Notice2026-08431
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 30, 2026
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentNavy Department
Abstract
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of the Navy is modifying and reissuing a current system of records titled, "Millennium Cohort Study, N06500-1. This system of records was originally established to collect and maintain records on service members and veterans who have, or have not, deployed overseas so that various longitudinal health and research studies may be conducted over a 67-year period. This system of records notice (SORN) is being updated to change the system name and system ID, expand the "Purpose" section, and to incorporate the DoD standard routine uses and support additional information sharing of these records outside of the Department. The Navy is also modifying various other sections within the SORN to improve clarity or update information that has changed.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 83 (Thursday, April 30, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 83 (Thursday, April 30, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23249-23253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08431]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
[Docket ID: USN-2026-HQ-0265]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Department of Navy, Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of
the Navy is modifying and reissuing a current system of records titled,
``Millennium Cohort Study, N06500-1. This system of records was
originally established to collect and maintain records on service
members and veterans who have, or have not, deployed overseas so that
various longitudinal health and research studies may be conducted over
a 67-year period. This system of records notice (SORN) is being updated
to change the system name and system ID, expand the ``Purpose''
section, and to incorporate the DoD standard routine uses and support
additional information sharing of these records outside of the
Department. The Navy is also modifying various other sections within
the SORN to improve clarity or update information that has changed.
DATES: This system of records is effective upon publication; however,
comments on the Routine Uses will be accepted on or before June 1,
2026. The Routine Uses are effective at the close of the comment
period, unless comments have been received from interested members of
the public that require modification and republication of the notice.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and
title, by either of the following methods:
* Federal Rulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. 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 Drive,
Attn: Mailbox #24, Suite 05F16, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number 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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> as they are received without change,
including any personal identifiers or contact information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gregory M. Cason, Director
(Acting), Department of the Navy FOIA/Privacy Act Program Office, 2000
Navy Pentagon, Washington, DC 20350-2000, (202) 685-6533.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Millennium Cohort Program (MCP) is a DoD program of research
supported by the Defense Health Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs,
and Military Community and Family Policy including three major research
efforts: The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), Family Cohort Study (FCS);
and Millennium Cohort Study of Adolescent Resilience (SOAR). The
overarching goal of the MCP is to evaluate the impact of military
service, including deployments and other occupational exposures, on the
long-term health and wellbeing of service members, veterans, and their
families. MCS was initiated in 2001 prior to the events of 9/11 and the
subsequent large-scale military operations, including Operation
Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Participants of MCS are
enrolled while serving in the military and then surveyed every 3 to 5
years over their life course (i.e., through 2068), both during service
and after military separation. Since the first panel of service members
was enrolled in 2001, additional panels were enrolled in 2004, 2007,
2011, and 2020. There are over 260,000 study volunteers
[[Page 23250]]
participating in these five panels, representing all service branches
and components, making it the largest and longest ongoing prospective
cohort study of U.S. military personnel. Over the past 20 years, the
study has conducted extensive longitudinal research evaluating the
effects of deployments and other aspects of military service on service
members and their families.
The FCS was launched in 2011 as a component of the Millennium
Cohort program of research and it is currently the only ongoing DoD
study of the health and relationship well-being of military families.
FCS comprises data from both service personnel and their married
partners. Participants volunteer to complete a self-report survey every
three years for up to 21 years. Because the influence of military life
can be long-lasting, spouses are followed even if their service member
partner separates from service or their marital relationship changes.
In 2011, FCS enrolled one panel of almost 10,000 spouses, and in 2020
enrolled another panel of over 18,000 spouses. Analyzing dyadic data
from both spouses and service members, FCS seeks to understand the
impact of military life on the health and well-being of military family
members, as well as their relationship adjustment. The study further
evaluates the role of family life on service members' readiness,
retention, recovery, and resilience.
