Document

Proposed Collection; Comment Request

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the OUSD(P&R) announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comm...

Department of Defense
Office of the Secretary
  1. [Docket ID: DOD-2026-OS-1057]

AGENCY:

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (OUSD(P&R)), Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION:

60-Day information collection notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the OUSD(P&R) announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by July 20, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Director of Administration and Management, Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency Directorate, Regulatory Division, 4800 Mark Center ( printed page 29469) Drive, Mailbox #24, Suite 05F16, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on this proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and associated collection instruments, please write to Department of War, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War Strategic Readiness (Warfighter Development), Pentagon Room 1E525, Washington, DC 20301, Melora McVicker, 571-372-5395.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: MilGears Platform; OMB Control Number 0704-MILG.

Needs and Uses: The Department of War (DoW) developed the MilGears platform to support service members, veterans, and other users in identifying career pathways. This information collection has been expanded to support the management of educational and transitional benefits, including Tuition Assistance, credentialing, apprenticeships, and SkillBridge opportunities. The data collected is necessary to provide personalized recommendations, manage enrollments, process benefit applications, and facilitate a seamless user experience. Collection is essential for the platform's algorithms, improves user features, and advances DoW-wide workforce development initiatives in alignment with federal mandates for military-to-civilian transition and career readiness.

Respondents for this information collection include service members, veterans, and members of the general public who are interested in exploring customized career and credentialing pathways. The goal is to support informed decision-making as individuals navigate their unique career trajectories.

Respondents voluntarily provide personal and professional information as part of the process to establish a user account within the MilGears platform. These accounts are designed to support data continuity and a more tailored user experience as individuals explore career and credentialing opportunities aligned with their goals, experiences, and interests. All data is collected online via the MilGears platform.

Users may learn about MilGears and this data collection through a variety of channels, including the Transition Assistance Program, Credentialing Assistance application forms, career counselors, or through online search. Once aware of the platform, users can access it at: https://milgears.osd.mil/​. Upon visiting the platform, users are able to explore a suite of tools and resources that support career exploration and planning.

The data collected through the MilGears platform will be used to generate personalized recommendations for careers, credentials, and training opportunities; link military occupations to civilian career pathways and industry-recognized competencies; evaluate user engagement and satisfaction to guide ongoing platform improvements; support the development of Learning and Employment Records; provide DoW leadership with actionable insights on user trends to inform workforce planning; enable users to create persistent accounts for storing information and building individualized career pathways; and promote interoperability across DoW human resource systems and data sources.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Annual Burden Hours: 25,000.

Number of Respondents: 50,000.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Annual Responses: 50,000.

Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.

The information collection for the MilGears platform is designed to support service members, veterans, the military-connected community, and other users in exploring career and credentialing opportunities based on their military training, education, and experience. While data input and storage on the platform remains entirely voluntary, the creation of a user account requires users to enter and verify an email address and review relevant documentation outlining terms of use and privacy protections. Beyond this initial account setup, all additional personal or professional information shared with the platform is optional when creating a user account and provided at the user's discretion to enhance the accuracy of personalized career exploration and credentialing recommendations.

Dated: May 15, 2026.

Stephanie J. Bost,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 2026-10053 Filed 5-19-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P

Legal Citation

Federal Register Citation

Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.

91 FR 29468

Web Citation

Suggested Web Citation

Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.

“Proposed Collection; Comment Request,” thefederalregister.org (May 20, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-10053/proposed-collection-comment-request.