MIL-HDBK-61, MILITARY HANDBOOK CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE (30 SEP 1997)., This military handbook provides guidance and information to DoD acquisition managers, logistics managers, and other individuals assigned responsibility for Configuration Management. Its purpose is to assist them in planning for and implementing effective DoD configuration management activities and practices during all life cycle phases of defense systems and configuration items. It supports acquisition based on performance specifications, and the use of industry standards and methods to the greatest practicable extent. MIL-STD-973, which previously governed DoD configuration management procedures, is being phased out. This handbook is closely related to MIL-STD-2549, ”Configuration Management Data Interface,” the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) Standard 649, “National Consensus Standard for Configuration Management,” and EIA Standard 632, “Processes for Engineering a System.”