Defense and national security

Executive Order 13598: Assignment of Functions Relating to Certain Promotion and Appointment Actions in the Armed Forces

President: Barack Obama

Assigned several narrow officer-promotion and Marine Band appointment functions to the Defense Secretary.

Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13598 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13598 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13598 do?

EO 13598 delegated specified presidential responsibilities under title 10 to the Secretary of Defense. They covered reports on certain senior reserve promotions, extensions of promotion-eligibility periods and appointments of Marine Band and Drum and Bugle Corps members to grades no higher than captain. Some functions may be reassigned only to Senate-confirmed civilian officials, while the Marine music appointment function may not be redelegated. A Navy correction-board decision records an April 2022 extension of a Marine officer’s promotion-eligibility period under EO 13598’s delegation, reassigned to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The decision documents one personnel case; it does not measure wider use of the delegation or establish a change to presidential nomination authority.

Later primary evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: A Navy correction-board decision records an April 2022 extension of a Marine officer’s promotion-eligibility period under EO 13598’s delegation, reassigned to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The decision documents one personnel case; it does not measure wider use of the delegation or establish a change to presidential nomination authority.

Administration position: The signed order and the later agency record establish a specific action: A Navy correction-board decision records an April 2022 extension of a Marine officer’s promotion-eligibility period under EO 13598’s delegation, reassigned to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The decision documents one personnel case; it does not measure wider use of the delegation or establish a change to presidential nomination authority.
SignedJanuary 27, 2012
RecipientSecretary of Defense
Authority3 USC 301 and specified title 10 provisions

Before and after

Before the order

The cited statutes assigned several routine reporting, extension and appointment functions directly to the President.

After the order

The Defense Secretary could perform those functions within strict redelegation limits.

A Navy correction-board decision records an April 2022 extension of a Marine officer’s promotion-eligibility period under EO 13598’s delegation, reassigned to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

The decision documents one personnel case; it does not measure wider use of the delegation or establish a change to presidential nomination authority.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Defense SecretaryPerform the assigned title 10 functionsContinuing
Senate-confirmed OSD civiliansReceive only permitted reassignmentsAs delegated
PresidentRetain constitutional nomination and appointment authorityContinuing
Defense DepartmentApply the delegated promotion-eligibility extension authority in the documented Marine officer caseApril 18, 2022

What happened next

EO 13598 signed.

The order was published in the Federal Register.

A Navy correction-board decision records an April 2022 extension of a Marine officer’s promotion-eligibility period under EO 13598’s delegation, reassigned to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

Later primary evidence reviewed and the documented action and limits added to this guide.

Reviewed court position

Court status

See the court documents in Sources by type.