SOAR is a research study of military-connected adolescents and
their parents utilizing online survey data merged with medical data and
other military and civilian records for those participants who
volunteer to join the study. The study enrolls military-connected
adolescents (11-17 years old) of parents already enrolled in the MCS of
service members and veterans, representing all armed service branches
and active duty, Reserve, and National Guard components. This study
will assist the DoD in outlining future strategic goals for programs
and services to address the needs of military-connected adolescents and
their families, as well as provide data to better understand the health
and well-being of the next generation of potential service members.
Subject to public comment, the Department of the Navy is updating
this SORN to change the system name from ``Millennium Cohort Study'' to
``Millennium Cohort Program Records,'' expand the Purpose section to
clarify the scope of the collection, and to incorporate the DoD
standard routine uses (routine uses A through I) and to change an
existing routine use disclosure outside DoD related to the purpose of
this system of records. Additionally, the following sections of this
SORN are modified as follows: (1) to the System section to reflect the
locations in which the system may reside; (2) to the System Manager
section to update the contact information; (3) to the Authority for
Maintenance section to update citations and add additional authorities;
(4) to the Categories of Individuals section to expand the individuals
covered; (5) to the Categories of Records section to clarify how the
records relate to the revised Category of Individuals; (6) to the
Authority for Maintenance of the System section to expand on the
controls used to safeguard the systems; (7) to the Record Sources
section to add and update sources; (8) to the Record Retrieval section
to clarify means of storage, as well as identifying personal
identifiers that may be used for retrieval purposes; (9) to the Record
Access Procedures section to reflect the need for individuals to
identify the appropriate office to which their request should be
directed; (10) to the Contesting Records and Notification Procedures
sections to update the appropriate citation.
DoD SORNs have been published in the Federal Register and are
available from the address in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or at the
Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency Directorate website at
<a href="https://pclt.defense.gov/DIRECTORATES/Privacy-and-Civil-Liberties-Directorate/Privacy/SORNs/">https://pclt.defense.gov/DIRECTORATES/Privacy-and-Civil-Liberties-Directorate/Privacy/SORNs/</a>.
II. Privacy Act
Under the Privacy Act, a ``system of records'' is a group of
records under the control of an agency from which information is
retrieved by the name of an individual or by some identifying number,
symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual. In
the Privacy Act, an individual is defined as a U.S. citizen or lawful
permanent resident.
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) and Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-108, DoD has provided a report of this
system of records to the OMB and to Congress.
Dated: April 28, 2026.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Millennium Cohort Program Records, N06500-1.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Unclassified.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
Naval Health Research Center, Deployment Health Research
Department, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106-3521.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
The system managers for this system are as follows:
A. Policy Official: Commanding Officer, Naval Health Research
Center, 140 Sylvester Rd., San Diego, CA 92106-3521; (619) 553-8428.
B. Record Holder: Principal Investigator(s), The Millennium Cohort
Program, Naval Health Research Center, Deployment Health Research
Department, 140 Sylvester Rd., San Diego, CA 92106-3521,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4a0e250e64072326262f2424233f2709252225383e1a030a272b232664272326"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bdf9d2f993f0d4d1d1d8d3d3d4c8d0fed2d5d2cfc9edf4fdd0dcd4d193d0d4d1">[email protected]</span></a>, DSN 553-7465.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
10 U.S.C. Chapter 55, Medical and Dental Care; 10 U.S.C. 136, Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; 10 U.S.C. 7013,
Secretary of the Army; 10 U.S.C. 8013, Secretary of the Navy; 10 U.S.C.
9013, Secretary of the Air Force; DoD Manual (DoDM) 6025.18,
Implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule in DOD Health Care Programs; DoD Instruction
(DoDI) 6490.04, Mental Health Evaluations of Members of the Military
Services; DoDI 6490.08, Command Notification Requirements to Dispel
Stigma in Providing Mental Health Care to Service Members; DoDI
6490.16, Defense Suicide Prevention Program; DoDD 5136.01, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD(HA)); DoDD 6490.02E,
Comprehensive Health Surveillance; and E.O. 9397 (SSN), as amended.
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
A. To develop a long-term profile of health change among current
and former members of the Armed Forces, especially in relation to
individual deployment experience.
