Unless otherwise noted, the following terms and their definitions are for the purposes of this part.

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Acquisition. The acquiring by contract with appropriated funds of supplies or services (including construction) by and for the use of the Federal Government through purchase or lease, whether the supplies or services are already in existence or must be created, developed, demonstrated, and evaluated. Acquisition begins at the point when agency needs are established and includes the description of requirements to satisfy agency needs, solicitation and selection of sources, award of contracts, contract financing, contract performance, contract administration, and those technical and management functions directly related to the process of fulfilling agency needs by contract.

Applicable operations. Contingency operations, humanitarian assistance, or peace operations conducted outside the United States and other activities, including operations and exercises outside the United States as determined by a combatant commander (CCDR) or as directed by the Secretary of Defense.

Austere environment. Areas where applicable operations may be conducted that are in remote, isolated locations, where access to modern comforts and resources may be limited or non-existent.

Civil augmentation program. External support contracts designed to augment Military Department logistics capabilities with contracted support in both preplanned and short-notice operations.

Contingency contract. A legally binding agreement for supplies, services, and/or construction let by a U.S. Government contracting officer in the operational area, or that has a prescribed area of performance within an operational area.

Contingency operation. A military operation that is either designated by the Secretary of Defense as a contingency operation or becomes a contingency operation as a matter of law as defined in 10 U.S.C. § 101(a)(13).

Contract administration. The processes and procedures of contracting, from contract award through closeout, that includes oversight efforts by contracting professionals and designated non-contracting personnel to ensure that supplies, services, and/or construction are delivered and/or performed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

Contract support integration. The coordination and synchronization of contracted support executed in a designated operational area in support of military operations.

Contracting. Purchasing, renting, leasing, or otherwise obtaining supplies or services from nonfederal sources. Contracting includes description (but not determination) of supplies and services required, selection, and solicitation of sources, preparation and award of contracts, and all phases of contract administration. It does not include making grants or cooperative agreements.

Contracting officer. A person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. The term includes certain authorized representatives of the contracting officer acting within the limits of their authority as delegated by the contracting officer. “Administrative contracting officer (ACO)” refers to a contracting officer who is administering contracts. “Termination contracting officer (TCO)” refers to a contracting officer who is settling terminated contracts. A single contracting officer may be responsible for duties in any or all of these areas.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). An individual, including a contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR), designated and authorized in writing by the contracting officer to perform specific technical or administrative functions.

Contracting support. The coordination of contracts and execution of contracting authority by a warranted contracting officer that legally binds commercial entities to perform contractual requirements in support of DoD operational requirements.

Contractor management. The oversight and integration of contractor personnel and associated equipment providing support to military operations.

Contractor personnel. Any individual, employed by a firm, corporation, partnership, or association, employed under contract with the DoD to furnish services, supplies, or construction. Contractor personnel may include U.S. citizens and host nation and third country national (TCN) individuals.

Contractor personnel accountability. The process of identifying, capturing, and recording the personally identifiable information and assigned permanent duty location of an individual contractor employee through the use of a designated database.

Contractor personnel visibility. Information on the daily location, movement, status, and identity of contractor personnel.

Contractors Authorized to Accompany the Force (CAAF). Contractor personnel and all tiers of subcontractor personnel authorized to accompany U.S. Armed Forces in applicable operations outside of the United States who have been afforded this status through the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA). CAAF generally include all U.S. citizen and TCN employees not normally residing within the operational area whose area of performance is in the direct vicinity of the U.S. Armed Forces and who are routinely co-located with the U.S. Armed Forces. In some cases, CCDR subordinate commanders may designate mission-essential host nation (HN) or local national (LN) contractor personnel (e.g., interpreters) as CAAF. CAAF includes contractor personnel previously identified as contractors deploying with the force. CAAF status does not apply to contractor personnel within U.S. territory working in support of contingency operations outside the United States.

Defense contractor. Any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, or other legal non-Federal entity that enters into a contract directly with the DoD to furnish services, supplies, or construction.

DoD Components. Includes the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Military Departments, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands (CCMDs), the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, and the DoD Field Activities.

Essential contractor service. A service provided by a firm or an individual under contract to the DoD to support mission-essential functions, such as support of vital systems, including ships owned, leased, or operated in support of military missions or roles at sea; associated support activities, including installation, garrison, and base support services; and similar services provided to foreign military sales customers under the Security Assistance Program. Services are essential if the effectiveness of defense systems or operations has the potential to be seriously impaired by the interruption of these services, as determined by the appropriate functional commander or civilian equivalent.

Expeditionary Contract Administration (ECA). Contract administration conducted during joint or other expeditionary operations. Formerly known as the Contingency Contract Administrative Services or CCAS.

Expeditionary operations. Activities organized to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country.

