[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 32, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 32CFR246.6]

[Page 552-553]
 
                       TITLE 32--NATIONAL DEFENSE
 
        CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED)
 
PART 246_STARS AND STRIPES (S&S) NEWSPAPER AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS--Table of 
 
Sec. 246.6  Procedures.

    (a) General. (1) Authority to establish or disestablish S&S 
operations is from the Secretary of Defense through the ATSD(PA) and the 
Director of the AFIS. The Unified Commands shall forward such requests 
to the Director of the AFIS, as required.
    (2) Classified information shall be protected in accordance with 32 
CFR parts 159 and 159a.
    (3) The Stars and Stripes and the S&S business operations shall 
conform to applicable regulations and laws involving libel, copyright, 
U.S. Government printing and postal regulations, and DoD personnel 
policies and procedures.
    (4) With the concurrence of the Unified Command, the S&S is 
authorized

[[Page 553]]

direct communication with the Military Services on S&S personnel matters 
and with the Department of the Army on S&S financial matters. The S&S 
shall keep the Unified Command and the AFIS informed of all actions.
    (b) Management Review and Evaluation. (1) The Director of the AFIS 
provides business counsel, assistance, and policy oversight for the S&S. 
The Director of the AFIS shall meet annually with the Unified Command 
representatives, to include the S&S commander/publisher, and senior DoD 
officials who have S&S responsibilities, such as the S&S MAG.
    (2) The Director of the AFIS shall be assisted by a S&S MAG composed 
of senior representatives from the AFIS, the OASD(FM&P), and the other 
DoD offices with the authority and expertise to aid in solving S&S 
problems. As needed, the Director of the AFIS may organize a DoD 
steering committee to oversee and aid the S&S MAG to address specific 
concerns identified by the Director of the AFIS and the Unified Command 
CINCs.
    (3) In accordance with DoD Instruction 7600.6 \7\, and Army 
implementation thereof, the S&S shall be audited on an annual basis, 
either by the Army Audit Agency (AAA) or by an AAA-approved audit 
contractor. NAF funds of the S&S shall be used for such contracts. The 
audits will be performance audits and may be financial in nature as 
prescribed by the Comptroller General of the United States Government 
Auditing Standards. Each annual audit will determine whether prior audit 
recommendations have been implemented and the reasons any have not been 
implemented. When the Inspector General, DoD, elects to perform an audit 
of the S&S organization, such audit may substitute for the required 
annual audit. The S&S organizations shall coordinate their audit 
requirements with each other and the Army Community and Family Support 
Center to the maximum extent practicable to avoid duplication of costs 
and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of these audits. 
Information copies of the audit contractor reports shall be forwarded by 
the S&S to the Unified Commands, AFIS and AAA. The S&S shall provide a 
response to the audit to the Unified Command CINC within 60 days of 
receiving the completed report. The S&S response to the audit must 
indicate a concurrence or nonconcurrence for each finding and 
recommendation. For each concurrence the corrective actions taken or 
planned should be described and completion dates for actions already 
taken, as well as the estimated dates for completion of planned actions, 
should be provided. For each nonconcurrence, specific reasons must be 
stated. If appropriate, alternative methods for accomplishing desired 
improvements may be proposed. If nonconcurrences in the findings and 
recommendations cannot be resolved between the S&S management and the 
auditors or AAA endorses the contractors' findings and recommendations, 
then the resolution procedures established by DoD Directive 7650.3 \8\, 
and Army Regulations should be followed. The Unified Command shall 
forward the response to the Director of the AFIS and the AAA.
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    \7\ See footnote 1 to Sec. 246.4(c).
    \8\ See footnote 1 to Sec. 246.4(c).
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