NCMNPS public events and activities, 2019-2020

Public events and activities of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service in 2019 and 2020, released in response to my FOIA requests

• General information and background about the NCMNPS
• My FOIA requests to the NCMNPS and responses other than records of specific meetings
• Public comments submitted to the NCMNPS (including comments not posted or counted by the NCMNPS)
• Records of NCMNPS events and activities in 2017 and 2018 released by the NCMNPS
• Records of NCMNPS events and activities in 2019 and 2020 released by the NCMNPS
• NCMNPS records released by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) after the expiration of the NCMNPS
• Deliberations and decisions of the NCMNPS (records of closed-door meetings released in response to my FOIA requests)
• Other articles and commentary about the NCMNPS

For convenience, I have organized the records linked below for 2019-2020 and on the additional page for records of events and activities in 2017-2018 by meeting and date, bringing together information about each meeting from all available sources. The links below include records released in response to my FOIA requests; copies of testimony and written statements obtained at NCMNPS public events; independent reports, analysis and commentary on these events; and records that have been identified as responsive to my FOIA request, but were not released before the NCMNPS disbanded in September 2020. The Commission posted some of its records on its own site, and others on various other sites including Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Eventbrite. Other records including most of those listed below have only been disclosed in response to my FOIA request and are only available here. I’ve tried to link to the best available copy of each item. Note that many announcements made at the time only to selected invitees have been posted by the NCMNPS on its Web site in response to my FOIA request, months after the fact but with false and misleading backdated posting dates, so as to imply that the Commision had been more transparent at the time about its activities and plans than was actually the case. And in some of the copies of press releases that were disclosed to me, the Commission redacted the names and contact information of its “public” spokespeople! The “minutes” linked below are sanitized “public minutes” prepared by NCMNPS staff in repsonse to my FOIA requests. The original “internal” minutes that include notes on the deliberations and decsions of the NCMNPS were withheld in their entirety by the NCMNPS, and released only after the NCMNPS was disbanded and its records were transferred to the National Archives.

• 2019 “Pre-commission Meeting”, date(s) as yet undisclosed
  
  • Emails to Commissioners (x10) (pending FOIA processing)
  • Calendar for 2019 (pending FOIA processing)
    
• January 2019 closed meetings of NCMNPS and release of interim report
  • Pre-commission Meeting Emails to Commissioners (x10) (pending FOIA processing)
  • Calendar for 2019 (pending FOIA processing)
  • January 2019 minutes (including list of meetings with non-governmental organizations following release of interim report)
  • Interim Report, January 2019: “A Report to the American People, the Congress, and the President”
  • C-SPAN video archive of launch event for interim report: part 1, part 2
  • “Should women be required to register for the draft? Commission likely to recommend big changes” (by Gregory Korte, USA Today, 23 January 2019)
  • Interim Report of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service (by Edward Hasbrouck, 23 January 2019)
  • “We’re One Year In? What’s Next?” (press release by the NCMNPS posted on Medium, 5 November 2018)
  • Federal Register notice of 2019 schedule of formal hearings
  • Agenda
  • Interim Report Run of Show (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Internal minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Staff Facebook (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Mock Hearing Agenda (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Briefing memo - Think Tanks
  • Briefing memo - Advocacy Groups
  • Briefing memo - Education
  • Briefing memo - VSO & MSO
  • Briefing memo - National Service
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Research Materials (x4) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • IR Talking Points (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • IR ppt
• 20-21 February 2019: formal public hearings on “Universal Service” (American University, Washington College of Law, Claudio Grossman Hall, 4300 Nebraska Ave., NW, Washington, DC) and adidtional conference call closed meetings:
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • February 2019 minutes
  • Internal minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Feb. 20 - Service Year Alliance Coalition call Talking Points (pending FOIA processing)
  • Feb. 21, 9 a.m.-noon: “Inspiring Universal Service Across America”
  • Feb. 21, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.: “Should Service Be Mandatory?”
  • Staff memo on issues and policy options to be discussed
  • Hearing info and links to witnesses’ prepared statements:
    
