; and (C) the development and application of appropriate readiness standards and metrics to measure and report on the overall capability, capacity, utilization, and readiness of digital engineering forces to develop and deliver operational capabilities and employ modern business practices. (2) Digital engineering For purposes of this section, digital engineering is the discipline and set of skills involved in the creation, processing, transmission, integration, and storage of digital data. (c) Responsibility (1) In general The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall be responsible for the development and discharge of the policy set forth in subsection (a), and shall carry out such responsibility through an officer or employee of the Department of Defense assigned by the Under Secretary for that purpose. (2) Designation The individual assigned pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be known as the Chief Digital Engineering Recruitment and Management Officer of the Department of Defense (in this section referred to as the Officer ). (3) Duration of position The requirement for the Officer under paragraph (1) shall expire on September 30, 2029. (d) Duties In developing and providing for the discharge of the policy set forth in subsection (a), the Officer shall, in close consultation with the Assistant Secretaries of the military department for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, do the following: (1) Develop for, and enhance within, the recruitment programs of the Armed Force various core initiatives, programs, activities, and mechanisms, tailored to the unique needs of each Armed Force, to identify and recruit to the Armed Forces individuals with demonstrated aptitude, interest, proficient expertise, or a combination thereof in digital engineering particularly, and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) generally, including initiatives, programs, activities, and mechanisms to target populations of individuals not typically aware of opportunities in the Armed Forces for a digital