Pentagon Publishes Five Data Decrees Vonkara1/istockphoto email May 11, 2021 Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks also mandated assessments of certain data efforts in a May 5 memo. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks released five “data decrees” meant to help the Defense Department achieve the vision laid out in its enterprisewide data strategy. DOD Chief Data Officer David Spirk teased the pending release of the decrees in a recent webinar, and on May 5, Hicks signed a memo outlining five such decrees. The memo also mandates assessments of various data efforts including the establishment of DOD CDO as an independent entity separate from the DOD chief information officer.