General Information

You will follow the procedures on this page and in DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5025.01, "DoD Issuances Program," to process all DoD issuances, whether you are creating a new issuance, reissuing an existing one, or changing or cancelling an issuance. More detailed processing procedures are available in Processing ODA&M Issuances. Training on processing issuances is offered bimonthly; for schedules and registration, click here. 

The procedures on this page apply to issuances originating in the Office of the Director of Administration and Management (ODA&M). If you're not in an office within ODA&M, click here.

Issuance Submissions

Issuances and their supporting material must be submitted electronically to the Directives Division for review at whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.mil. As your focal point, we will load the material to the DoD Issuances Portal for you (DoD PKI certificate required).

What You'll Do

What You'll Do 

-- Get your director’s or deputy director’s signature on the ODA&M Form 1 for DA&M Internal Coord.

-- Route the signed ODA&M Form 1, a copy of the revised draft issuance, and a blank DD Form 818 in CATMS for ODA&M coordination.  See ODA&M Coord Process Guidance for CATMS trigraphs.

-- Set the suspense date for coordination. Typically, it is a minimum of 10 work days, but this may vary depending on the length and urgency of your issuance.

Documents You'll Use

What You'll Do

-- Send the precoordination review package described in "Documents You'll Use" to us via email at whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.mil (unclassified) or whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@smil.mil (classified).

-- We'll assign your issuance to a compliance analyst and inform you by email of the suspense date.

-- Your compliance analyst will review your package to make sure it is complete and conforms to DoD issuance standards.

-- We'll return the edited package to you through the DoD Issuances Portal for necessary revisions.

-- Contact your compliance analyst to discuss any questions or concerns.

What You'll Do

-- Revise the edited issuance package as directed by your compliance analyst. Contact your compliance analyst to discuss any questions or concerns. 

What You'll Do

This stage is optional if your issuance isn't going to be published in the Federal Register.

-- Email your issuance and unsigned DD Form 106 to whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.mil (unclassified) or whs.pentagon.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.smil.mil (classified) to post to the DoD Issuances Portal.

-- Your compliance analyst will quickly check your material to make sure it meets required standards and will tell the Directives Administrator when it is ready for release.

-- We’ll release the action on the Portal to OGC for review. The Portal will send an email notifying you of the action, including the suspense date and a copy of the latest version of the issuance package. Be sure to use that version moving forward.

-- OGC will review your issuance to make sure it complies with law. Be sure to make the changes that were identified as legal issues. Discuss and resolve any concerns with the attorney assigned to your issuance.

Documents You'll Use

-- Completed but unsigned DD Form 106

-- A clean copy (i.e., no track changes or comments) of your issuance

Related Training / Additional Info

-- What Do I Do During Legal Review?

What You'll Do

-- If you got a legal objection review:

    -- Adjudicate all OGC comments.

    -- If possible, don't make additional changes to your issuance or DD Form 106 other than those specified by OGC. If you do need to make changes, talk to the lawyer who reviewed your issuance to make sure your changes don’t raise any legal concerns.

-- Send the approval package described in “Documents You’ll Use” to your director or deputy director to electronically sign the ODA&M Form 1 for DD Form 106 Signature.

-- Email the approved package to whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.mil (unclassified) or whs.pentagon.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.smil.mil (classified).

-- Your compliance analyst will review your formal coordination package. If your package is complete, we will forward it via CATMS to ODA&M leadership for DD Form 106 signature.

Documents You'll Use

-- Your completed but unsigned DD Form 106

-- Signed ODA&M Form 1 for DD Form 106 Signature

-- A clean copy (i.e., no track changes or comments) of your issuance

-- Your consolidated DD Form 818-1 from ODA&M internal coordination

-- Your ODA&M List of Coordinating Officials

-- A blank DD Form 818 with subject line and table header completed (for posting to the DoD Issuances Portal for formal coordination)

What You'll Do

-- When the DD Form 106 is signed, we will post your issuance to the DoD Issuances Portal. The Portal will send you an email notifying you that coordination has begun and of the suspense date. The email will also include a copy of the latest version of the issuance package. Be sure to use that version moving forward.

What You'll Do

-- Confirm the appropriate Component authorities signed the coordinations in accordance with the List of Signature Authorities and Authorized Component Coordinators.

What You'll Do

-- Send the presignature package described in “Documents You’ll Use” to us via email at whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.mil (unclassified) or whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.smil.mil (classified).

-- We’ll assign your package to a compliance analyst and inform you by email of the suspense date.

-- Your compliance analyst will review your package to make sure it is complete and conforms to DoD issuance standards.

-- We’ll return the edited package to you through the Portal for necessary revisions.

Documents You'll Use

-- Completed but unsigned ODA&M Form 1 for Approval (or ODA&M Form 1 for DSD Approval for DoD directives)

-- Completed but unsigned DoD Directive Action Memo (for DSD approval only)

-- DoDD Summary of Changes (only if you’re changing or reissuing a DoD directive)

-- A clean copy (i.e., no track changes or comments) of your issuance

-- DD Form 818-1

-- List of Coordinating Officials

-- Any coordinations not posted to the Portal

Related Training / Additional Info

-- Timelines for Coordination and Completion of DoD Issuances

-- Action Officer Timeline Tool (right click to download Microsoft Excel document)

What You'll Do

-- Revise your issuance package as directed by your compliance analyst.

