SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with authority described in Chapter 10 of Title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1008(a)(2), the Secretary of War (SecWar) approved the establishment of the HDB. The public or interested organizations may submit written statements about the HDB's mission and functions. The HDB will operate in accordance with chapter 10 of Title 5, U.S.C. (“commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act” or “FACA”), as amended, and 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 102-3, “Federal Advisory Committee Management,” [90 Federal Register 58417; December 16, 2025], and DoW policies and procedures.

Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned meetings of the HDB. All written statements shall be submitted to the HDB Designated Federal Officer (DFO), and this individual will ensure that all written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Once established, the HDB's DFO's contact information will be available on the DoD portion of the FACA Database which is maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA): www.facadatabase.gov/​FACA/​s/​account/​001t000000DCAooAAH/​department/​of/​defense.

Consistent with 41 CFR 102-3.65(a), the DoW is publishing the HDB's Public Interest Determination.

Pursuant to 41 CFR. 102-3.60(a), to establish, renew, reestablish, or merge a discretionary (agency discretion) advisory committee, an agency must first consult with the GSA Committee Management Secretariat (the Secretariat) and, as part of the consultation, provide a written public interest determination approved by the head of the agency to the Secretariat with a copy to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In addition, pursuant to 41 CFR. 102-3.35, an agency shall follow the same consultation process and document in writing the same determination of need before creating a subcommittee under a discretionary committee that is not made up entirely of members of a parent advisory committee.

Information on the following factors for the HDB is provided to the Secretariat to demonstrate that establishing the HDB is in the public interest:

1. Annual Budget: The Department of War (DoW) estimates annual operating costs to support the HDB are $350,000, which includes personnel travel, meetings, and contract support.

a. Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis: The estimated annual personnel costs to the DoW are 0.75 full-time equivalent at $300,000, which includes basic pay with cost-of-living allowance.

b. Other Federal internal costs: $30,000.

c. Proposed payments to members: Consistent with 10 U.S.C. 173, members of the HDB are not compensated for their services, except for travel and per diem reimbursement for official HDB-related business.

d. Proposed number of members: As authorized by the Secretary of War (SecWar), the HDB will be composed of not more than 20 members and subcommittees, if authorized, will be composed of not more than 15 members.

e. Reimbursable costs: The estimated reimbursement costs, including travel, for DBB staff and members are $20,000.

2. If applicable, the total dollar value of grants expected to be recommended during the fiscal year: N/A.

3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the necessary expertise and fairly balanced membership: As described in its proposed charter and membership balance plan, the HDB will be composed of members who are eminent authorities in the fields of homeland defense, military strategy, defense support of civil authorities (DSCA), interagency integration, critical infrastructure and cybersecurity, strategic competition, and regional geopolitics, specifically western hemisphere policy:

(1) SecWar to serve as member and Chair.

(2) Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs to serve as member and Vice Chair.

(3) Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense.

(4) Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Defense Continuity and Mission Assurance.

(5) Military Department Representatives: One DoW civilian officer and one field-grade/mid-grade officer from each Military Department.

(6) Such other members as the SecWar or the Deputy Secretary of War (“the DoW Appointing Authority”) may appoint or designate.

In evaluating candidates for the HDB, the DoW reviews the educational and professional credentials of individuals with extensive professional experience in the subject matters anticipated to be tasked to the HDB. The DoW has found that viewing the complex issues facing the DoW through a multidisciplinary advisory committee provides the DoW and, more importantly, the American public with a broader understanding of the issues on which subsequent policy decisions are based. Membership shall be fairly balanced in terms of points of view represented and the functions to be performed by the HDB. The HDB's membership balance is not static, and the DoW Appointing Authority may change the membership based upon work assigned to the HDB.

4. List of all other DoW Federal Advisory Committees: A complete ( printed page 57866) listing of DoW Federal advisory committees can be located at: www.facadatabase.gov/​FACA/​s/​account/​001t000000DCAooAAH/​department/​of/​defense.

