§ 668. Definitions
(a)
Joint Matters.—
(1)
In this chapter, the term “joint matters” means matters related to the achievement of unified action by integrated military forces in operations conducted across domains such as land, sea, or air, in space, or in the information environment, including matters relating to—
(b)
Joint Duty Assignment.—
(1)
The Secretary of Defense shall by regulation define the term “joint duty assignment” for the purposes of this chapter. That definition—
(A)
shall be limited to assignments in which the officer gains significant experience in joint matters; and
(B)
shall exclude assignments for joint training and education, except an assignment as an instructor responsible for preparing and presenting courses in areas of the curricula designated in section
2155
(c) of this title as part of a program designated by the Secretary of Defense as joint professional military education Phase II.
(2)
The Secretary shall publish a joint duty assignment list showing—
(c)
Clarification of “Tour of Duty”.—
For purposes of this chapter, a tour of duty in which an officer serves in more than one joint duty assignment without a break between such assignments shall be considered to be a single tour of duty in a joint duty assignment.
(d)
Critical Occupational Specialty.—
(1)
In this chapter, the term “critical occupational specialty” means a military occupational specialty involving combat operations within the combat arms, in the case of the Army, or the equivalent arms, in the case of the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, that the Secretary of Defense designates as critical.
(2)
At a minimum, the Secretary of Defense shall designate as a critical occupational specialty under paragraph (1) any military occupational specialty within a combat arms (or the equivalent) that is experiencing a severe shortage of trained officers in that specialty, as determined by the Secretary.