Department of Defense DIRECTIVE NUMBER 5210.55 December 15, 1998 (ES, OSD) SUBJECT: Department of Defense Presidential Support Program References: (a) DoD Directive 5210.55, "Selection of DoD Military and Civilian Personnel and Contractor Employees for Assignment to Presidential Support Activities," July 6, 1977 (hereby canceled) (b) DoD Instruction 5210.87, "Selection of DoD Military and Civilian Personnel and Contractor Employees for Assignment to Presidential Support Activities," November 30, 1998 (c) DoD Directive 1000.17, "Detail of DoD Personnel Assigned to Duty Outside the Department of Defense," July 28, 1988 (d) through (f), see enclosure 1 1. REISSUANCE AND PURPOSE This Directive: 1.1. Reissues reference (a) to update policies and assign responsibilities. 1.2. Is implemented by reference (b) prescribing the procedures for the nomination, screening, selection, approval and continued evaluation of DoD military and civilian personnel, and contractor employees assigned to, or retained in Presidential support duties. 2. APPLICABILITY AND SCOPE This Directive: 2.1. Applies to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Military Departments, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Commands, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies and the DoD Field Activities (hereafter referred to collectively as “the DoD Components") having a Presidential support mission. 2.2. Encompasses all DoD organizations and, through incorporation of its terms into contracts, contractors that assign personnel to Presidential support duties involving regular or frequent access to the President or Vice President, or to facilities that support the President or Vice President, including communications activities and modes of transportation. 2.3. Does not apply to DoD personnel or contractors whose duties involve infrequent visits to the Executive offices of the White House or other Presidential support facilities to conduct official business with the Presidential and/or Vice Presidential staffs. 2.4. Does not apply to personnel providing Presidential protection support duties or personnel assigned to other duties supporting the President on a temporary, intermittent, or seasonal basis, not to exceed an aggregate of 180 days in either a single continuous assignment or series of assignments. 2.5. Does not establish reimbursement policies or procedures. The policies for reimbursements and applicable amounts to be recouped are in DoD Directive 1000.17 (reference (c)). 2.6. Does not apply to details made pursuant to 3 U.S.C. 112 (reference (d)) or DoD Directive 1000.17 (reference (c)) to the Executive Office of the President or the agencies of the Executive Office of the President. 3. DEFINITION 3.1. Presidential Support Facilities. The temporary or permanent areas designed, intended or maintained for sole support of the President or Vice President. 4. POLICY It is DoD policy that: 4.1. The President shall be provided with the optimum level of security and support. 4.2. Persons assigned to, or retained in Presidential support duties, shall be the best suited and best qualified for these duties, based on a determination that their assignment or retention is clearly consistent with optimum Presidential security and support. 4.3. All persons serving in Presidential support duties must be U.S. citizens. 4.4. Denial or revocation of a security clearance for access to classified information shall automatically result in disqualification for Presidential support duties. 4.5. Any DoD civilian or contractor employee not approved for, or removed from, Presidential support duties shall be afforded an opportunity to appeal this decision, unless the individual is disqualified as provided in subsection 4.4., above. Military personnel are not afforded the opportunity to appeal, unless the assignment policies of the Military Departments concerned allow for such appeals in assignment actions. 4.6. The investigative requirements and adjudicative standards for persons serving in Presidential support duties shall be in accordance with reference (c) and DoD 5200.2-R (reference (e)). 4.7. All persons assigned to Presidential support duties will be volunteers for assignment to, or work in support of, the Presidential support mission. However, when volunteers are not available for enlisted support positions, qualified enlisted non-volunteers may be nominated. 4.8. The tour of duty for all military personnel selected for assignment to Presidential support duties shall be stabilized for the maximum period allowable under the assignment policies of the Military Department concerned, with a minimum of two years from the date of assignment to Presidential support duties. Waivers of obligated service to meet this requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Secretary of the Department of Defense. This policy does not apply to Honor Guard units, Social Aides or White House NCOs assigned to the Military Departments. 5. RESPONSIBILITIES 5.1. The Executive Secretary of the Department of Defense shall be the final approval authority for assignment of individuals used in Presidential support duties and for general oversight of the implementation of this Directive. Waiver of specific requirements in this Directive may be granted only by the Executive Secretary. 5.2. The Heads of the DoD Components with a Presidential support mission shall: 5.2.1. Designate a single office to represent the DoD Component on all matters covered by this Directive at the Service secretariat or comparable Defense Agency level. Responsibilities of DoD Components under this Directive may not be delegated below this level. 5.2.2. Ensure individuals are identified for assignment to Presidential support duties, either as initial appointees or replacements, in a timely manner to permit processing of the required investigations and higher level review before assignment. 5.2.3. Ensure that replacements are assigned for individuals who complete their tours of duty in Presidential support positions unless the requirement is discontinued. 5.2.4. Ensure that the requirements of this Directive are incorporated into the contract of each contractor involved in Presidential support duties. 5.2.5. Establish procedures to evaluate the continued suitability of personnel serving in Presidential support duties and management personnel exercising supervision over contractor employees performing Presidential support duties in accordance with reference (b). 5.2.6. Report to the Executive Secretary on a periodic basis information about personnel assigned to Presidential Support Duties in accordance with DoD Instruction 5210.87 (reference (b)). 6. INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS The reporting requirement identified in Section 5., above and further described in DoD Instruction 5210.87 (reference (b)) has been assigned Report Control Symbol DD-5D(Q)934, in accordance with DoD 8910.1-M (reference (f)). 7. EFFECTIVE DATE This Directive is effective immediately. Enclosures - 1 1. References, continued E1. ENCLOSURE 1 REFERENCES, continued (d) Title 3, United States Code (e) DoD 5200.2-R, "DoD Personnel Security Program," January 1987, authorized by DoD Directive 5200.2, May 6, 1992 (f) DoD 8910.1-M, "DoD Procedures for Management of Information Requirements," November 1986, authorized by DoD Directive 8910.1, June 11, 1993