5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the Federal advisory committee or subcommittee is not available from another Federal advisory committee, another Federal Government source, or any other more cost-effective and less burdensome source: The specific, integrated advice required by the SecWar regarding the military's mission of defense of the Homeland and Homeland security cooperation is not available from any other Federal advisory committee, government agency, or alternative source. While other agencies and departments operate within specific mission or geographic areas, their advisory mechanisms are statutorily constrained to their respective non-military domains. Relying solely on internal DoW staff or contracted studies is also insufficient, as it fails to provide the consensus-based, independent, and external peer review required at the highest levels of strategic decision-making.

For instance, the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Advisory Council is unsuited to fulfill this role, as it focuses exclusively on civilian law enforcement, border management, and emergency response; it lacks the mandate to advise on Title 10 or Title 32 military deployments domestic air defense; or military-specific crisis responses. Similarly, the Department of State's International Security Advisory Board concentrates on diplomatic relations and arms control, leaving it unequipped to evaluate United States Northern Command and United States Southern Command Combatant Command campaign plans or a global multi-domain, multi-layered defense strategy.

Within the DoW, the Defense Policy Board operates at a macro-strategic, global level, preventing it from devoting the sustained, granular attention required to navigate complex civil-military boundaries or regional transnational threats in the Americas. Finally, while internal staff and contracted think tanks provide valuable analysis, they either lack the external independence required to objectively critique DoW programs or produce static, historical reports rather than the real-time, consensus-driven advice needed by the SecWar. Consequently, no other source can provide the integrated, military-specific advice necessary to secure the homeland and the Western Hemisphere.

6. If the consultation is a committee renewal, a summary of the previous accomplishments of the committee and the reasons it needs to continue: N/A.

7. Explanation of why the committee/subcommittee is essential to the conduct of agency business: The establishment of this advisory committee is essential to the conduct of DoW business because defending the Homeland is the Department's paramount statutory and strategic priority. The HDB's advice and recommendations will serve to enhance the employment of existing DoW forces and capabilities to provide a thorough, layered defense for the Homeland using prevailing ground, sea, air, and space-based capabilities. The Department remains committed to providing our Nation with strong, reliable, and effective Homeland defense. Additionally, the HDB's advice and recommendations will directly enable the DoW's execution of the National Defense Strategy, which prioritizes the defense of the Homeland above all other military objectives. The ultimate priority is peace through strength.

Over the past 10 years, rather than lessening, the threat from peer, near-peer, and rogue-state adversaries, in addition to non-state actors and hostile asymmetric activities, has become more intense and complex. The DoW provides for the common defense of American citizens and the Homeland by deploying and maintaining the premier warfighting force across the globe to provide a multi-domain, layered defense. The modern threat environment has fundamentally altered the geographic sanctuary of the continental United States (U.S). In an era where peer and near-peer adversaries are actively projecting economic, cyber, and military power into the Western Hemisphere, the HDB will provide critical, independent assessments of the DoW's hemispheric defensive posture and domestic security preparedness. Furthermore, the HDB's advice and recommendations are vital for navigating the complex legal and operational boundaries of domestic military operations, ensuring that DSCA is executed effectively.

The DoW requires the advice and recommendations of a dedicated, independent body of experts to navigate this complex threat landscape. The SecWar and senior DoW leaders must have access to, and benefit from, independent and external perspectives from the broader national security community to address current and future challenges and opportunities involving the defense of the Homeland with highly effective capabilities to meet a variety of domestic and overseas requirements, including the necessary military surge capacity to meet strategic requirements, and allow key DoW stakeholders the ability to ensure full interoperability and real-time integration with our existing defense architecture. The HDB fulfills this critical requirement.

The HDB will also provide the SecWar advice and recommendations necessary for strategic oversight for multi-theater security cooperation and multi-domain actions, validating that DoW resource investments and allocations are successfully countering foreign influence, disrupting transnational criminal networks, and building robust partner-nation military capabilities. Finally, the HDB's advice and recommendations will serve an essential function by bridging the gap between the military and domestic Homeland security agencies to secure the defense critical infrastructure, vital transport networks and logistics nodes and the defense industrial base. Without this advisory body, the DoW risks strategic blind spots in its primary mission to protect the Homeland.

91 FR 57865