Defense and national security

Executive Order 12927: Ordering the Selected Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty

President: Bill Clinton

Authorized reserve call-ups for operations to restore Haiti’s civilian government; the operational purpose and individual call-ups were time-limited.

Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 12927 still in effect? No. Executive Order 12927 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 12927 do?

EO 12927 determined that Selected Reserve forces were needed for operational missions to restore Haiti’s civilian government. It authorized the Defense Secretary, and Transportation for the Coast Guard outside Navy service, to order units and eligible individual members to active duty under then-10 U.S.C. § 673b, now § 12304. The order supported Operation Uphold Democracy. The elected government returned in October 1994, and statutory reserve call-ups are limited in number and duration, so the authorization is historical rather than an open call-up for new missions.

Administration position: The order supplied personnel authority for the Haiti operation. It did not declare war, authorize unlimited troop numbers or permit indefinite active duty.
SignedSeptember 15, 1994
MissionRestore civilian government in Haiti
Authority now codified10 U.S.C. § 12304

Before and after

Before the order

The planned Haiti operation required additional active personnel.

After the order

The service secretaries could activate eligible Selected Reserve units and members within statutory limits.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
DefenseOrder eligible Selected Reserve forces to active dutyFor the Haiti restoration mission
TransportationExercise the same authority for the Coast Guard outside Navy serviceFor the mission

What happened next

EO 12927 authorized call-ups.

Operation Uphold Democracy began.

President Aristide returned to Haiti.