the purpose of the ECHO program is to provide supplemental services to dependents with special needs, a 2014 study conducted by the Manpower Data Center of the Department of Defense found that only 37 percent of military families that have a child with special needs were aware of the program. (8) The Conference Report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 stated that “expanding support for families with special needs is a critical requirement for the all-volunteer force.”. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that military families deserve— (1) equitable access to critical services that minimize the debilitating effects of a disabling condition