B. To better define the nature of risk factors for the development
of post-Defense illness among U.S. military personnel.
C. To assess the impact of military service, including deployments,
on the health and well-being of the family.
D. To examine the relationships between the family members and the
Service member.
E. To assess the associations of military service on the health and
well-being of military families (including children and non-spousal
partners), and to compare the adjusted probabilities of new onset
diseases and conditions among military spouses.
[[Page 23251]]
F. To assess the impact of military-connected academic achievement
and educational/career aspirations as major outcomes among adolescent
children of Service members and veterans.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
The initial MCS study population is a probability-based, cross-
sectional sample of U.S. Armed Forces personnel (active-duty Army,
Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Reserve/National Guard,
and veterans), as of October 2000, that will be followed prospectively
by postal or web surveys every 3 years over at least a 67-year period.
This initial sample comprised of 77,047 service members including
individuals who have been deployed to Southwest Asia, Bosnia, or Kosovo
since August 1997. In October 2004 and October 2007, samples of 31,110
and 43,440, respectively, of new Armed Forces personnel were added to
the Cohort. In May 2011, a sample of 50,052 new Armed Forces personnel
was added to the MCS. These individuals will be followed until at least
the year 2068, even if they retire or separate. The FCS will also
evaluate families of service members where spouses complete a survey
about themselves and their children. In May 2011, a sample of 9,872
spouses of Armed Forces personnel were added to the FCS and will be
followed until at least 2032. In August 2021, 58,609 new Armed Forces
personnel were added to the MCS and 18,223 spouses of Armed Forces
personnel were added to the FCS. SOAR enrollment is ongoing, but
approximately 5,000 adolescents and 9,000 parents are expected to
enroll. The MCS and FCS expect to enroll new participants into their
respective studies approximately every six (6) years.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
For each Cohort study group listed, the system of records is likely
to include personal information such as, name, Social Security number
(SSN), DoD ID number, date of birth, sex, race and ethnic, a randomly
generated subject identification number (SID).
Millennium Cohort Study: Military service information on current
service members and veterans, including enlistment/appointment details,
rank, occupational specialty, branch, and duty status, assignment and
deployment history, including dates, locations, and unit; separation
date and reason; pay grade, allowances, and special pay like imminent
danger or hardship duty pay, and contact/mortality data; combat zone
tax benefits; home of record; and military experiences, exposures, and
sentiments about service.
Health information, includes physical, mental, and emotional health
issues; health-related behaviors such as smoking and drinking;
healthcare records from Defense Health Agency (DHA) and the Department
of Veterans Affairs (DVA), to include diagnoses, procedures, test
results, vaccinations, and pharmacy records; receipt of DVA benefits;
results from lab, genetic, and drug tests; physical functioning
ability; women's health information; and reports of physical or sexual
abuse.
Service members' educational and training history; law enforcement
information regarding illicit substance use, incarcerations, and
firearms; and employment and economic data, including government
benefits (such as unemployment, food stamps, disability) and income.
Family Cohort Study: Includes service members/veterans, spouses,
and child dependents.
Military information for service member and spouse such as career
experiences, training, pay history, deployments, benefits utilization,
residential history, dependent information, and contact/mortality data.
Health and Support Services: Records from the Defense Health Agency
(DHA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), including medical,
dental, and pharmacy care. This also covers non-medical counseling and
program use for issues like military transition, family needs,
substance use, suicide prevention, and family violence.
Educational and training information for service members/veterans,
spouses, and child dependents such as degree seeking, certifications,
scholarships, and other specialty programs.
Law Enforcement information for service members/veterans and
spouses to include both military and non-military reports and
investigations.
Employment and economic information for service members/veterans
and spouses such as government benefits such as unemployment, food
stamps, and disability.
Millennium Cohort Study of Adolescent Resilience: Includes service
members/veterans, parents of focal child, and focal children.
Military information for service members such as career
experiences, assessments, trainings, pay trajectory information,
deployment history documentation, benefits and program utilization,
residential history, dependent information, and contact/mortality data.
Health and Support Services: Records from the Defense Health Agency
(DHA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), including medical,
dental, and pharmacy care. This also covers non-medical counseling and
program use for issues like military transition, family needs,
substance use, suicide prevention, and family violence.
Educational and training information for service members/veterans,
parents of focal child, and focal children such as degree seeking,
certifications, scholarships, and other specialty programs.
Law Enforcement information for service members/veterans, parents
of focal child, and focal children to include both military and non-
military reports and investigations.
Employment and economic information for service members/veterans
and spouses such as government benefits such as unemployment, food
stamps, and disability.
Tracking information for service members/veterans, parents of focal
child, and focal children such as mortality data, postal and email
addresses.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Records and information stored in this system of records are
obtained from:
A. The individual, surveys, interviews, educational and financial
certificates records, military transition and veteran records,
substance abuse and law enforcement systems.
B. Health assessments, patient management systems (including lab,
pharmacy, and medical records, and serum and biospecimens); mortality,
suicide, and state and territorial cancer registries and records such
as the National Death Index (NDI) and Virtual Pooled Registry.
C. DHA and DoD databases, such as: Corporate Executive Information
Systems, Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), Defense Enrollment
Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), Civilian Health and Medical
Program of the Uniformed Services, Army Medical Surveillance Activity
(AMSA), Joint Theater Trauma Registry (JTTR), Individual Longitudinal
Exposure Record (ILER), Defense Occupational and Environmental Health
Readiness System (DOEHRS), or other DHA and DoD systems documenting
information within the categories of records to be included in this
system as described above.
D. Other Federal agencies such as, the Department of Veterans
Affairs, United States Census Bureau, the United States Department of
Agriculture, the
[[Page 23252]]
Department of Labor, the Department of Education, and the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
E. State, non-governmental, and commercially available records or
databases, such as TransUnion and LexisNexis.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C.
552a(b) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, all or a portion of the
records or information contained herein may specifically be disclosed
outside the DoD as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as
follows:
A. To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, students, and
others performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative
agreement, or other assignment for the Federal Government when
necessary to accomplish an agency function related to this system of
records.
B. To the appropriate Federal, State, local, territorial, tribal,
foreign, or international law enforcement authority or other
appropriate entity where a record, either alone or in conjunction with
other information, indicates a violation or potential violation of law,
whether criminal, civil, or regulatory in nature.
C. To any component of the Department of Justice for the purpose of
representing the DoD, or its components, officers, employees, or
members in pending or potential litigation to which the record is
pertinent.
D. In an appropriate proceeding before a court, grand jury, or
administrative or adjudicative body or official, when the DoD or other
Agency representing the DoD determines that the records are relevant
and necessary to the proceeding; or in an appropriate proceeding before
an administrative or adjudicative body when the adjudicator determines
the records to be relevant to the proceeding.
E. To the National Archives and Records Administration for the
purpose of records management inspections conducted under the authority
of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
F. To a Member of Congress or staff acting upon the Member's behalf
when the Member or staff requests the information on behalf of, and at
the request of, the individual who is the subject of the record.
G. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) the DoD
suspects or confirms a breach of the system of records; (2) the DoD
determines as a result of the suspected or confirmed breach there is a
risk of harm to individuals, the DoD (including its information
systems, programs, and operations), the Federal Government, or national
security; and (3) the disclosure made to such agencies, entities, and
persons is reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the DoD's
efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed breach or to prevent,
minimize, or remedy such harm.
H. To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when the DoD
determines that information from this system of records is reasonably
necessary to assist the recipient agency or entity in (1) responding to
a suspected or confirmed breach or (2) preventing, minimizing, or
remedying the risk of harm to individuals, the recipient agency or
entity (including its information systems, programs and operations),
the Federal Government, or national security, resulting from a
suspected or confirmed breach.
I. To another Federal, State or local agency for the purpose of
comparing to the agency's system of records or to non-Federal records,
in coordination with an Office of Inspector General in conducting an
audit, investigation, inspection, evaluation, or some other review as
authorized by the Inspector General Act of 1987, as amended.
J. To such recipients under such circumstances and procedures as
are mandated by Federal statute or treaty.
K. To the DVA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for use in
scientific, medical and other analysis regarding health outcomes
research associated with military service.
Note 1: All disclosures to the DVA and HHS/CDC must have prior
approval of the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) Institutional
Review Board (IRB) and a Memorandum of Understanding must be entered
into to ensure the rights and obligations of the signatories are clear.
Access to data (1) is permitted on a need-to-know basis only; (2) must
adhere to the rule of minimization in that only information necessary
to accomplish the purpose for which the disclosure is being made is
releasable; (3) must adhere to the privacy and security requirements
applicable to protected health information under 45 CFR parts 160 and
164, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules, (4) must adhere to
privacy requirements applicable to personally identifiable information
under the Privacy Act of 1974 in accordance with DoD guidance; and (5)
must follow strict guidelines established in the Memorandum of
Understanding.
Note 2: This system of records contains protected health
information (PHI). The DoD's implementation of HIPAA Rule compliance is
prescribed in DoD Manual 6025.18, ``Implementation of the Health
Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule in
DoD Health Care Programs.'' Additional requirements on the use and
disclosure of PHI are detailed in the Manual.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
Records may be stored electronically or on paper in secure
facilities in a locked drawer behind a locked door.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
Records may be retrieved primarily by individual's name, SSN, DoD
ID number, and/or the individual's subject identification number.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
Electronic records and signed original paper consent forms are
permanent records and are transferred to the nearest Federal Records
Center (FRC) when 5 years old and then transferred to National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA) when 20 years old. Temporary
supporting records (to include paper records) are transferred to the
nearest FRC when 5 years old and destroyed when 10 years old. Temporary
non-record files (to include paper records or to include paper copies
of the surveys) will be destroyed when 5 years old or on completion/
termination of project.
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
Access to data is provided on a need-to-know basis only. A written
accounting of PII/PHI disclosures and data access is maintained. This
log includes the date of access, the name of the person accessing the
data, the purpose, and a description of the data provided. Records and
computer files are maintained securely in accordance with current DoD
regulations. Electronic records are accessed by authorized personnel
using a Common Access Card (CAC) and a personal identification number
(PIN). Data is stored on a secure server in access-controlled folders,
only accessible by approved staff. Sensitive information is transmitted
via encrypted Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. Randomly generated
subject identification numbers are used as the
[[Page 23253]]
primary identifier instead of individual names. Access to areas where
records are maintained is limited to authorized personnel through
access control devices during work hours and intrusion alarm devices
during non-duty hours. Paper records are stored in locked file
cabinets.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Individuals seeking access to their records should address written
inquiries to the Principal Investigator, The Millennium Cohort Program,
Naval Health Research Center, Deployment Health Research Department,
140 Sylvester Rd., San Diego, CA 92106-3521, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f6838598d8989e8495dbbb9f9a9a9398989f839bb5999e998482a6bfb69e93979a829ed89b9f9a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="097c7a672767617b6a24446065656c6767607c644a6661667b7d594049616c68657d6127646065">[email protected]</span></a>. Signed written requests should contain
the name and number of this system of records notice along with full
name, last four of SSN, DoD ID number, date of birth, email address,
phone number, or mailing address, and SID (if known). In addition, the
requester must provide either a notarized statement or an unsworn
declaration made in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 1746, in the appropriate
format:
If executed outside the United States: ``I declare (or certify,
verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United
States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on
(date). (Signature).''
If executed within the United States, its territories, possessions,
or commonwealths: ``I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under
penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on
(date). (Signature).''
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
The DoD rules for accessing records, contesting contents, and
appealing initial Component determinations are contained in 32 CFR part
310, or may be obtained from the system manager.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
Individuals seeking to determine whether information about
themselves is contained in this system of records should follow the
instructions for Record Access Procedures above.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
HISTORY:
June 16, 2003, 68 FR 35664; November 14, 2014, 79 FR 68225.
[FR Doc. 2026-08431 Filed 4-29-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
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