Defense and national security

Executive Order 12982: Ordering the Selected Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty

President: Bill Clinton

Authorized activation of Selected Reserve units and members to augment United States forces for operations in and around former Yugoslavia.

Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 12982 still in effect? No. Executive Order 12982 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 12982 do?

EO 12982 determined that reserve augmentation was necessary for operations in and around former Yugoslavia following the Dayton peace agreement. It authorized the Defense Secretary and, for the Coast Guard outside Navy service, the Transportation Secretary to order Selected Reserve units and certain individual members to active duty under 10 U.S.C. § 12304. The order was transmitted to Congress and used for the Bosnia mission; those particular activations later ended.

Administration position: The order authorized a bounded reserve call-up for the operation. It did not place every reservist on active duty or create permanent mobilization authority beyond the statute.
SignedDecember 8, 1995
Operation areaFormer Yugoslavia
Authority10 U.S.C. § 12304

Before and after

Before the order

Implementation of the Bosnia peace settlement required additional United States personnel.

After the order

Defense could activate eligible Selected Reserve units and individuals for the mission.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Defense SecretaryOrder eligible Selected Reserve forces to active dutyFor the Bosnia operation
Transportation SecretaryExercise the authority for the Coast Guard outside Navy serviceFor the operation
PresidentTransmit the order to CongressAt issuance

What happened next

The Dayton peace agreement was initialled.

EO 12982 authorized reserve activation.