Department of Defense
Orders where directed actors are tied to Department of Defense · 31 in Reagan · 690 all terms.
Roles directed
Orders
31 shown · Reagan
Implementing the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and Related International Trade Matters
This executive order delegates presidential authorities under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to various cabinet officials and agencies, establishes sanctions against Toshiba and Kongsberg for illegal technology transfers, creates an Interagency Group on Countertrade and a National Commission on Superconductivity, and mandates a report on semiconductors, fiber optics, and superconducting materials for the FY1990 budget.
National Microgravity Research Board
This executive order establishes the National Microgravity Research Board, chaired by the NASA Administrator with members from multiple cabinet departments and agencies, to coordinate and stimulate microgravity research across government, academia, and industry. The Board is tasked with developing policy recommendations, advising on research priorities, and promoting commercial applications of microgravity science, with automatic termination after 5 years unless extended.
Assignment of emergency preparedness responsibilities
This executive order assigns comprehensive emergency preparedness responsibilities across all federal departments and agencies for national security emergencies, including nuclear attack, natural disasters, and technological emergencies. It establishes the National Security Council as the principal policy forum, designates FEMA's Director as NSC advisor, and details specific lead and support roles for each Cabinet department in areas such as continuity of government, resource management, agriculture, energy, health services, and defense production.
Delegating authority to provide assistance for the Nicaraguan Resistance
This executive order delegates presidential authorities to executive branch officials regarding the transfer of unobligated defense funds to support the Nicaraguan Resistance (Contras). It authorizes the Secretary of Defense to designate and transfer funds, in consultation with USAID's Administrator, and gives OMB's Director authority to approve personnel details to USAID.
Designation of the Secretary of Defense as the Presidential designee Under Title I of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
This executive order designates the Secretary of Defense as the "Presidential designee" responsible for implementing Title I of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, which concerns absentee voting rights for military personnel and overseas citizens. The order also authorizes the Secretary to delegate these functions to other Department of Defense personnel.
The President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities
This executive order establishes the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, replacing a 1969 predecessor committee. It creates a three-tier advisory structure (Committee, Executive Committee, and Advisory Council) to advise the President on maximizing employment opportunities for people with physical disabilities, mental retardation, and mental illness.
National Defense Stockpile Manager
This executive order designates the Secretary of Defense as National Defense Stockpile Manager and delegates presidential authority over strategic and critical materials stockpiling to the Secretary of Defense, with limited exceptions delegated to the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture. It also transfers related functions from the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and Federal Property and Administrative Services Act to the Secretary of Defense.
Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Officer Promotions
This executive order delegates presidential authority to approve, modify, or disapprove Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve officer promotion selection board reports from the President to the Secretary of Defense, with authority to further redelegate. It explicitly preserves presidential authority to remove names from selection board reports and ratifies prior actions taken under this delegated framework.
Coordination of economic policies for Sub-Saharan Africa
This 1987 executive order creates an interagency Coordinating Committee for Sub-Saharan Africa, chaired by USAID and co-chaired by Treasury, to align U.S. economic programs and policies toward ending hunger in the region through economic growth, policy reform, and private sector development. The Committee coordinates aid, food assistance, business outreach, and a unified congressional budget justification, while State and Treasury jointly submit an annual report to the President on regional progress.
Facilitating access to science and technology
This executive order directs federal agencies to accelerate technology transfer from government laboratories to universities and private industry, particularly small businesses. It establishes cooperative research agreements, royalty-sharing for inventors, a Technology Share Program for consortia, scientist exchange programs, and international technology cooperation guidelines, while requiring reports on progress within one year.
National Drug Policy Board
This executive order establishes the National Drug Policy Board, chaired by the Attorney General with the Secretary of Health and Human Services as Vice Chairman, to coordinate all federal drug abuse policy functions across executive departments. It creates two coordinating groups for enforcement and prevention/health, and consolidates duties previously held by the National Drug Enforcement Policy Board.
Superfund Implementation
This executive order delegates presidential authorities under the Superfund law (CERCLA and SARA) to specific federal agencies, establishing the National Response Team structure with EPA and Coast Guard leadership, and assigning responsibilities for hazardous waste cleanup, enforcement, liability, litigation, and Superfund budget management across the executive branch.
Implementation of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act
This executive order delegates implementation of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 across multiple federal agencies, assigning specific sections of the law to the Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, Defense, Transportation, the U.S. Trade Representative, and USAID. It also establishes an Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on South Africa chaired by the Secretary of State to ensure coordinated policy implementation.
Management of the Compact of Free Association With the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau
This executive order establishes the U.S. government structure for managing relations with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau under the Compact of Free Association. It assigns primary diplomatic responsibility to the Secretary of State, economic and financial assistance coordination to the Secretary of the Interior, creates an Interagency Group and Office of Freely Associated State Affairs, and delegates specific congressional reporting and oversight authorities.
Employment opportunities for military spouses at nonappropriated fund activities
This executive order delegates presidential authority to Defense Department officials to give hiring preference to military spouses for lower-wage positions at nonappropriated fund activities (morale, welfare, and recreation facilities) located near their service member's duty station.
