Department of Defense
DIRECTIVE
NUMBER 3020.04 NUMBER 3020.04
August 25, 2010 August 25, 2010
GC, DoD GC, DoD
SUBJECT: Order of Succession Pursuant to Executive Order 13533 and the Federal Vacancies
Reform Act of 1998
SUBJECT: Order of Succession Pursuant to Executive Order 13533 and the Federal Vacancies
Reform Act of 1998
References: (a) DoD Directive 3020.04, “Order of Succession Under Executive Order 13394
and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998,” December 14, 2006 (hereby
cancelled)
References: (a) DoD Directive 3020.04, “Order of Succession Under Executive Order 13394
and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998,” December 14, 2006 (hereby
cancelled)
(b) Sections 3345 through 3349d of title 5, United States Code (also known and
referred to in this Directive as “The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as
amended”)
(b) Sections 3345 through 3349d of title 5, United States Code (also known and
referred to in this Directive as “The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as
amended”)
(c) Executive Order 12908, “Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary
of the Army,” April 22, 1994
(c) Executive Order 12908, “Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary
of the Army,” April 22, 1994
(d) Executive Order 12879, “Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary
of the Navy,” November 8, 1993
(d) Executive Order 12879, “Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary
of the Navy,” November 8, 1993
(e) Executive Order 12909, “Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary
of the Air Force,” April 22, 1994
(e) Executive Order 12909, “Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary
of the Air Force,” April 22, 1994
1. PURPOSE1. PURPOSE
. This Directive reissues Reference (a) and, pursuant to The Federal Vacancies
Reform Act of 1998, as amended (Reference (b)) and Executive Order 13533, “Providing an
Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense,” March 1, 2010 (Enclosure):
a. Republishes the order of succession to act as the Secretary of Defense.
b. Establishes the order of succession to act as other Presidentially-Appointed, Senate-
Confirmed (PAS) officials in the Department of Defense, except for the Secretaries of the
Military Departments, whose order of succession is governed by References (c) through (e).
2. APPLICABILITY. This Directive applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the Department of Defense (hereafter
referred to collectively as the “DoD Components”).
