The duties and obligations placed on DoD intelligence organizations to protect the rights of individuals stem from the U.S. Constitution, Presidential Executive Order 12333, and DoD Manual 5240.01 which spells out how the Presidential Executive Order applies to Defense intelligence* activities. DoD Directive 5148.13 outlines the DoD Intelligence Oversight program and serves as the basis for the DoD regulations and instructions that implement Intelligence Oversight in the Military Services, Combatant Commands, and DoD intelligence agencies.
Senior Intelligence Oversight Official for DoD is responsible for ensuring that Intelligence Oversight policies and regulations are carried out by DoD organizations that perform intelligence functions. To this end, we conduct inspections, assessments, staff assistance visits, and investigations to ensure that all activities performed by intelligence units and personnel are conducted in accordance with federal law, Presidential Executive Orders, DoD directives, regulations, policies, standards of conduct, and propriety. The Inspector General organizations of the Military Services, Combatant Commands, and DoD intelligence agencies also inspect for compliance regarding intelligence oversight and report their findings to the Senior Intelligence Oversight Official in their quarterly reports. The SIOO charter can be found at DoD Directive 5148.11.
This site is intended to help all DoD intelligence organizations and personnel understand Intelligence Oversight and the role that our office plays in this area. Also, it provides information for anyone interested in understanding the precautions the DoD takes to ensure that its intelligence activities are carried out in ways that do not infringe on the constitutional rights of U.S. persons.
*As used on this site, the term "intelligence" refers to intelligence, counterintelligence, and intelligence related activities.