Executive Order on Providing an Order of Succession within the Department of Defense

whitehouse.gov ^ | December 10, 2020 | President Donald J Trump

[ransomnote]

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Order of Succession. (a) Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this order, the following officials of the Department of Defense, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) during any period in which the Secretary has died, resigned, or otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of the Secretary, until such time as the Secretary is able to perform the functions and duties of that office:

(i) Deputy Secretary of Defense;

(ii) Secretaries of the Military Departments;

(iii) Under Secretary of Defense for Policy;

(iv) Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security;

(v) Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense;

(vi) Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment;

(vii) Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering;

(viii) Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller);

(ix) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness;

(x) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy;

(xi) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security;

(xii) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment;

(xiii) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering;

(xiv) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller);

(xv) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness;

(xvi) General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Assistant Secretaries of Defense, Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense;

(xvii) Under Secretaries of the Military Departments; and

(xviii) Assistant Secretaries of the Military Departments and General Counsels of the Military Departments.

(b) Precedence among officers designated within the same paragraph of subsection (a) of this section shall be determined by the order in which they have been appointed to such office. Where officers designated within the same paragraph of subsection (a) of this section have the same appointment date, precedence shall be determined by the order in which they have taken the oath to serve in that office.

Sec. 2. Exceptions. (a) No individual who is serving in an office listed in section 1(a) of this order in an acting capacity, by virtue of so serving, shall act as Secretary pursuant to this order.

(b) No individual listed in section l(a) of this order shall act as Secretary unless that individual was appointed to an office for which appointment is required to be made by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and that individual is otherwise eligible to so serve under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as amended.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this order, the President retains discretion, to the extent permitted by law, to depart from this order in designating an Acting Secretary.

Sec. 3. Revocation. Executive Order 13533 of March 1, 2010 (Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense), is hereby revoked.

Sec. 4. General Provision. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 10, 2020.

[marktwain]

In my one short time at the Pentagon, I saw full Bird Colonels making coffee.

I was a lieutenant. I think I was the only one in the Pentagon I saw, the whole time I was there...

[thecodont]

What meaneth this?

[mlitefan]

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-providing-order-succession-within-department-defense

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Good thinking. Some crazy shit is going down.

[iontheball]

Up above is a post to an article that OPM has also published an order of succession. There must be something prompting this at this time. Obviously the succession issue has always been and issue, but for some reason it has suddenly become relevant.

[Getready]

They might even be better.

[OldGoatCPO]

I had a friend get TAD orders to the Pentagon to work for Gates. Some special project. He was the lowest ranking officer on that project, but he had the most experience. He was a Navy LT. I joked he must have been the piss boy (See History of the World Part 1) and he said no they had a Commander for that position.😂

I was asked to attend a USMC Conference at HQMC PP&O. I was an E-7, the lowest rank there. But I was the Navy subject matter expert for that conference. I damn near laughed out loud when a Marine LtCol went around and asked for everyone's coffee requests. To be fair, he was responsible for hosting the conference. But, had I been the host, I would have asked a Petty Officer to volunteer to handle refreshments and then give him a 72 hour liberty, (weekend of his choice) and Letter of Appreciation. I would have had a lot of volunteers.

[marktwain]

I was at the Pentagon for a couple of weeks, in the individual ready reserve, for a technical assignment as a Meteorologist, as an Army 1st Lt. (O2)

[mabarker1]

HMMMMMMMM, makes you wonder PING

[TigersEye]

That’s a good answer to a good question.

Everybody is looking at this and thinking “wow!, that’s a big succession list” when it might actually be shorter than the previous list.

[House Atreides]

“What kind of crazy crapolla is this?”
********************************
Actually, this is routine. These are updated periodically. Usually the actual changes are minimal.

[caww]

Not sure...how often is this done? yearly, end of year? I don't see anything other than likely this is routine.

[usnavy_cop_retired]

This is called “placing Biden” in a box. Until his nominees are successfully voted on in the Senate and sworn in, PDJT’s people will run the “shops”. They can, and will, slow down any changes Pedo Joe wants to make. If the Republicans maintain the Senate then it may take months for Pedo Joe to get his people in place and make the changes. This is also in anticipation that Pedo Joe will fire, on day one, all of PDJT’s secretaries, making it essential to have line of succession spelled out. Pedo Joe could just issue another EO changing PDJT’s EO’s but there will be a lot of major pushback, including potential lawsuits.

[meadsjn]

Sec. 3. Revocation. Executive Order 13533 of March 1, 2010 (Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense), is hereby revoked.

2010? Whatever it was, it probably was a really bad thing for the USA.

[OldGoatCPO]

I had a fellow Chief who had been my LPO (Lead Petty Officer) do tour at the Pentagon. She used call to tell me stories about the expert level of butt kissing that was going on. She also told me a few stories out of school about how close a working relationship many of the male Officers at the Pentagon had after hours. (During DADT) A few were surprising. Only thing worse then watching JOs kissing some Admirals ring was working with DC Pentagon Swamp Rat Marine Officers fast tracking it to General. Most arrogant self loving pricks I ever met. During the war, it was amazing, I worked with some very interesting senior people in the DOD. The war ended, the majority of lions left the pride and the remaining pricks may have been lions once but the quickly devolved into swamp rats or lambs.

[delta7]

See my post, number 17.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3914273/posts
...maybe a coincidence , Office of Military Commisions has scrubbed the next 90 days of scheduled cases and hearings at Gitmo...making “room”? No idea, but this latest announcement may be tied to the national security implications of the current voter fraud in the Presidential race. Our traitorous FBI and CIA are “ out”, DOD in.
.... watch carefully ANY more DOD announcements.

[delta7]

Sorry, post 15. Something clearly is happening quickly at our DOD. Go Trump.

[OldGoatCPO]

Those appointed by the President will normally leave when his term ends. When Obama was elected some really great men and women simply resigned and moved on. It had to hurt because they had all but managed the war time military. If you are appointed the president can relieve you on day one. Some are career bureaucrats, they are not so easily pushed aside. There are rules that have to be followed and that takes time.

[delta7]

This is NOT routine. It is absolutely necessary, time critical IF the DOD has all the goods. My “uninformed” guess is Trump has the goods, as does the CIA and FBI, but only the DOD will take action on it. In other words, President Trump has “ Trumped” the dirty corrupted FBI and CIA.

[xone]

I would have asked a Petty Officer to volunteer to handle refreshments and then give him a 72 hour liberty, (weekend of his choice) and Letter of Appreciation.

Excellent leadership. Easy to get volunteers when they know you'll take care of them.