Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense

[donsu]

Subject: Executive Order: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense


http://www.buzzflash.com/mailbag/05/12/mai05355.html

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Subject: Executive Order: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense

Bush signs sudden order of succession for Defense Dept.... hmmm............

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051222-7.html

A BuzzFlash Reader



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[liberal N proud]

1. Why do they need an order of succession?

Is someone leaving?

I always thought the top positions at the Defense Dept are appointed positions and when one leaves the president can choose at that time how the vacancy is filled through the normal appointment process.

[dcfirefighter]

2. More than likely there was some wrangling btw people

midway down the list as to who was more 'important'. THis list spells it out in B&W: the Army before the AF, before the USN.

[pinto]

3. Each Fed Dept. has had an order of succession designated, apparently

Found this list of Executive Orders, by President, by date while looking for any public Executive Order relating to FISA (none, of course).

You have to dig through the annual listings, but there's an Executive Order establishing the order of succession for each Department.

My wild guess would be it's part of federal catastrophic "what if" planning.

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/wbush.html

(aside) Kudos need to go to this SE Missouri State University professor - Russell D. Renka - his web site/research project has a wealth of links to all sorts of data related to the Presidency:

http://cstl-cla.semo.edu/renka/PresidencyLinks.htm#E

[rucky]

4. Negroponte in?

He's doing a "heckova job."

[haele]

5. They already had one, and they've changed it for politics...

Posted in an earlier thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5677325
(Thanks bigtree!)

From that post - the old OoS
1) Deputy Secretary of Defense.
(2) Secretary of the Army.
(3) Secretary of the Navy.
(4) Secretary of the Air Force.
(5) Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology.
(6) Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
(7) Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
(8) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
(9) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology.
(10) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
(11) Director of Defense Research and Engineering.
(12)- (14) (Assistants and Deputies to above)

(b) In the event of the temporary absence or temporary disability of the
Secretary of Defense, the incumbents holding the Department of Defense
positions designated in paragraph (a) of this section, in the order indicated,
shall act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary of Defense as Acting
Secretary of Defense.
(1) In these instances, the designation of an Acting Secretary of Defense
applies only for the duration of the Secretary’s absence or disability, and
does not affect the authority of the Secretary to resume the powers of
his office upon his return.
(2) In the event that the Secretary of Defense is temporarily absent
from his position, the Secretary may continue to exercise the powers and
fulfill the duties of this office during his absence, notwithstanding the provi-sions
of this order.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbna...

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The new order of Succession

a) Deputy Secretary of Defense;

(b) Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence;

(c) Under Secretary of Defense for Policy;

(d) Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics;

(e) Secretary of the Army;

(f) Secretary of the Air Force;

(g) Secretary of the Navy;

(h) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller);

(etc, etc, etc...)

As you can see, this executive order changed it so that those who would be more favorable to the Administration goals are higher up on the list than those who might be more loyal to the DOD and the use of the troops.

They don't care about victory, they care about policy. This is to cover their goals after the possible indictments...

Haele