Executive Order 13550: Establishment of Pakistan and Afghanistan Support Office
President: Barack Obama
Created a temporary State Department office to recruit deploy and support civilian personnel working on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13550 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13550 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13550 do?
EO 13550 used temporary-organization authority to establish the Pakistan and Afghanistan Support Office. It supported rapid hiring, deployment, training and administration for the civilian surge under the Special Representative. The time-limited organization later closed as staffing and policy structures changed.
Before and after
Before the order
State needed faster staffing and support for a major increase in civilian deployments.
After the order
A temporary office centralized recruitment, training, deployment and logistical support.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State | Establish and supervise the office | Completed |
| Office director | Recruit deploy and support personnel | Completed |
| Departments | Assist under existing authority | Completed |
What happened next
EO 13550 created the office.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Temporary hiring and expenditure remained subject to 5 USC 3161, appropriations and foreign-affairs authorities.
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.
- U.S. Code — temporary organizations (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →