Notice2026-18517
Establishment of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees-Homeland Defense Board
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
September 11, 2026
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentDefense Department
Abstract
The DoD (referred to herein as "the Department of War" or "DoW") is publishing this notice to announce it is establishing the Homeland Defense Board (HDB) as a discretionary Federal advisory committee.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 175 (Friday, September 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 175 (Friday, September 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57865-57866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18517]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Establishment of Department of Defense Federal Advisory
Committees--Homeland Defense Board
AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Establishment of Federal advisory committee.
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SUMMARY: The DoD (referred to herein as ``the Department of War'' or
``DoW'') is publishing this notice to announce it is establishing the
Homeland Defense Board (HDB) as a discretionary Federal advisory
committee.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee
Management Officer for the DoW, 703-692-5952.
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): <a href="https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/account/001t000000DCAooAAH/department/of/defense">https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/account/001t000000DCAooAAH/department/of/defense</a>.
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
[[Page 57866]]
listing of DoW Federal advisory committees can be located at: <a href="https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/account/001t000000DCAooAAH/department/of/defense">https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/account/001t000000DCAooAAH/department/of/defense</a>.
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.
Dated: September 8, 2026.
Stephanie J. Bost,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2026-18517 Filed 9-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 11, 2026.
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