[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 119 (Monday, June 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33914-33915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16435]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of 
Defense for Gulf War Illnesses, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses announces public 
information collections and seeks public comment on the provisions 
thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collections 
of information are necessary for the proper performance of the 
functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have 
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) 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 August 
21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed 
information collection should be sent to the Office of the Special 
Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses, 
5113 Leesburg Pike, Suite 901, Falls Church, VA 22041, ATTN: Mr. Bob 
Menig.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection please write to the above address, or 
call the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses at 
(703) 578-8500.
    Title and OMB Number: Office of the Special Assistant to the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense for Gulf War Illnesses--Generic Clearance; OMB 
Number 0704-[To be determined.]
    Needs and Uses: The information collections addressed by this 
notice are

[[Page 33915]]

necessary to facilitate the investigations of the Office of the Special 
Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses into the experiences of Gulf War 
veterans during the war that may be related to the illnesses 
experienced by some Gulf War veterans. The information collected will 
be used to determine which Gulf War veterans may have further 
information about potential exposure incidents, to discover if there 
are any other observed incidents of exposure, to contribute to a better 
understanding of the events during and after the Gulf War, and to 
encourage veterans to enroll in a Department of Defense or Veterans 
Affairs medical program.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Annual Burden Hours: 1,572.
    Number of Respondents: 3,143.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: 30 Minutes.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Information on Each Collection Covered by This Notice

Chemical/Biological Incident Survey

    Respondents are Gulf War veterans whose units were in the vicinity 
of a positive chemical/biological detection, alarm, or other reported 
incident. The purpose of this survey is to develop investigational 
leads to assist investigators in their search for confirmation of the 
presence or use of chemical or biological agents during the Gulf War.

Possible Weapons Sites

    Respondents are Gulf War veterans who served in units that reported 
possible storage sites for chemical or biological weapons agents. The 
purpose of this survey is to develop possible investigational leads 
that may assist investigators in their search for confirmation of the 
presence or use of chemical or biological agents during the Gulf War.

Depleted Uranium

    Respondents are Gulf War veterans who served in units that may have 
placed them in contact with equipment potentially contaminated with 
depleted uranium (DU). Veterans will include personnel who were in or 
on U.S. combat vehicles at the time they were struck by DU munitions 
fired from U.S. tanks and personnel who were in contact with equipment 
either as a member of unit involved in retrograde operations, or as a 
member of a battle damage assessment team.

Pesticide Exposure Survey

    Respondent are Gulf War veterans. Outreach letters will be mailed 
to Gulf War veterans based on their unit assignment during the Gulf War 
and their period of deployment. Calls will be made to respondents to 
ask information on experiences with pesticides during the Gulf War 
deployment.

Pesticides Use/Application

    Gulf War veterans who served as physicians, environmental science 
officer, entomologists, preventive medicine specialists, field 
sanitation teams members, and veterans who served in logistics and 
supply positions will be contacted to determine which pesticides were 
used (including those purchased locally) and how they were employed in 
the Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Water Contamination

    Respondents will be preventive medicine specialists, field 
sanitation specialists, and transportation personnel involved with the 
maintenance of water transport vehicles who served in the Gulf War.

Food Contamination

    Respondent will be preventive medicine specialists, field 
sanitation specialists, and food service personnel to determine what 
steps were taken to ensure the safety of the food provided to Gulf War 
troops.

Oil Well Fires

    Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who reported contract with 
oil well fires in calls to the DoD Incident Reporting Line. Veterans 
will be contacted to get first hand accounts of their experience with 
oil well fire smoke, precautions they took, and the duration of their 
exposure under the oil well fire plume.

Retrograde Equipment

    Respondents will be Gulf War veterans involved in vehicle 
cleaning operations prior to vehicles being shipped from the Gulf 
and personnel who accompanied vehicles during their retrograde 
shipment.

Armed Services Medical Department Personnel

    Respondents will be medical personnel who served in the Gulf War. 
These personnel will be contacted to complete a survey of their 
experiences with medical surveillance, vaccine administration, and 
medical recordkeeping during the Gulf War deployment.

Combat Stress Control

    Respondents will be military chaplains who served in the Gulf War. 
These chaplains will be surveyed to understand their experiences as 
participants in combat stress control.

Enemy Prisoners of War

    Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who served in military police 
or medical units that were involved in the processing and treatment of 
enemy prisoners of war during the Gulf War deployment.

Petroleums, Oils, and Lubricants

    Respondents will be Gulf War veterans who served in units during 
the Gulf War deployment that were involved in the acquisition, 
distribution, and use of petroleums, oils, and lubricants.

Personnel Deployed on Designated Deployments

    Respondents will be former members of the Armed Services (including 
active and reserve component) who served during designated deployments. 
Personnel will be surveyed about their perceptions and experiences with 
Medical Force Protection, Medical Surveillance, and health support 
during the designated deployment.

    Dated: June 16, 1998.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-16435 Filed 6-19-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M