    • Testimony of Doug Bandow
    • Testimony of Lucy Steigerwald
  • Archived C-SPAN video
  • Pre-decisional and deliberative Research Materials (x4) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Direction and Parking Instructions
  • Public Hearing Run of Show
  • Staff Memo on Universal Service
  • Program for Panel 1
  • Questions for Panel 1 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing Samples for Panel 1
  • Program for Panel 2
  • Questions for Panel 2 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing Samples for Panel 2
• 28 February 2019 and 4 April 2019: Wisconsin High School Students Conversation
  • Briefing memo for February (pending FOIA processing)
  • Talking points for February (pending FOIA processing)
  • Briefing memo for April (pending FOIA processing)
• Thursday, 28 March 2019: formal hearing on “National Service” (Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX) and additonal closed meetings
  
  • March 2019 minutes
  • 9 a.m.-noon: Improving Current National Service Policies and Processes
  • 1-4 p.m.: Creating More National Service Opportunities
  • Agenda
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Research Materials (x7) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Future Planning Records (x4) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • April Panelist and Potential Panelist Biographies
  • May Panelist and Potential Panelist Biographies
  • June Panelist and Potential Panelist Biographies
  • Hotel and Dining Information
  • Public Hearing Marketing Toolkit
  • Briefing memo - Bush School Reception (pending FOIA processing)
  • Briefing memo - Texas A&M Student Affairs Reception (pending FOIA processing)
  • Public Hearing Run of Show
  • Staff Memo on National Service
  • Program for Panel 1
  • Questions for Panel 1 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Biographies for Panel 1
  • Writing Samples for Panel 1
  • Program for Panel 2
  • Questions for Panel 2 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Biographies for Panel 2
  • Writing Samples for Panel 2
• 23-25 April 2019: formal hearings on “Selective Service” (Gallaudet University, Peikoff Alumni House, 800 Florida Ave. NE, Washington, DC) and additional closed meetings
  • April 2019 minutes
  • Tuesday, April 23 - Roundtable conversation with unions, Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
  • Wednesday, 24 April, 9 a.m.-noon: Future Mobilization Needs of the Nation
  • Wednesday, 24 April, 1-4 p.m.: How to Meet Potential National Mobilization Needs
    • Former Director of Selective Service says it’s time to end draft registration
    • Written testimony of Dr. Bernard Rostker
  • Staff Memo: Readiness of Selective Service and Structure of a Future National Mobilization
  • Thursday, 25 April, 9 a.m.-noon: Should Registration be Expanded to All Americans? - Arguments against expansion
    • Written statement by Edward Hasbrouck
    • Additional information and links about this hearing including video archives and transcript
  • Thursday, 25 April, 1-4 p.m.: Should Registration be Expanded to All Americans? - Arguments for expansion
  • Staff Memo: Expanding Selective Service Registration to All Americans
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • OGC Training on Anti-Lobbying & Hatch Act (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Research Materials (x4) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Future Planning Records (x2) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Briefing memo - Meeting with Gen. McChrystal (pending FOIA processing)
  • Public Hearing Run of Show Day 1
  • Staff Memo - Readiness of Selective Service
  • Program for Panel 1, Day 1
  • Questions for Panel 1, Day 1 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Day 1, Panel 1 - writing samples (x5):
    • Stewart: Advance Policy Questions for Nominee
    • Polowczyk: Joijnt Mobilization Planning
    • Schulman: Observations on Global Military Posture
    • Byrne: NORAD and USNORTHCOM Command Narrative
    • Kania: Strategic Innovation and Great Power Competition
  • Program for Panel 2, Day 1
  • Questions for Panel 2, Day 1 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Day 1, Panel 2 - writing samples (x5):
    • Benton: Selective Service System Annual Report 2018
    • Evans: The Operational Environment and the Changing Character of Future Warfare
    • Singh: Reserve Forces Policy Board
    • Schneider: Blue Hair in the Gray Zone
    • Rostker: What to Do with the Selective Service System?
  • Public Hearing Run of Show Day 2
  • Staff Memo - Expanding Selective Service
  • Program for Panel 1, Day 2
  • Questions for Panel 1, Day 2 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Day 2, Panel 1 - writing samples (x5):
    • Coppenger: You Asked: Should Women Be Military Chaplains?
    • Eden: Advocates for Women in Combat Value Diversity over Victory
    • Hasbrouck: Dump draft registration, don’t extend it to women
    • McGuire: Sex, Be Not Proud
    • Randall: The World We Seek
  • Program for Panel 2, Day 2
  • Questions for Panel 2, Day 2 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Day 2, Panel 2 - writing samples (x5):
    • Darpino: Statement of the Response Systems Panel
    • Dempsey: Passing the Baton
    • Hasday: Fighting Women: The Military, Sex, and Extrajudicial Constitutional Change
    • Svensson: Future Options for Swedish Security Policy
    • Van Dam: Women in Combat Arms: Brass Tacks on Physicality
  • SSS Hearing Flyers
  • Media Toolkit SSS Hearings
• 30 April 2019: South Knoxville Elementary School Advisory Group, Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
  
