Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness).

ACTION:

Notice.

In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) announces the following proposed reinstatement of a public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is 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 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 16, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations on the proposed information collection should be sent to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) (Military Personnel Policy)/Accession Policy, ATTN: Major Ruth Hamilton, 4000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-4000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on this proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and associated collection instruments, please write to the above address or call (703) 695-5527.

Title, Associated Form, and OMB Control Number: “Request for Verification of Birth,” DD Form 372, OMB Control Number: 0704-0006.

Needs and Uses: Title 10, USC 505, 532, 3253, and 8253, require applicants meet minimum and maximum age and citizenship requirements for enlistment into the Armed Forces (including the Coast Guard). If an applicant is unable to provide a birth certificate, the recruiter will forward a DD Form 372, “Request for Verification of Birth,” to a state or local agency requesting verification of the applicant's birth date. This verification of the birth date ensures that the applicant does not fall outside the age limitations, and that the applicants place of birth supports the citizenship status claimed by the applicant.

Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Annual Burden Hours: 8,300.

Number of Respondents: 100,000.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Average Burden per Response: .083 hour (5 minutes) per respondent.

Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

This information provides the Armed Services with the exact birth date of an applicant. The DD Form 372 is the method of collecting and verifying birth data on applicants who are unable to provide a birth certificate from their city, county, or state. The DoD Form is considered the official request for obtaining the birth data on applicants.