Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 5025.13
April 11, 2013
Incorporating Change 3, Effective March 30, 2017
DA&M DCMO
SUBJECT: DoD Plain Language Program
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE. This instruction, in accordance with the authority in DoD Directives 5105.82
and 5105.53 (References (a) and (b)) and the July 11, 2014 Deputy Secretary of Defense
Memorandum (Reference (c)):
a. Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures for the DoD Plain
Language Program in accordance with the authority in DoD Directive 5105.53 (Reference (a))
and pursuant to Public Law 111-274 (Reference (bd)) (also known as the “Plain Writing Act of
2010,” and referred to in this instruction as the “Plain Writing Act”) and Deputy Secretary of
Defense Memorandum (Reference (ce)).
b. Promotes DoD use of clear, concise, and well-organized language in documents (as
defined in this instruction) to effectively communicate with intended audiences. This is in
accordance with the guidance in Presidential Memorandum (Reference (df)), Office of
Management and Budget Memorandum (Reference (eg)), and Director of Administration and
Management (DA&M) Memorandum (Reference (fh)).
c. Establishes the DoD Plain Language Committee.
2. APPLICABILITY. This instruction 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 DoD (referred to in this
instruction collectively as the “DoD Components”).
3. POLICY. It is DoD policy that:
a. The DoD:
(1) Maintains a DoD Plain Language program.