External support contracts. Contracts awarded by contracting organizations whose contracting authority does not derive directly from the theater support contracting head(s) of contracting activity or from systems support contracting authorities.

Host nation (HN). A nation that permits, either in writing or through other official provision of consent, government representatives or agencies and/or agencies of another nation to operate, under specified conditions, within its territory.

Hostile environment. Operational environment in which local government forces, whether opposed to or receptive to operations that a unit intends to conduct, do not have control of the territory and population in the intended operational area.

Isolated personnel. U.S. military, DoD civilians, and contractor personnel (and others designated by the President or Secretary of Defense) who are unaccounted for as an individual or a group while supporting an applicable operation and are, or may be, in a situation where they must survive, evade, resist, or escape.

Law of war. The treaties and customary international law binding on the United States that regulate: the resort to armed force; the conduct of hostilities and the protection of war victims in international and non-international armed conflict; belligerent occupation; and the relationships between belligerent, neutral, and non-belligerent States. Sometimes also called the “law of armed conflict” or “international humanitarian law,” the law of war is specifically intended to address the circumstances of armed conflict. Consult the DoD Law of War Manual (available at https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/DoD%20Law%20of%20War%20Manual%20-%20June%202015%20Updated%20Dec%202016.pdf?ver=2016-12-13-172036-190) for an authoritative statement on the law of war.

Letter of authorization (LOA). A document issued by a contracting officer or his or her designee that authorizes contractor personnel to accompany the force to travel to, from, and within an operational area, and outlines U.S. Government authorized support authorizations within the operational area, as agreed to under the terms and conditions of the contract. For more information, see 48 CFR subpart 225.3.

Local national (LN). An individual who is a permanent resident of the nation in which the United States is conducting operations.

Long-term care. A variety of services that help a person with comfort, personal, or wellness needs. These services assist in the activities of daily living, including such things as bathing and dressing. Sometimes known as custodial care.

Mission-essential functions. Those organizational activities that must be performed under all circumstances to achieve DoD component missions or responsibilities, as determined by the appropriate functional commander or civilian equivalent. Failure to perform or sustain these functions would significantly affect the DoD’s ability to provide vital services or exercise authority, direction, and control.

Non-CAAF. Personnel who are not designated as CAAF, such as LN employees and non-LN employees who are permanent residents in the operational area or TCNs not routinely residing with the U.S. Armed Forces (and TCN expatriates who are permanent residents in the operational area), who perform support functions away from the close proximity of, and do not reside with, the U.S. Armed Forces. U.S. Government-furnished support to non-CAAF is typically limited to force protection, emergency medical care, and basic human needs (e.g., bottled water, latrine facilities, security, and food when necessary) when performing their jobs in the direct vicinity of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Operational area. An overarching term encompassing more descriptive terms (such as area of responsibility and joint operations area) for geographic areas where military operations are conducted.

Operational contract support (OCS). The ability to orchestrate and synchronize the provision of integrated contract support and management of contractor personnel providing support to command-directed operations within a designated operational area.

Operationally critical support. A critical source of supply for airlift, sealift, intermodal transportation services, or logistical support that is essential to the mobilization, deployment, or sustainment of the U.S. Armed Forces in applicable operations.

Prime contractor. Any supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that has entered into a contract with the United States government.

Replacement centers. Centers at selected installations that ensure necessary accountability, training, and processing actions are taken to prepare personnel for onward movement and deployment to a designated operational area.

Requiring activity. A military or other designated supported organization that identifies the need for and receives contracted support to meet mission requirements during military operations.

Subcontractor. Any supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that furnishes supplies or services to or for a prime contractor or another subcontractor.

Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker-Enterprise Suite (SPOT-ES). A common joint database used to maintain contractor personnel visibility and accountability in applicable operations. References to SPOT-ES in this part will refer to that system or any database system that supersedes it.

Systems support contract. Contracts awarded by Military Service acquisition program management offices that provide fielding support, technical support, maintenance support, and, in some cases, repair parts support, for selected military weapon and support systems.

Theater business clearance. A CCDR policy or process to ensure visibility of and control over systems support and external support contracts executing or delivering support in designated areas of operations.

Theater support contract. A type of contract awarded by contracting officers deployed to an operational area serving under the direct contracting authority of the Military Service component, special operations force command, or designated joint contracting authority for the designated operation.

Total force. The organizations, units, and individuals that comprise the DoD resources for implementing the National Security Strategy. It includes DoD Active and Reserve Component military personnel, military retired members, DoD civilian personnel (including foreign national direct- and indirect-hires, as well as nonappropriated fund employees), contractor personnel, and host-nation support personnel. (For source information, see paragraph (a) of appendix A to this part.)

Uncertain environment. Operational environment in which host government forces, whether opposed to or receptive to operations that a unit intends to conduct, do not have totally effective control of the territory and population in the intended operational area.