Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 3025.20
April 6, 2012
Incorporating Change 1, May 24, 2017
USD(P)
SUBJECT: Defense Support of Special Events
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE. This Instruction:
a. Establishes DoD policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures for support of
civil authorities and qualifying entities during the conduct of special events in accordance with
the authority in DoD Directive (DoDD) 5111.1 (Reference (a)) and the Deputy Secretary of
Defense Memorandum (Reference (b)). This support will be referred to as “support of special
events.”
b. Implements provisions of References (a) through (j) addressing matters pertaining to
Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) for special events, including support for qualifying
entities.
c. Supersedes and cancels DoDD 2000.15 (Reference (k)).
2. APPLICABILITY. This Instruction:
a. Applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff (CJCS) 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, National
Guard personnel providing support of special events in title 32 of United States Code (Reference
(g)) status, and all other organizational entities in DoD (hereinafter referred to collectively as the
“DoD Components”).
b. Does not apply to installation commanders or Heads of DoD Components providing
localized support to a special event solely under the auspices of community relations, public
outreach, or recruitment efforts pursuant to DoDD 5410.18 and DoD Instruction 5410.19
(References (l) and (m)) or other similar authority.
3. DEFINITIONS. See Glossary.
