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EO 12514Executive OrderReagan · R Quiet signal

Executive Order 12514

Prescribing the Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of the Air Force

This executive order establishes the formal line of succession for acting as Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of the Air Force in cases of death, disability, or absence. It replaces the 1959 succession order with updated designations and clarifies that succession is temporary without vacating the successor's statutory position.

50 FR 20383
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Key directives

  • Establish ordered succession list for Secretary of Defense (9 tiers)
  • Establish succession for Secretary of the Army (5 tiers)
  • Establish succession for Secretary of the Navy (4 tiers)
  • Establish succession for Secretary of the Air Force (6 tiers)
  • Grant President discretion to vary succession appointments
  • Clarify temporary nature of succession without vacating statutory positions
  • Prohibit acting officials from further succession
  • Revoke Executive Order 10820 of May 18, 1959

Timeline

Immediate

  • EO 10820 of 1959 revoked; new succession order takes effect upon signing

Near term (90d)

  • No specific actions required; order is self-executing

Long term

  • Establishes permanent succession framework for defense leadership continuity during gaps

Risks & tensions

  • Precedence tie-breaking for same-date appointments delegated to Secretaries, creating potential ambiguity during crisis
  • Part V presidential override power could disrupt established order but provides flexibility
  • 'Absence' undefined—scope of triggering condition unclear (travel vs. incapacitation)
Executive Order 12514: Prescribing the Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of the Air Force · Executive Orders