SECRETARY
OF
DEFENSE
1
000
DEFENSE
PENTAGON
WASHINGTON
,
DC
20301
-
1000
HAY
2 7
2025
MEMORANDUM FOR SENIOR PENTAGON LEADERSHIP
DEFENSE AGENCY AND DOD FIELD ACTIVITY DIRECTORS
SUBJECT: Use
of
Executive Assistants Within the Office
of
the Secretary
of
Defense, Military
Departments, Defense Agencies, and DoD Field Activities
The Department
of
Defense is committed to eliminating waste, optimizing resources, and
prioritizing funding for warfighter capabilities. While Executive Assistants (EAs) represent a
modest overall cost, the effective use
of
EAs is as much about achieving savings as it is about
fostering a mindset
of
fiscal discipline and warfighter focus. Controlling EA-related
administrative costs sets an example from the top reflecting the leadership's commitment to
operational efficiency.
This memorandum directs streamlined EA utilization within the Office
of
the Secretary
of
Defense (OSD) and the Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities (DAFAs). The following
table summarizes the Application Framework for EA allocation, with greater detail found in
Attachment 1 :
..
.,
Principal
Staff
Assistants (PSAs) or
,=,
DAFA Heads
E
Principal Deputy to a PSA
.,
~
I EA each
~-=-
Assistant Secretaries
of
Defense
•-
C
>
Regional
Directors/
...
_
(ASDs), Principal Deputy ASDs
.,
(,:j
2 Site Directors or Direct
rJ1
>
(PDASDs), or Direct Report to Level
., ·5
Report to Level 1
~ ~
1 (Depu
ty
CFO, Deputy C
IO
, etc.)
=
....
"'
0
I EA each
.,
~
Functional Directors
><
Direct Report to Level 2 (Deputy
[,.l
under Regional
..
3
ASDs. Pr
in
cipal /
Directors or Direct
.!:
Associate Director
s,
etc. )
=
Report to
Level2
.,
rJ1
I EA per 3 Senior Executives
In addition to limits on the allocation
of
EAs, I am also directing an effort to address EA
costs through a streamlined and consolidated contracting vehicle, as outlined in Attachment
2.
The Secretaries
of
the Military Departments are directed to implement comparable
policies within 60 days, limiting the use and number
of
EAs, by tailoring the framework found in
Attachments 1 and 2 to their organizational structures, while adhering to the principles
of
efficiency and cost savings.
Military members serving joint duty assignments should be fully integrated into the office
they
se
rve, allowing them to gain valuable experience while also contributing critical military
and operational know-how. Military members may continue to perform administrative support,
