Executive Order 13384: Assignment of Functions Relating to Original Appointments as Commissioned Officers and Chief Warrant Officer Appointments in the Armed Forces
President: George W. Bush
Assigned two narrow presidential appointment functions to the Secretary of Defense.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13384 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13384 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13384 do?
EO 13384 assigned those functions to the Secretary of Defense, prohibited further reassignment, and preserved the President’s constitutional and statutory appointment authority. Congress added 10 U.S.C. 20203(f) in 2023, expressly applying EO 13384’s section 531(a) delegation to comparable Space Force functions under section 20201 unless the President orders otherwise.
Before and after
Before the order
10 U.S.C. 531(a)(1) and the second sentence of 10 U.S.C. 571(b) described specified presidential functions for original officer and chief warrant officer appointments.
After the order
EO 13384 assigned those functions to the Secretary of Defense, prohibited further reassignment, and preserved the President’s constitutional and statutory appointment authority.
Congress added 10 U.S.C. 20203(f) in 2023, expressly applying EO 13384’s section 531(a) delegation to comparable Space Force functions under section 20201 unless the President orders otherwise.
What did the signed order change?
10 U.S.C. 531(a)(1) and the second sentence of 10 U.S.C. 571(b) described specified presidential functions for original officer and chief warrant officer appointments. EO 13384 assigned those functions to the Secretary of Defense, prohibited further reassignment, and preserved the President’s constitutional and statutory appointment authority.
What happened later?
U.S. Code — 10 U.S.C. 20203(f), Space Force continuity documents this later development: Congress added 10 U.S.C. 20203(f) in 2023, expressly applying EO 13384’s section 531(a) delegation to comparable Space Force functions under section 20201 unless the President orders otherwise.
What does that evidence establish?
The order lists only subsections 531(a)(1) and 571(b) second sentence and forbids redelegation by the Defense Secretary. Congress later incorporated the first delegation for specified Space Force functions, not every presidential appointment power. The statutory cross-reference does not document any individual commission or promotion. The signed order controls its original terms.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of Defense | Performed only the assigned appointment functions | Under the signed order and governing law |
What happened next
EO 13384 signed.
Congress added 10 U.S.C. 20203(f) in 2023, expressly applying EO 13384’s section 531(a) delegation to comparable Space Force functions under section 20201 unless the President orders otherwise.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order lists only subsections 531(a)(1) and 571(b) second sentence and forbids redelegation by the Defense Secretary. Congress later incorporated the first delegation for specified Space Force functions, not every presidential appointment power.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — official executive-order record (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 26, 2026. How we research →