This site is intended to help all Department of Defense (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 that 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.
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 Manual 5240.01 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.
Intelligence Oversight 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 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, Defense intelligence agencies, and combatant commands also inspect for compliance regarding intelligence oversight and report their findings to the Intelligence Oversight quarterly. Our charter can be found at DoD Directive 5148.13.
It is our hope that the information posted here is helpful to the DoD intelligence community in the establishment and conduct of Intelligence Oversight programs, and is informative to others interested in learning about this important process. Our goal is to ensure that each intelligence entity within DoD, no matter how large and complex or small, has a meaningful and viable Intelligence Oversight training program. We want you to be aware and understand why we stress the importance of Intelligence Oversight in the Department. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding Intelligence Oversight or this home page.
*As used in this home page, the term "intelligence" refers to intelligence, counterintelligence, and intelligence related activities.