• 9 May 2019: Roundtable Conversation with Opportunity Youth United, Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
• Wednesday-Thursday, 15-16 May 2019: formal hearings on “Public Service & Military Service” (Partnership for Public Service, Washington, DC) and additional closed meetings
  • May 2019 minutes
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Public Hearing Run of Show Day 1
  • Staff Memo - Public Service
  • Program for Day 1, Panel 1
  • Questions for Day 1, Panel 1 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing Samples for Day 1, Panel 1 (x4):
    • Bryant
    • Hunt
    • Simon
    • Stier
  • Program for Day 1, Panel 2
  • Questions for Day 1, Panel 2 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing Samples for Day 1, Panel 2 (x4):
    • Gerton
    • Hartwig
    • Hoadley
    • Klement
  • Public Hearing Run of Show Day 2
  • Staff Memo - Military Service
  • Program for Day 2, Panel 1
  • Questions for Day 2, Panel 1 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing Samples for Day 2, panel 1 (x5):
    • Camarillo
    • Chu
    • Hamilton
    • Kidder
    • Shah
  • Program for Day 2, Panel 2
  • Questions for Day 2, Panel 2 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing Samples for Day 2, panel 2 (x5):
    • Chivers
    • Cohn
    • Gonzales
    • Hicks
    • Kurta
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Research Materials (x3) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Future Planning Records (x4) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Public Service Media Toolkit
  • Military Service Media Toolkit
  • Public Service Hearing Flyer
  • Military Service Hearing Flyer
• 20 May 2019: Boys and Girls Club Steering Committee, Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
  
• 4 June 2019: National Youth Leadership Council
  
  • Briefing memo - Mayors Office (pending FOIA processing)
  • Briefing memo - NYLC (pending FOIA processing)
  • Notes - NYLC (pending FOIA processing)
• Thursday, 20 June 2019: forrmal hearing on “Creating an Expectation of Service” (FDR Presidential Library, Hyde Park, NY) and additional closed meetings
  
  • June 2019 minutes
  • Statement from the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisioanl Research Materials (x4) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisioanl Future Planning Records (x4) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Public Hearing Run of Show
  • Staff Memo - civic education
  • Program for Panel 1
  • Questions for Panel 1 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing samples for Panel 1 (x4):
    • Black
    • Hsiao
    • Kawashima-Ginsberg
    • Singh
    • Susso
  • Program for Panel 2
  • Staff Memo - An Infrastructure to Serve America
  • Questions for Panel 2 (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Writing Samples for Panel 2 (x5):
    • Durham (missing from released files)
    • Ho
    • Stoneman
    • Train
    • Wood
  • Social Media Toolkit
  • Public Hearing Flyer
• Monday-Friday, 15-19 July 2019 - closed deliberative meeting; line item “VOTE-A-RAMA” to decide on NCMNPS final recommendations
  • E-mail message re: dates of “VOTE-A-RAMA” meetings
  • E-mail message re: voting procedures and issued to be voted on (redacted)
  • Schedule (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Research Materials (x50) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
    
