(a) The Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), under 32 CFR part 375, as the principal staff assistant to the Secretary of Defense for internal information policy and programs, including S&S matters, shall:

(1) Provide policy and broad operational guidance to the Director of the AFIS.

(2) Monitor and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the policies in § 246.4, and procedures in § 246.6.

(b) The Director, American Forces Information Service, under 32 CFR part 372 shall:

(1) Develop, issue, and oversee the implementation of policies and procedures for the Unified Commands and the Military Departments for the operation of the S&S.

(2) Provide business and policy counsel on the mission performance and financial operations of the S&S.

(3) Serve as the DoD point of contact with the Congressional Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) for S&S matters.

(4) In coordination with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the ATSD(PA), provide broad and overall planning guidelines to the Unified Commands for S&S wartime operations that involve more than one area of responsibility.

(5) Chair, as required, at the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense level, or above, the steering committee providing guidance to the S&S MAG.

(6) Select and employ the S&S Ombudsman.

(c) The Secretaries of the Military Departments shall:

(1) Nominate the most highly-qualified military personnel for positions in the S&S in accordance with appendix C to this part.

(2) Enter into appropriate MOAs, as provided by the Unified Commanders and, as required by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), to provide APF and/or NAF support when required by adverse conditions as defined in § 246.3(a).

(d) The Secretary of the Army shall:

(1) Provide administrative and logistic support, as the DoD Executive Agent, to the S&S organizations.

(2) Support NAF and APF accounting and reporting procedures required by DoD Instruction 7000.12 5 , in coordination with the Unified Commands and the Director of the AFIS.

(3) Designate the successor-in-interest to the S&S, as agreed upon by the applicable Unified Command and the Director of the AFIS.

(e) The Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command, and the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command, shall:

(1) Authorize a Stars and Stripes newspaper, provide operational direction to the S&S commander publisher, and support the S&S throughout the Unified Command area of responsibility, consistent with each organization's status as a category B NAFI.

(2) Provide Unified Command regulations and guidance, as needed, to carry out this part.

(3) Establish procedures to resolve situations wherein a U.S. Ambassador (or, if so designated, the chief of mission) believes a specific issue in his or her nation of responsibility, not already in the public domain through other news sources, would violate national security or endanger the safety of American citizens, or other persons under their jurisdiction, if it were to be published in the Stars and Stripes.

(4) Select the S&S commander/publisher and other military officers in S&S positions.

(5) Aid the S&S commander/publisher to educate the Stars and Stripes editorial staff about the missions of their Unified Command and Military Service component commands.

(6) Approve the selection of the Stars and Stripes editor.

(7) Establish and maintain a S&S board of directors to address S&S business operations. (See appendix E to this part)

(8) Establish and maintain Stars and Stripes readership forums, which may take many forms, to address Stars and Stripes matters of interest and S&S bookstore operations. Those forums are to provide community feedback to the S&S. This will enable the S&S commander/publisher and the Stars and Stripes editor to better understand and, thereby, better serve the interests and needs of the readers and bookstore customers.

(9) At the discretion of the Unified Command CINC, provide for meetings between the S&S commander/publisher and the Stars and Stripes editor, the Unified Command public affairs office, and the Unified Command component commands, represented by their directors of public affairs, to discuss the performance of the Stars and Stripes and the performance of related public affairs operations. The Unified Commands, their component commands, and the S&S may invite any attendees they choose. Representatives from the AFIS may attend. Those meetings may not serve as editorial advisory boards. The Unified Command and component commands represent the principal source, and a prominent subject, of Stars and Stripes staff-generated news coverage. Consequently, any involvement or appearance of involvement by component command staffs in the Stars and Stripes editorial policy creates an unacceptable conflict of interest damaging to the editorial integrity and credibility of the Stars and Stripes.

(10) Ensure that the S&S Commander/Publisher:

(i) Assumes the duties and responsibilities of command, leadership, management, and training for the S&S.

(ii) Executes DoD and Unified Command policy.

(iii) Is responsible to the Unified Command CINC for S&S operations to include the newspaper publication and timely circulation, the operation of the S&S resale and job printing activities, and associated distribution systems in the relevant Unified Command area of responsibility.

(iv) Provides planning and execution of initiatives to ensure support of U.S. Armed Forces during contingency operations and armed conflict. The S&S commander/publisher shall identify wartime and contingency S&S personnel asset requirements to the Unified Command CINC to fulfill the Unified Command force responsibilities during armed conflict.

(v) Selects the Stars and Stripes editor.

(vi) Approves, in coordination with the Stars and Stripes editor, military personnel selectees for the Stars and Stripes editorial staff. (See appendix C to this part)

(vii) Provides a current status briefing and 2-year financial forecast to the Director of the AFIS at the annual AFIS S&S meeting. Provides support to the S&S board of directors as required in appendix E to this part.

(viii) Conducts frequent independent readership surveys, in accordance with DoD Instruction 1100.13 6 , and readership focus groups to gather information.

(f) The Other Unified Commanders in Chief shall ensure that their deployment exercise, contingency, and war-time planning documents reflect the S&S transportation, funding or reimbursement, and in-theater distribution requirements, as applicable. Information copies of such planning documents or annexes shall be furnished to the following:

(1) U.S. European Command (ATTN: Director, Public Affairs).

(2) U.S. Pacific Command (ATTN: Director, Public Affairs).

(3) The AFIS (ATTN: Assistant Director for Plans and Policy).