Executive Order 13912: National Emergency Authority To Order the Selected Reserve and Certain Members of the Individual Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces to Active Duty
President: Donald J. Trump
Made reserve mobilization authorities available during the COVID-19 national emergency.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13912 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13912 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13912 do?
Defense issued April 2020 guidance on activating Guard and Reserve personnel under the order, described in a later federal rule.
Later primary evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: A Defense inspector general audit identifies EO 13912 as authority for Title 10 reserve activation during the COVID-19 response and documents subsequent reserve activations. The audit's 57,278 figure combines Title 10 and Title 32 activations and must not be attributed entirely to EO 13912.
Before and after
Before the order
The declared emergency required additional Defense and Homeland Security staffing flexibility.
After the order
Defense issued April 2020 guidance on activating Guard and Reserve personnel under the order, described in a later federal rule.
The order invoked statutory reserve authority with limits; it did not itself call up one million people.
Who had to do what
| Agency / official | What the signed order directed | Deadline / timing |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of Defense | Direct the military departments’ authorized Ready Reserve activation and ensure appropriate consultation with relevant state officials concerning National Guard reserve units. | Activation limited to 24 consecutive months and 1,000,000 reserve members active at one time; no reporting deadline. |
| Secretary of the Army | At Defense’s direction, order necessary units or individual Ready Reserve members within their jurisdiction to active duty under the invoked authorities. | Up to 24 consecutive months; aggregate active-duty limit of 1,000,000 members. |
| Secretary of the Navy | At Defense’s direction, order necessary units or individual Ready Reserve members within their jurisdiction to active duty under the invoked authorities. | Up to 24 consecutive months; aggregate active-duty limit of 1,000,000 members. |
| Secretary of the Air Force | At Defense’s direction, order necessary units or individual Ready Reserve members within their jurisdiction to active duty under the invoked authorities. | Up to 24 consecutive months; aggregate active-duty limit of 1,000,000 members. |
| Secretary of Homeland Security | Exercise invoked emergency authorities for the Coast Guard when outside Navy service; activate necessary reserve members and ensure consultation with relevant state officials concerning National Guard reserve units where applicable. | Up to 24 consecutive months; order’s 1,000,000-member aggregate limit; no reporting deadline. |
Source: Signed Federal Register text.
Later developments
Later action: Defense issued April 2020 guidance on activating Guard and Reserve personnel under the order, described in a later federal rule. (April 2, 2020)
What happened next
EO 13912 signed.
Defense issued April 2020 guidance on activating Guard and Reserve personnel under the order, described in a later federal rule.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order invoked statutory reserve authority with limits; it did not itself call up one million people.
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.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 26, 2026. How we research →