RESEARCH
AND
ENGINEERING
THE
UNDER
SECRETARY
OF
DEFENSE
3030DEFENSEPENTAGON
WASHINGTON,
DC
20301-3030
4 A.
UG
.?025
MEMORANDUM FOR SENIOR PENTAGON LEADERSHIP
COMMANDERS OF THE COMBATANT COMMANDS
DEFENSE AGENCY AND DOD FIELD ACTIVITY DIRECTORS
SUBJECT: Rationalization and Transformation
of
the Defense Technical Information Center
The ability to leverage and share technical knowledge from Defense Research and
Development (R&D) efforts is critical to accelerating Defense R&D activities and maintaining a
technical edge over our adversaries, essential activities to achieving the Secretary's priorities to
rapidly re-establish deterrence and re-build the military. The Defense Technical Information
Center (DTIC) was created to serve
as
a centralized repository
ofR&D
information, allowing
DoD
to
easily and effectively leverage and share technical knowledge. However, its unfocused
organizational model and legacy information platform are not suited to keep pace with global
R&D, take advantage
of
Artificial Intelligence (AI), or integrate with other data and intelligence
systems that support strategic deterrence-impacting R&D investment decisions by the
Department
of
Defense. Therefore, I direct the following rationalization and AI-first digital
transformation
of
DTIC to better meet the Secretary's priorities for the Department.
DTIC shall streamline its organization
to
deliver its core statutory functions through a
reduced staff
of
40 civilian positions, including one Senior Executive Service (SES) member
serving
as
the Administrator. DTIC will be reduced to this size through a targeted, deliberate,
and expeditious civilian reduction-in-force (RIF). DTIC shall also be re-assigned to report to the
Assistant Secretary
of
Defense for Critical Technologies.
As announced on July 29, 2025, Dr. Silvana Rubino-Hallman will serve as the Acting
Administrator
of
DTIC. Dr. Rubino-Hallman shall perform the duties
of
the Administrator and
oversee the RIF and digital transformation
of
DTIC, ensuring that DTIC continues to effectuate
and remain in compliance with its statutory requirements throughout this transition.
No later than August 25, 2025, all civilian personnel not retained in one
of
the 40
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.
The Acting Administrator will also conduct a zero-based core mission review for all
contractor personnel augmenting DTIC staff and will direct cognizant contracting officers to
issue any stop-work-orders as appropriate.
These actions should save the Department more than $25 million per year and reflect the
Secretary's commitment to bureaucracy reform and technology transformation to better meet
critical mission needs.
