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The Designated Civilian Official (DCO) was the title of the civilian appointed to head the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants (OARDEC). The position was officially an appointment by the United States President, that required confirmation by the United States Senate. The DCO and OARDEC were officially created on June 23, 2004.
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Gordon R. England was the designated civilian official from June 2004, until newly elected President Barack Obama replaced OARDEC with a multi-agency Guantanamo Review Joint Task Force.
Announcement
Gordon R. England, whose primary job was then to serve as United States Secretary of the Navy, was appointed to be the first Designated Civilian Official.
During the June 23, 2004 press conference where he described his new position, England was asked about how he would handle the additional responsibilities of this position, and how independent he would be. He repeated that his decisions would not be influenced by the Secretary of Defense, or other more senior officials. England said human rights groups, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other agencies of the United States Government, had been consulted in as the Review process was being designed.
The Center for Constitution Rights published an analysis of the DCO's role on May 19, 2004. "The entire review procedure is inadequate and illegal," stated Rachel Meeropol, an attorney at CCR. According to Michael Ratner:
Duties
In testimony before a subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee Admiral James McGarrah, the senior officer in OARDEC said: "Secretary England as the designated civilian official is the final decision maker for this process."