(a) Joint Matters.—(1) In this chapter, the term “joint matters” means matters related to any of the following:

(A) The development or achievement of strategic objectives through the synchronization, coordination, and organization of integrated forces in operations conducted across domains, such as land, sea, or air, in space, or in the information environment, including matters relating to any of the following:

(i) National military strategy.

(ii) Strategic planning and contingency planning.

(iii) Command and control, intelligence, fires, movement and maneuver, protection or sustainment of operations under unified command.

(iv) National security planning with other departments and agencies of the United States.

(v) Combined operations with military forces of allied nations.

(B) Acquisition matters conducted by members of the armed forces and covered under chapter 87 of this title involved in developing, testing, contracting, producing, or fielding of multi-service programs or systems.

(C) Other matters designated in regulation by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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(2) In the context of joint matters, the term “integrated forces” refers to military forces that are involved in achieving unified action with participants from—

(A) more than one military department; or

(B) a military department and one or more of the following:

(i) Other departments and agencies of the United States.

(ii) The military forces or agencies of other countries.

(iii) Non-governmental persons or entities.

(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—

(i) the preponderance of the duties of the officer involve joint matters and

(ii) the officer gains significant experience in joint matters; and

(B) shall exclude student assignments for joint training and education.

(2) The Secretary shall publish a joint duty assignment list showing—

(A) the positions that are joint duty assignment positions under such regulation and the number of such positions and, of those positions, those that are positions held by general or flag officers and the number of such positions; and

(B) of the positions listed under subparagraph (A), those that are critical joint duty assignment positions and the number of such positions and, of those positions, those that are positions held by general or flag officers and the number of such positions.

(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.