R&D in Support of DOD Enlistment, Testing and Evaluation
Abstract
The Department of Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA) is a DoD-wide Field Activity chartered to support the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD (P&R)). This PE includes application of R&D to expedite prototype development and mission support efforts to sustain and/or modernize operations required for general RDT&E. Project 1: Identity Credential Management (ICM). DMDC executes DHRA’s responsibility to provide a central source of identification and authorization of people throughout their affiliation with DoD for identity protection, security, and entitlements and benefits verification. This funding supports evaluation and testing of emerging technologies that develop more robust and secure capabilities for the Department’s ICM program. ICM will also research capabilities such as improved self-service solutions, and reusable-services that will enable more efficient credential delivery. Project 2: Office of People Analytics (OPA) Testing and Assessment Division administers testing programs, which enable the Armed Services to select highly qualified military recruits. The DoD uses a single test, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), to determine eligibility of military applicants and students (high school and post-secondary) and to report recruit quality data to Congress. Despite the implications of the COVID pandemic, high quality recruits obtained from administering the ASVAB annually remain at approximately 600,000 applicants for Military Service as part of the DoD Enlistment Testing program, and over 750,000 students remain in the ASVAB career exploration program. There has been no definitive change to this trend. Each Service also uses ASVAB test forms developed in this program as part of their in-service testing programs. This allows DoD to make measurement improvements as well as decreasing the likelihood of test compromise. Ongoing RDT&E efforts include development and evaluation of procedures which (1) reduce or eliminate threats to the validity of the ASVAB test scores generated; (2) improve the efficiency of the test development, calibration, and validation process; and (3) improve selection and classification decisions made by each Service through more effective use of test score information. In addition, periodic assessments are required to provide DoD manpower planners and Congress with information on aptitude trends in the population from which recruits are drawn. Project 05: The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) administers many of the federal responsibilities of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986 and other federal military voter registration and assistance laws. FVAP works to ensure Service members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the tools and resources to successfully do so – from anywhere in the world. FVAP works to increase the level of awareness of available DoD voting assistance resources among Active Duty Members, in order to increase the likelihood of returning their absentee ballots. FVAP conducts voting research projects with States, local election jurisdictions and private entities to assist UOCAVA voters to register to vote and submit their absentee ballot and improve federal, State and local election processes and procedures. Project 6: Data Delivery Services (DDS) will prototype a streamlined methodology for sharing data with external partners. It will allow either a real-time or batch broker service to any major DMDC database, eventually including the Person Data Repository (PDR), Uniformed Services Human Resource Information System (USHRIS), and most other DMDC data holdings. Authorized customers will be able to receive automated, real-time updates directly from these databases. This project supports data Application Programming Interfaces (API) necessary to realize Zero Trust (ZT) requirements and supply identities and credential assurance levels that meet security requirements and digital identity guidelines set by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It also has the potential to improve customer service and improve transaction efficiency for data processing throughout the DMDC enterprise. DDS supports specific external customer use cases, improves DMDC internal data processes, supports Zero Trust for the Department, and aligns DMDC’s data access and sharing with the DoD Data Strategy objectives. Project 7: The Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database (DSAID) is the Department’s authoritative, centralized case-level database used to collect and maintain information on sexual assaults involving members of the Armed Forces, including tracking and reporting on sexual assault-related retaliation data. DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) operates DSAID and works collaboratively with the Services to implement and sustain the system, conduct oversight, inform DoD planning and analysis, and report as required in law to Congress. DSAID needs modernization of its Case Synopsis Module which tracks Subject case outcomes required to meet section 563 FY09 NDAA, and an interface between DSAID and ADVANA (Advanced Analytics). Project 08: Personnel Accountability and Security (PAS) is a new program that subsumes the Personnel Accountability (PA) program with the remaining Personnel Security Assurance (PSA) program. The Personnel Accountability and Security (PAS) program is comprised of several systems undergoing development and testing, including: Synchronized Pre-Deployment Operational Tracker Enterprise Suite (SPOT-ES,) Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) Tracking System (NTS). Joint Personnel Accountability Reconciliation and Reporting (JPARR), Personnel Accountability Reporting Suite of System. PAS will be using RDT&E money to evaluate and re-architect the PA Products and current structure of the portfolio. Funding was re-phased starting in FY 2024, development and modernization funding will resume in FY 2027. Project 09: Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) program is helping DoD evolve its distributed learning systems (e.g., online courses, smartphone-based learning, and DoD-wide enterprise systems for training and education). These improvements benefit DoD in several ways: (1) EFFICIENCY: Increase business systems’ efficiency, saving time and resources, by eliminating duplications and developing shared services for digital learning technology and data. (2) EFFECTIVENESS: Improve the quality and efficiency of training/education delivery via online systems by developing modern technologies, integrated data systems, and associated learning science, ultimately impacting personnel readiness. This program was originally established in response to Section 378 of Public Law 105-261, the FY 1999 NDAA. The ADL program directly supports all DoD Components, and as a leader in the field of distributed learning technologies, also coordinates with other Federal agencies, Allies, and Partners. This leads to the program’s third benefit: (3) INTEROPERABILITY: It strengthens interagency, inter-organizational, and multinational interoperability by developing shared distributed learning capabilities and policy and through leadership in DoD, Federal, and Coalition communities of practice. The program’s work falls into three interrelated categories: (A) Modernization, (B) Documentation, and (C) Coordination. The “modernization” work involves Advanced Technology Development (RDT&E subfield Advanced Technology Development 6.3) in technical areas such as e-learning, mobile learning, IT/data interoperability, learner data modeling and analytics, and associated learning science. These efforts inform the program’s “documentation” work, including the authoring and upkeep of technical guidance and policy documents, such as DoD Instruction 1322.26 (“Distributed Learning”) and software/data interoperability specifications. Finally, the documentation work drives “coordination” efforts, which consist of implementation support and interagency, inter-organizational, and international (e.g., North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)) coordination. This program’s modernization investments are vetted through the Defense ADL Advisory Committee, a working group of military personnel and DoD/Federal civilians who formally represent their organizations’ distributed learning interests. These requirements are also aligned to DoD/Federal strategic direction, such as the DoD Digital Modernization Strategy, DoD and Federal Data Strategies, and Personnel and Readiness Strategy for 2030. They are also considered against emerging industry trends and technologies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 0605803SE_6_0400_PB_2025
- Change Summary Explanation
- FY 2025 funding increase reflects; +$4.0 million Foundational enhancements to the Secure Internet Protocol Router Network; +$2.0 million Cloud Hosting and availability improvements; +$.053 million in Economic Assumptions and also the re-alignment of -$5.086 million Independent Review Commission to the new Program Element code 0808737SE.
- Service Agency Name
- DoD Human Resources Activity
Entities
Organizations
- Defense Human Resources Activity
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