as deployment events, include, for example, military duties extending beyond normal working hours but conducted at the member's permanent duty station. Table I. Statutory Definitions and Thresholds Term Definition PERSTEMPO The amount of time members of the armed forces are engaged in their official duties at a location or under circumstances that make it infeasible for a member to spend off-duty time in the housing in which the member resides. OPTEMPO The rate at which units of the armed forces are involved in all military activities, including contingency operations, exercises, and training deployments. Deployed or in a Any day on which, pursuant to orders, deployment the member is performing service in a training exercise or operation at a location or under circumstances that make it impossible or infeasible for the member to spend off-duty time in the housing in which the member resides when on garrison duty at the member's permanent duty station or homeport. High One-year: 220 days deployed out of the deployment previous 365 days. Two-year: 400 days thresholds* deployed out of the previous 730. Dwell time The time a member of the armed forces or unit spends at the permanent duty station or home port after returning from deployment. Sources: 10 U.S.C. §991, and 10 U.S.C. § I36(d)). Notes: Contingency operations are as defined in 10 U.S.C. §101 (a)(1 3)(B). *High-deployment thresholds have been waived since 2001 under the SECDEF authority in 10. U.S.C. §991(d). According to a Nov. 1, 2013 USD (P&R) policy memo, involuntary extension of a deployment beyond 365 days requires SECDEF approval. https://crsreports.congress go

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