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Chapter 10: Navy Correspondence and Classified Information

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Naval Writing Standards
  1. Organized Writing
  2. Natural Writing
  3. Compact Writing
  4. Clear Writing
Standard Letter Joint Letter Multiple-Address Letter Endorsement Speedletter Memorandum Business Letter Addressing Envelopes Personnel Matters Correspondence Management Standard Subject Identification Codes
  1. Major Subject Groups
  2. Subdivisions
Classified Information
  1. Definitions
  2. Classification Designations
  3. Limitations on Classifying

References

This chapter applies to all Navy personnel who prepare, approve, and manage correspondence. Additional information on any of the topics discussed here may be found in the references listed at the end of this chapter.

Naval Writing Standards

In the Navy we rarely write to just one person. Even our most routine work is likely to receive many readings-from typists, secretaries, supervisors, and addressees. The quality of writing in a single letter, for example, can help the productivity of dozens of readers or slow it down.

Poor writing hurts not only your readers; at its worst, poor writing leads to lives lost and programs rejected. When your writing is ineffective, it hurts both your credibility and your organization.

Organized Writing

Plan what to say. Your writing will be clear only if your thinking is clear. So before you start to write, think about what you are going to say. If you have many points to make, list them on a piece of paper and then rearrange them in the best order. Next write a draft and revise it ruthlessly.

Group related information into paragraphs. Cover one topic completely before starting another, and let a topic take several paragraphs if necessary. Divide long paragraphs where your thinking takes a turn.

Start with your main point. Put requests before justifications, answers before explanations, solutions before problems, and conclusions before evidence. You might delay the main point to soften bad news, for example, but avoid delaying too long. Readers, like listeners, are put off by people who take forever to get to the point.

Stick to what your reader needs to know. Anticipate the main concerns your reader may have and address them in advance, but do not say more than is necessary.

Use more parallelism. Make sentence elements that are similar in thought similar in form. Parallelism saves words, clarifies ideas, and provides balance.

Natural Writing

Make your writing as formal or informal as the situation requires, but do so with language you might use in speaking. The most readable writing sounds like people talking to people.

Use personal pronouns. Speak of the activity, command, or office as we, us, our. Use I, me, my less often, usually in correspondence signed by the commanding officer and then only to show special concern or warmth.

If the choice is between two words that convey your meaning equally well, one short and familiar and the other long and unusual, prefer the short and familiar one. Use the long and unusual word only if it is more apt in meaning.

Keep your sentences short. Although short sentences won't guarantee clarity, they are usually less confusing than long ones. Mix short and long sentences for variety.

Avoid passive verbs. They make your writing wordy, roundabout, and sometimes confusing. Learn to spot passive verbs and make them active. Most of your sentences should use a who-does-what order. Write passively only if you have good reason to avoid saying who or what has done the verb's action. This situation may occur when the doer is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or better left unsaid.

Compact Writing

Use no more words than are necessary to do the job. The longer you take to say things, the weaker you come across and the more you risk blurring important ideas.

When you revise, tighten paragraphs to sentences, sentences to clauses, clauses to phrases, phrases to words-or strike ideas entirely.

Avoid it is and there is. They stretch sentences, delay your pointhide responsibility, and encourage passive verbs. Unless it refers to something mentioned earlier, try to write around it is.

Avoid wordy expressions. They clutter your writing by getting in the way of the words that carry the meaning. So prune such deadwood as for the purpose of (to), during periods when (when), in order to (to), and by means of (by).

Use action verbs. Don't use a general verb (make) plus extra words (a choice) when you can use one specific verb (choose).

Don't use that and which unless they help meaning or flow. Sometimes you can just drop these words.

Avoid words ending in -ion and -ment. Whenever the context permits, change these words to verb forms to make your sentences shorter and livelier.

For a list of words that are overworked in official writing and other words that might be used instead see SECNAVINST 5216.5C.

Clear Writing

Effective writing can be defined simply as writing that is readily understood by the reader. The basic fault of present-day writing is a tendency to say what one has to say in as complicated a way as possible. If you want to write well, try to be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid.