Safety belt use requirements for Federal employees
This executive order mandates that all Federal employees in front seats of government vehicles on official business must wear safety belts when the vehicle is in motion. It requires Executive branch agencies to adopt rules, conduct education programs, and report annually on compliance, while encouraging Legislative and Judicial branches to adopt similar programs.
Mailing privileges of members of Armed Forces of the United States and of friendly foreign nations
This executive order delegates the President's authority to designate areas where U.S. and friendly foreign military personnel receive free mailing privileges to the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary must consult with the Secretary of State, USPS, and other agencies as appropriate when making such designations.
Management Reform in the Federal Government
This executive order creates the President's Council on Management Improvement, an interagency body chaired by OMB's Deputy Director to develop and oversee government-wide management reforms, formulate long-range plans, identify cross-cutting agency improvements, and resolve interagency management problems. The Council includes senior administration officials from 22 agencies and offices but is explicitly prohibited from interfering with existing lines of authority.
Courts-Martial Manual, United States, 1984
This executive order prescribes a new Manual for Courts-Martial to govern military justice proceedings, effective August 1, 1984, replacing the 1969 revised edition. It includes extensive transitional provisions to protect pending cases and limit retroactive application of harsher punishments.
Assignment of national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications functions
This executive order establishes the National Communications System (NCS) to coordinate federal national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications. It assigns specific responsibilities to the Secretary of Defense as Executive Agent, creates a Committee of Principals from key federal agencies, and designates roles for the National Security Council, OSTP, OMB, and other departments in wartime and non-wartime emergency communications planning.
Commercial expendable launch vehicle activities
This executive order designates the Department of Transportation as the lead federal agency for promoting commercial expendable launch vehicle (ELV) operations by private U.S. companies. It establishes an interagency group to coordinate efforts and directs all federal agencies to streamline regulations and expedite licensing for private space launches.
Exercise of Authority Under Section 218 of Title 18, United States Code
This executive order delegates presidential authority under 18 U.S.C. § 218 to agency heads, allowing them to void contracts and benefits obtained through bribery, graft, or conflicts of interest after a final criminal conviction. It requires Defense, GSA, and NASA to jointly issue government-wide regulations, while mandating procedural protections including notice, opportunity to respond, hearings, and written decisions with restitution calculations.
Payment of certain benefits to survivors of persons who died in or as a result of military service
This executive order establishes the administrative framework for paying survivor benefits to spouses and children of certain service members who died in or due to military service. It designates the Veterans' Administration to administer the program, requires HHS to provide technical assistance, and mandates Defense Department fund transfers from the 'Retired Pay, Defense' account to cover benefits and administrative costs beginning in fiscal year 1983.
Defense officer personnel management
This executive order delegates specific presidential authorities over military officer personnel management to the Secretary of Defense, including decisions on promotion board reports, removal of officers from promotion lists, appointments of junior officers, and retirement approvals. It also grants the Secretary special authorities during times of war or national emergency to suspend officer strength limits and promotion laws, subject to presidential direction and congressional reporting requirements.
Partial suspension of Federal service labor-management relations
This executive order partially suspends federal labor-management relations protections for U.S. citizen Defense Department employees working overseas (except Panama) when those protections would interfere with implementing treaties or agreements with host nations. The Secretary of Defense has final authority to resolve disputes over coverage, after consulting the Secretary of State.
President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
This executive order establishes the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, a 30-member industry advisory body providing the President with advice on national security telecommunications policy, particularly regarding implementation of Presidential Directive 53. The Committee is housed administratively under the Secretary of Defense and was initially set to terminate on December 31, 1982, though later extended by a subsequent executive order.
Multinational Force and Observers reports
This executive order delegates to the Secretary of State the President's reporting function under the Multinational Force and Observers Participation Resolution, and requires interagency consultation with OMB, Defense, Arms Control, National Security Advisor, and other agencies as appropriate.
National Security Information
This executive order establishes a comprehensive uniform system for classifying, declassifying, and safeguarding national security information across the federal government. It defines three classification levels (Top Secret, Secret, Confidential), specifies who can classify information, creates declassification review procedures, and establishes the Information Security Oversight Office to monitor compliance. The order balances national security protection with public access to government information.
Federal procurement reforms
This 1982 executive order directs federal agencies to reform procurement practices by reducing administrative burdens, strengthening competition, simplifying small purchases, ensuring timely contractor payments, and creating professional procurement workforces. It mandates completion of a unified Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) by year-end 1982 and assigns coordination roles to OMB, OPM, and the Defense/GSA/NASA triumvirate.
Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program
This executive order establishes a unified Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program jointly managed by the Department of Energy and Department of the Navy under a single director. It preserves the program's existing structure while formalizing the director's dual reporting role, eight-year term, and comprehensive authority over naval reactor safety, research, development, and personnel training.
United States Intelligence Activities
Executive Order 12333 establishes the framework for U.S. intelligence activities, defining the roles of intelligence agencies, setting limits on collection techniques against U.S. persons, and prohibiting assassination. It remains the foundational charter governing the Intelligence Community's authorities and oversight structure.