SECRETARY
OF
DEFENSE
1000
DEFENSE
PENTAGON
WASHINGTON
,
DC
20301-1000
MEMORANDUM FOR SENIOR PENTAGON LEADERSHIP
HAY
2 7
2025
SUBJECT: Reorganization
of
the Office
of
the Director
of
Operational Test and Evaluation
To improve the lethality, readiness, and efficiency
of
our Armed Forces in support
of
an
America First defense strategy, the Department
of
Defense will immediately implement a
strategic and deliberate reorganization
of
the Office
of
the Director
of
Operational Test and
Evaluation (ODOT &E). A comprehensive internal review has identified redundant, non-
essential, non-statutory functions within ODOT &E that do not support operational agility or
resource efficiency, affecting our ability to rapidly and effectively deploy the best systems to the
warfighter. I, therefore, direct the following:
First, ODOT &E will immediately eliminate any non-statutory or redundant functions,
reducing bureaucratic overhead and driving greater efficiency.
Second, and as recommended by an internal study, ODOT&E will deliver its core
statutory function through a reduced staff
of
30 civilian positions, with no more than one Senior
Executive Service (SES) member and
15
assigned military personnel. ODOT &E will be reduced
to this size through a targeted, deliberate, and expeditious civilian reduction-in-force (RIF).
Civilian personnel employed by Military Departments at ODOT &E or within subordinate
entities
of
ODOT &E shall be immediately transferred back to those Military Departments.
Receiving Military Departments, at their discretion, may choose which transferred positions to
retain.
Third, effective immediately and no later than 7 days from the date
of
this memorandum,
all civilian personnel not retained in one
of
the 30 ODOT &E positions will receive a Specific
Notice
of
RIF. All personnel receiving a Specific Notice
of
RIF will be placed on approved
administrative leave and will be entitled to their full rights, in accordance with applicable law
and policy. Further, all ODOT&E leadership, defined as any SES member, will be immediately
placed on approved administrative leave and similarly afforded their full rights as part
of
the RIF
process.
Fourth, the Under Secretary
of
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall direct
cognizant contracting officers to end all contractor personnel support supplying contracted
employees to ODOT &E within 7 days
of
this memorandum so the organization can return to a
renewed zero-based core mission.
If
ODOT &E decides it needs support contractor personnel
after adjusting to its base statutory mission set, ODOT &E may request such contractor support
with Deputy Secretary
of
Defense review after an initial 60-day acclimation period.
Fifth, effective immediately, I appoint Mr. Carroll
P.
Quade, currently Deputy for Test
and Evaluation for the Department
of
the Navy, to perform the duties
of
the Director
of