What You'll Do

-- Email your package described in “Documents You’ll Use” to us via email at whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.mil (unclassified) or whs.pentagon.esd.mbx.dod-directives@mail.smil.mil (classified) to post to the DoD Issuances Portal.

-- Your compliance analyst will quickly check your material to make sure it meets required standards and will tell the Directives Administrator when it’s ready for release.

-- We’ll release the action on the Portal to OGC for review, and the Portal will send you an email notifying you of the action, including the suspense date and a copy of the latest version of the issuance package. Be sure to use that version moving forward.

-- OGC will review your issuance to make sure it complies with law and send you their response through the DoD Issuances Portal.

-- Be sure to make the changes that OGC identifies as legal issues. Discuss and resolve any concerns with the attorney assigned to your issuance. Consult your Directives Division compliance analyst if any OGC changes are contrary to issuance standards.  

Documents You'll Use

-- Your completed but unsigned ODA&M Form 1 for Approval (or ODA&M Form 1 for DSD Approval for DoD directives)

-- Your unsigned DoD Directive Action Memo (for DSD approval only)

-- DoDD Summary of Changes (only if you’re changing or reissuing a DoD directive)

-- A revised clean copy (i.e., no track changes or comments) of your issuance

-- Consolidated DD Form 818-1

-- List of Coordinating Officials

Related Training / Additional Info

-- What Do I Do During Legal Review

What You'll Do

-- Any issuance that will be publicly accessible on the DoD Issuance Website must be cleared for release by the Defense Office of Publication and Security Review (DOPSR).

What You'll Do

-- Prepare the issuance package described in “Documents You’ll Use” for approval. Have your director or deputy director  electronically sign the ODA&M Form 1 for Approval. Do not sign the action memo to the DSD.

-- See the table below for guidance on where and how you should route your approval package once the ODA&M Form 1 for Approval has been signed. This information is also in Table 4 of Processing ODA&M Issuances.

-- Once the Directives Division receives your issuance package, your assigned compliance analyst will quickly check your material to make sure it meets required standards and that all LSR concerns have been resolved.

-- The Directives Division will route your issuance package to the appropriate approval authority on your behalf.

Documents You'll Use

-- Signed ODA&M Form 1 for Approval (or ODA&M Form 1 for DSD Approval for DoD directives)

-- Your unsigned DoD Directive Action Memo (for DSD approval only)

-- DoDD Summary of Changes (only if you’re changing or reissuing a DoD directive)

-- A clean copy (i.e., no track changes or comments) of your issuance

-- Consolidated DD Form 818-1

-- PDF of Legal Sufficiency Review

-- List of Coordinating Officials

Resources You'll Need

-- Processing ODA&M Issuances

What You'll Do

-- We'll publish the issuance on the website within 4 days of receiving the approved package from the approval authority.

Types of Changes

A change amends no more than 25% of an existing DoD issuance and has the full authority of the issuance.  A changed issuance keeps its original publication date and signature.  The two types of changes to DoD issuances are:

Administrative.  Changes only nonsubstantive portions of an issuance such as titles and dates of references and organizational names and symbols. 

Substantive.  Changes that amend an essential section(s) of an issuance that appears to be or is potentially unnecessary, incorrect, misleading, confusing, or inconsistent with other sections.

What You'll Do

-- Review the Change Standards. More detailed procedures are located in Section 6 of Processing ODA&M Issuances.

An issuance will be cancelled when the owning OSD Component determines that it has served the purpose for which it was intended; is no longer needed; and is not appropriate for incorporation into a new, revised, or existing issuance.

What You'll Do

Review Section 7: Special Procedures for Cancellations in Processing ODA&M Issuances. 

- If you want to handle the cancellation yourself, follow the guidance in Paragraph 7.2.a.

- If you want the Directives Division to cancel the issuance for you, follow the guidance in Paragraph 7.2.b. 

Documents You'll Use

For internal / ODA&M coordination:

-- DD Form 106

-- ODA&M Form 1 for ODA&M Internal Coord

-- PDF version of your issuance

For precoordination / DD Form 106 signature / formal coord (if you're processing yourself):

-- DD Form 106

-- ODA&M Form 1 for DD 106 signature

-- PDF version of your issuance

-- Your DD Form 818-1 from ODA&M internal coordination

-- Your list of ODA&M Coordinating Officials

-- A blank DD Form 818 with subject line and table header completed (for posting to the DoD Issuances Portal for formal coordination)

After formal coordination:

-- ODA&M Form 1 for Approval

-- Cancellation Action Memo (if the DSD must approve the cancellation)

-- DD Form 818-1 (do not include if you do nott receive any comments)

-- List of Coordinating Officials

-- Any coordinations not provided on the Portal

Resources You'll Need

-- Processing ODA&M Issuances