FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

Details on agency responses to committee recommendations can be found under the Performance Measures section for each committee in the fields “Agency Feedback” and “Agency Feedback Comment.”

DOD - 412 - Defense Policy Board - Agency Authority

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Defense Policy Board	Agency Name	Department of Defense
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	412
Original Establishment Date	8/27/1985	Committee Status	Chartered
Actual Termination Date		Committee URL
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	25
Terminated This FY	No	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	Designated Federal Officer
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix	Dr.
Current Charter Date	8/29/2025	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	James
Date Of Renewal Charter	8/29/2027	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name	E
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Benkowski
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority		Designated Federal Officer Phone*	703-697-4758
Establishment Authority*	Agency Authority	Designated Federal Officer Fax*	N/A
Specific Establishment Authority*	Secretary of Defense Determination	Designated Federal Officer Email*	james.e.benkowski2.civ@mail.mil
Effective Date Of Authority*	8/27/1985
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	Non Scientific Program Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Continue
Legislation to Terminate Required	Not Applicable
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	The DPB shall provide independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary of War and the Deputy Secretary of War(“the DoD Appointing Authority”), through the Under Secretary of War for Policy (USW(P)), focusing on matters pertaining to helping the DoW restore the warrior ethos, rebuild the military, and reestablish deterrence on matters pertaining to (a) Department of War(DoW) strategic planning; (b) policy implications of U.S. force structure and modernization on DoW’s ability to execute U.S. defense strategy; (c) U.S. regional defense policies; and (d) other defense policy and national security issues of special interest to the DoW, as determined by the DoW Appointing Authority, or the USW(P).
How is membership balanced?*	In evaluating candidates for the DPB, the DoW fairly balances candidates’ educational and professional backgrounds and expertise concerning the DPB's duties , as well as DPB candidates' viewpoints on U.S. foreign and defense policy debates. 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. Candidates are expected to bring novel, innovative, and bold viewpoints to the DPB—including willingness to constructively challenge conventional thinking and propose alternative approaches to solving high-priority defense policy challenges. Membership shall be fairly balanced to provide a variety of background, experience, and thought in support of the DPB’s mission. The DPB’s membership balance is not static, and the DoW Appointing Authority may change the membership based upon work assigned to the DPB by the DoW Appointing Authority or the USW(P), as the DPB’s sponsor.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	The DPB shall meet at the call of the DPB’s DFO, in consultation with the DPB’s Chair and the USW(P). The estimated number of DPB meetings is three to four per year.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	The Secretary of Warhas determined that the independent advice provided by the Defense Policy Board on a wide range of geo-political and national security issues concerning the DoW cannot be obtained from any other DoW advisory committee.
Why close or partially close meetings?	Meetings are not closed to the public unless the Department of Defense determines that items on the planned agenda meet the closed meeting provisions of title 5 U.S.C.§552b(c). Pursuant to DoD policy, closed meetings can only be authorized by the DoW Sponsor, the Under Secretary of Warfor Policy or designee, and only after consultation with the Office of General Counsel for the Department of Defense. If the DoW sponsor or designee, after consultation with the Office of General Counsel for the Department of War, determines in accordance with section 1009(d) of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.) and section 102-3.155 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), that the meeting of the DPB concerns classified information and matters covered by section 552b(c)(1) of title 5, U.S.C. they will, accordingly, close the meeting to the public. This determination will be based on the consideration that the discussions will involve classified matters of national defense or foreign policy and that such matters are so inextricably intertwined with unclassified material that they cannot reasonably be segregated into separate discussions without disclosing classified material.
Recommendation Remarks	The committee does not publish separate reports. In FY25 the Defense Policy Board's only meeting, scheduled for January 7, 2025, was canceled due to inclement weather. DPB activities subsequently paused during the Secretary of War's review of advisory committees. The DPB was then approved by the Secretary of War for retention and the resumption of activities on September 8, 2025.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	No	Action Reorganize Priorities*	Yes
Outcome Trust In Government	No	Action Reallocate Resources	No
Outcome Major Policy Changes	No	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	No	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	No
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	No	Action Comment	.
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	No	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	Yes	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	The Defense Policy Board is able to provide research and analysis on topics raised by the Secretary of War, Deputy Secretary of War, and the Under Secretary of War for Policy in regard to national security, national defense, or foreign policy which fall within the provisions of title 5 U.S.C. § 552b(c)(l).	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	The Defense Policy Board is not designed to be a committee which has goals/objectives toward cost savings.	Grants Review Comment	NA
Number Of Recommendations*	128	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	In FY25, the Defense Policy Board's only meeting was canceled due to inclement weather. As a result, the DPB did not make any recommendations to the DoW. The committee does not publish separate reports as recommendations are wholly in regard to national security, national defense, or foreign policy and falls within the provisions of title 5 U.S.C. § 552b(c)(l).	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	0.00%	Access Committee Website	No
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	N/A. Moreover, the qualitative character of the Defense Policy Board's recommendations make it difficult to estimate the percentage of recommendations fully or partially implemented over all preceding fiscal years.	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	0.00%	Access Publications	No
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	NA	Access Other	Yes
Agency Feedback*	Yes	Access Comment	Through OSD Public Affairs Office
Agency Feedback Comment*	Updates are made to the Defense Policy Board at meetings. Recommendations of the Defense Policy Board are of a highly classified matter in regard to national security, national defense, or foreign policy; therefore, Agency feedback is also classified and falls within the provisions of title 5 U.S.C. § 552b(c)(l).	Narrative Description*	Note that the DPB does not publish separate reports as recommendations are wholly in regard to national security, national defense, or foreign policy and falls within the provisions of title 5 U.S.C. § 552b(c)(l) and so are not releasable to the public.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$0.00	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$0.00
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$0.00	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$0.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$49,580.00	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$124,000.00
4. Payments to Consultants*	$0.00	4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$0.00
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$0.00	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$19,800.00
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*	$0.00	6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*	$0.00
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$0.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$0.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$0.00
10. Other Costs	$399.00	10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*	$6,597.00
11. Total Costs	$49,979.00	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$150,397.00
Date Cost Last Modified	9/17/2025 2:47 PM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*	0.60
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	0.25	Est Cost Remarks	"Est. Other Costs next FY" field includes expenses for printing materials for DPB meetings.
Cost Remarks

Interest Areas

Category Area National Defense National Security and Defense

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