• Wednesday-Friday, 18-20 September 2019 - closed deliberative meetings
  • September 2019 minutes
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Draft Report Language (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Future Planning Records (x2) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Research Materials (x8) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • 18 September - CNCS 25th Anniversary Event/ Reception, Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
  • 18 September - Meeting with McCain Institute, Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
• 16-17 October 2019 - closed deliberative meeting
  • October 2019 minutes
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Draft Report Language (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Future Planning Record (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • October 16 - 2019: Service to America Medals (Sammies) gala
    • Press Release
    • Media Advisory
    • Social Media Toolkit
    • Key Individuals
    • Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
• 13 November 2019: conference call with anti-draft and anti-war organizations and activists
  • Briefing memo (pending FOIA processing)
  • Written statements from participants:
    • Center on Conscience and War (Bill Galvin)
    • Faith-based Organizations (including National Council of Churches and Center on Conscience and War)
    • CodePink (Rivera Sun)
    • Courage to Resist (Jeff Paterson)
    • Resisters.info (Edward Hasbrouck)
    • Truth in Recruitment (Arianna Standish)
    • War Resisters League (Matt Meyer)
    • International Peace Research Association (Matt Meyer)
  • Statements from other organizations:
    • National Coalition to Protect Student Privacy
    • NoDraft.org (Paul Jacob)
    • Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild
    • World BEYOND War
    • Anabaptist Churches
    • Mennonite Brethren Church
  • Follow-up submissions with legislative recommendations:
    • Letter from Rep. Peter DeFazio re: H.R. 5492 (20 December 2019)
    • Letter from Edward Hasbrouck re: H.R. 5492 (23 December 2019)
    • Letter from the Center on Conscience and War re: H.R. 5492 (27 December 2019)
• 14-15 November 2019 — closed deliberative meeting
  • November 2019 minutes
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Draft Report Language (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Future Planning Records (x2) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
• 17 January 2020 — closed deliberative meeting
  • January 2020 minutes
  • Agenda (pending FOIA processing)
  • Internal Minutes (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Draft Report Language (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
  • Deliberative and Predecisional Future Planning Records (x12) (withheld - FOIA Exemption 5)
• 20-21 February 2020 — closed deliberative meeting
  
  • February 2020 minutes
• 19 March 2020 — Deadline set by Congress for release to the President, Congress, and the public of the NCMNPS final report and legislative recommendations (deadline ignored by the NCMNPS
• 23 March 2020 — NCMNPS staff brief the Pentagon on report and recommendations
• 24 March 2020 — NCMNPS briefs key members of Congress on report and recommendations
• 25 March 2020 — NCMNPS final report and legislative recommendations released to the public:
  • Links to report (PDF and HTML) and legislative recommendations
  • Summary and excerpts of recommendations related to the Selective Service System and military conscription
  • National Commission recommends extending draft registration to women
  • Statement from antidraft organizations
  • Telephone briefing of invited journalists by members of the NCMNPS and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL)
  • NCMNPS video on Youtube summarizing report and recommendations
• 23-26 March 2020 — closed and invitation-only meetings including with members of Congress and other selected stakeholders
  
  • March 2020 minutes
  • Schedule of invitation-only closed-door meetings with members of Congress and other selected stakeholders
• Postponed, new date to be determined — Senate Armed Service Committtee, Subcommitteee on Personnel, hearing on NCMNPS recommendations (originally scheduled for 31 March 2020; note that only members of the NCMNPS were invited to testify
• 25 June 2020 — Online event in Washington, DC, to promote the NCMNPS recommendations (originally scheduled for 26 March 2020)
• 10 September 2020 (CANCELLED) — Planned final NCMNPS meeting and farewell dinner with staff and Commissioners
  
  • E-mail message from NCMNPS Chair re: cancellation of planned final meeting
    
• 20 September 2020 — NCMNPS dissolved on expiration of legislative charter as temporary agency