Senior Defense Official Directs Pentagon Employees to Retain Text Messages, Other Data

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has issued a memorandum to Department of Defense (DoD) employees directing employees to retain federal records, including text messages, Acting Press Secretary Todd Breasseale said.

“The memo reminds users of DoD mobile devices that under existing DoD instructions, DoD users are required to retain text messages that qualify as federal records,” Breasseale said on Thursday. “It also directs that effective immediately, DoD information service providers are to capture and save the data resident on DoD-provisioned mobile devices when they are returned by their users.”

Breasseale said the memorandum directs the chief information officer to work with other areas of the Defense Department to ensure that employees adhere to the directive.

Meanwhile, officials will work with the Defense Department General Counsel to look at current policies and procedures and complete a report within the next 30 days that will be sent to Hicks to determine whether if any recommendations of actions are needed to ensure compliance with the Federal Records Act, Breasseale said.

Hicks issued the memorandum after the corporate media reported the Defense Department did not retain cell phone data of former senior officials upon their departure, including records related to the events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Breasseale added.