Use definite, specific, concrete language. Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract for they are more likely to arouse and hold the attention of the reader.

Avoid hut-2-3-4 phrases, long strings of nouns and modifiers. Readers can't tell easily what modifies what. We must live with some established hut-2-3-4 phrases such as standard subject identification codes, but you can avoid creating new ones by adding some words. For example, change "the Board of Inspection and Survey service acceptance trials requirements" to "requirements by the Board of Inspection and Survey for service acceptance trials."

Avoid using jargon-technical terms that are understood inside your department but are unintelligible to outsiders.

Avoid excessive abbreviating. Use abbreviations no more than you must with insiders and avoid them entirely with outsiders. Spell out an unfamiliar abbreviation the first time it appears. If an abbreviation appears only twice or infrequently, spell out the term every time and avoid the abbreviation entirely. Put clarity before economy.

If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone.
Confucius
Standard Letter
  1. Introduction. Use this letter to correspond officially with activities in the Department of Defense. Also use it with organizations outside the Department of Defense if they have adopted the format. An example of the standard letter is shown in Fig. 10-1.
  2. Stationery. SECNAVINST 5216.5C tells you what paper to use for various addressees. The number, color, and distribution of internal copies can be decided by your command. If printed letterhead stationery is not available, type the letterhead in.
  3. Margins. Allow 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. On letterhead paper, start typing more than 1 inch from the top when the letterhead is printed and less than 1 inch if it is typed.
  4. Sender's Symbols
    1. Use the following three symbols in the upper right hand corner:
      1. Standard Subject Identification Code (SSIC)
      2. Originator's code by itself or in a serial number
      3. Date
    2. The initials of writers and typists are unauthorized symbols, but they may be included on file copies as part of the drafter's identification.
    3. Exceptions to Using All Three Symbols. Local practice determines how to handle sender's symbols in the following cases:
      1. Letters to members of Congress
      2. Letters of praise or condolence
      3. Personal, though official, letters

    To avoid a busy appearance on these letters, an activity may show all symbols on the file copy but show only the date on the outgoing copy.

  5. Standard Subject Identification Code (SSIC)
    1. This four- or five-digit number, which represents a letter's subject, helps to file and retrieve correspondence and eventually dispose of it. To find the SSIC that most closely represents your subject, check SECNAVINST 5210.1 lC, Department of the Navy File Maintenance Procedures and Standard Subject Identification Codes (SSIC). A brief discussion of the SSIC follows later in this chapter.
    2. If in reply refer to is printed on your activity's letterhead paper, type the SSIC on the next line. If in reply refer to is not printed, type the SSIC on the second line below the letterhead, starting 2 inches or more from the right edge of the paper. The longest sender's symbol should end close to the right margin.
  6. Originator's Code by Itself or in a Serial Number
    1. Usually, the originator's code is the office symbol of the drafter, but it may be the hull number of a ship. In any case, local activities decide the makeup of an originator's code. Put it on all letters, either by itself or as part of a serial number.
    2. All classified correspondence created by your activity must be given serial numbers. Whether your unclassified correspondence also is serialized depends on local practice. An activity that uses serial numbers starts a new sequence of numbers at the start of each new calendar year and assigns numbers consecutively.
    3. On letters without serial numbers, type the originator's code immediately under the SSIC. On letters with serial numbers, type:
      1. Ser (no punctuation, one space after Ser),
      2. originator's code,
      3. / (no spaces around slant),
      4. classification, if any ("C" for Confidential, "S" for Secret, "T" for Top Secret), and
      5. next unused serial number for the current calendar year. Example: Ser CVN 68-ENG/C20.
  7. Dates
    1. Date all copies of a letter. Type or stamp the date on the same day the correspondence is signed. Leave out the date when preparing correspondence that will be signed on a later day or in another office. Follow a day- month-year order without punctuation. Use the first three letters of the month and the last two digits of the year. Variations are allowed for date stamps.
    2. Also abbreviate months and years in any heading of a letter. Spell out months and years, however, in the text of a letter. In the text, the year may be omitted when it is under stood.
  8. Classification Markings
    1. The security classification designation TOP SECRET, SECRET, or CONFIDENTIAL is stamped in the center of the top and bottom margins of the letter. Also type the classification above the from block at the left margin, as well as at the upper left and lower right on the back of the last page.
    2. When typing an unclassified letter that has a classified enclosure, type the following above the from line: CONFIDENTIAL- Unclassified upon removal of enclosure (1). Then show whether the title of the enclosure is classified or not when citing the document in the enclosure block: End: (1) Listing of Deployed Ships (U).
  9. From Block
    1. As a general rule, give your commanding officer's title, your activity's name, and, for a command based ashore, its geographic location (without the state or ZIP Code). The precise wording comes from one of the following:
      1. SNDL, Part 1 (Operating Forces) OPNAV P09B2-107
      2. SNDL, Part 2 and Catalog of Naval Shore Activities (SNDL CAT) OPNAV PO9B2- 105
      3. List of Marine Corps Activities, MCO P5400.6

