# Proposed Collection; Comment Request
**AGENCY:**
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (OUSD(P&R)), Department of Defense (DoD).
**ACTION:**
Information collection notice.
**SUMMARY:**
In compliance with the *Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,* the OUSD(P&R) announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: 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; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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 April 3, 2026.
**ADDRESSES:**
You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods:
*Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.* 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, Mailbox #24, Suite 05F16, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.
*Instructions:* All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title 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 *http://www.regulations.gov* as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.
**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 Defense Personnel Analytics Center, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350, Dr. Rachel Lipari, 703.309.6714.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The Status of Forces Active-Duty Survey (SOFS-A) is the primary source for reliable and generalizable survey data on active-duty military members. The survey assesses topics: financial well-being, retention intention, stress, tempo, readiness, nutrition, and suicide awareness. The majority of SOFS-A sample members will receive the full survey; while a subset of SOFS-A sample members will receive an abbreviated version of the survey content ( *i.e.,* a module). The purpose of the module experiment is to assess the ability to reduce survey burden while attaining generalizable results by fielding two short modules rather than a single survey.
*Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number:* Status of the Forces Survey of Active-Duty Members; OMB Control Number 0704-0624.
*Needs and Uses:* The SOFS-A is an annual Department wide large-scale survey of active-duty members that is used in evaluating existing policies and programs, establishing baseline measures before implementing new policies and programs, and monitoring the progress of existing policies/programs. The survey assesses topics such as financial well-being, retention intention, stress, tempo, readiness, nutrition, and suicide awareness. Data are aggregated by appropriate demographics, including Service, paygrade, and other indicators. To be able to meet reporting requirements for Department leadership, the Military Services, and Congress, the survey needs to be completed in 2026. The legal requirements for the SOFS-A can be found in the FY2016 NDAA, Title VI, Subtitle F, Subpart 661. This legal requirement mandates that the SOFS-A solicit information on financial literacy and preparedness. Results will be used by the Service Secretaries to evaluate and update financial literacy training and will be submitted in a report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
*Affected Public:* Individuals and households.
*Annual Burden Hours:* 8,250 hours.
*Number of Respondents:* 16,500.
*Responses per Respondent:* 1.
*Annual Responses:* 16,500.
*Average Burden per Response:* 30 minutes.
*Frequency:* Annually.
Dated: January 28, 2026.
Stephanie J. Bost,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.