      If a one-of-a-kind title adequately identifies a commanding officer and the officer's activity, the location is unnecessary (Chief of Naval Opera- tions). By contrast, some commands prefer an entire mailing address to aid in replies and to ensure that the originator's identification appears on copies without letterheads.

    2. Type From: at the left margin on the second line below the date. Two spaces follow the colon.
  10. To Block
    1. Address correspondence to the commanding officer of an activity as if composing a from block. Give a complete mailing address, ZIP Code included, if you will use a window envelope (see Fig. 10-2).
    2. Type To: at the margin on the first line under ti from block. Four spaces follow the colon.
    3. Whenever practical, include a code or person's title in parentheses right after the activity's name. Add the word Code before codes that start with numbers. A code that starts with a letter is readily indentifiable as a code without the added word.
  11. Via Block
    1. List commanding officers in the via block as if composing a from or to block. Give a complete mailing address, ZIP Code included, if you want it for a record.
    2. Type Via: at the left margin on the first line below the to block. Three spaces follow the colon.
    3. Number via addressees if you list two or more. Routing starts with the addressee listed first. When going down a chain of command, first list the next lower echelon. When going up your chain of command, first list the next higher echelon.
    4. Follow your chain of command when corresponding on substantive matters such as command decisions, policy issues, and official recommendations. Such routing keeps intermediate commands informed and allows them to comment or approve. For variations see SECNAVINST 5216.5C.
  12. Subject
    1. Craft the subject to make it genuinely informative.
    2. Type Subj: at the left margin on the second line under the last line of the previous heading. Two spaces follow the colon. Use normal word order. Capitalize every letter after the colon. When a subject appears elsewhere in a letter, capitalize the first, last, and other key words as if you were writing a book title.
  13. References
    1. Use only those references that bear directly on the subject at hand. Avoid unnecessary or complicated references. Many letters need no references at all, while others are complete with a reference to only the latest communication.
    2. Be sure to mention in the text any reference cited in the reference block. List references in the reference block by following the order of their appearance in the text.
    3. Avoid most NOTAL references. A NOTAL-not to all-reference is a document that some addressees or all of them neither hold nor need. Work to cite directives, correspondence, and messages held by all addressees. For alternatives to NOTAL references, see SECNAVINST 5216.5C.
    4. Type Ref: at the left margin on the second line below the subject. Use a lower-case letter in parentheses before the description of every reference, even a single one. Three spaces follow the colon. One space follows the closing parenthesis. When referencing correspondence, include:
      1. SNDL short title of originator,
      2. type of correspondence (ltr, spltr, or memo),
      3. SSIC,
      4. originator's code by itself or in a serial number, and
      5. date.

        SECNAVINST 5216.5C also shows how to reference messages, endorsements, telephone conversations, instructions, notices, forms, reports, and publications.

  14. Enclosures
    1. Try to keep letters short, down to one page whenever possible, and use enclosures for lengthy explanations that cannot be avoided. List enclosures in the order of their appearance in the text. In the text spell out the word enclosure. Describe an enclosure like a reference.
    2. Type Encl: at the left margin on the second line elow the last line of the previous heading. Use a number in parentheses before the description of every enclosure, even a single one. Two spaces follow the colon. One space follows the closing parenthesis.
    3. Normally, send one copy of the basic letter plus any enclosures to all addressees. Avoid sending an enclosure if an addressee has it already or if bulk or other factors make furnishing it impractical.
    4. When sending more than one copy of an enclosure to all addressees, note the quantity in parentheses after the enclosure's description. For variations in the distribution of enclosures to copy-to and via addressees, see SECNAVINST 5216.5C.
    5. Mark an enclosure on the first page only, in the lower right corner, whether the text is arranged normally or lengthwise. Type, stamp, or write Encl plus its number in parentheses. Pencil may be used so an addressee can remove the marking easily should the enclosure be needed for some new purpose later. Note: Arrange pages typed lengthwise so they can be read from the right.
    6. Follow the standard-letter practice of numbering only second and later pages. If you have several different enclosures, number the pages of each independently. If the pages are numbered already, renumbering is unnecessary.
    7. When size, weight, or other factors prevent sending an enclosure with a letter, send it separately and type (sep cover) after the enclosure's description.
  15. Signature
    1. The commanding officer, officer in charge, or person "acting" in either position must personally sign documents that:
      1. Establish policy.
      2. Center on changes to the command's mission and are addressed to higher authority.
      3. Deal with certain aspects of military justice. In this case, others may sign only if a staff legal officer first finds that the commanding officer's signature is unnecessary.
      4. Are required by law or regulation (e.g., ship's deck log).
    2. A commanding officer may delegate signature authority to military and civilian subordinates and may authorize those subordinates to delegate signature authority further. Subdelegate signature authority to the lowest responsible person whose position is reasonably related to the function involved. Do so in writing, to titles rather than names, and include a brief outline of the types of documents involved. When subordinates sign documents under this delegated authority, they usually sign "By direction."
    3. Type the signer's name in all capital letters on the fourth line below the text. If no preference is indicated, use initial(s) and last name. Omit the signer's rank or a complimentary close. Start each line of the signature block at the center of the page. End with the word Acting when the signer has been formally appointed to replace temporarily the commanding officer or a subordinate who signs by title. Put the term By direction under the name of a subordinate who may sign official correspondence but not by title.
  16. Copy-To Block
    1. Use this optional block to list addressees outside your activity who need to know the content of a letter but don't need to act on it. If you use the copy-to block, keep the number of activities to a minimum.
    2. Type Copy to: at the left margin on the second line below the signature block. Identify addresses listed in the SNDL by the short titles shown there. List addressees in any order, though the internal offices of an activity should be grouped for ease of distribution. Check or arrow the intended addressee on each copy.
  17. Blind-Copy-To Block
    1. Show the internal distribution only on the copies that stay within your activity. List these internal addressees by code in a blind-copy-to block.
    2. On certain copies-never on the original-type Blind copy to: at the left margin on the second line below the previous block (the copy-to block, if you have one, or the signature block). The word Code need not precede the codes themselves.
  18. Drafter's Identification on File Copies
    1. Type, stamp, or pen the following information on the first or last page of the file copy:
      1. name of writer,
      2. writer's office code,
      3. date of typing,
      4. writer's phone extension or room number or both if writer and signer are at some distance from each other, and
      5. wordprocessing symbols or typist's identification.
    2. The file copy need not give the information required by paragraph a if your activity is so small as to not need these controls or if the information appears on a document such as a routing slip that will stay with the file copy.
  19. Identifying Second and Later Pages
    1. Repeat the subject shown on the first page on the sixth line from the top of all later pages.
    2. Center page numbers 1/2 inch from the bottom edge, starting with the number 2. No punctuation accompanies a page number. Note: Don't number a single-page letter or the first page of a multiple-page letter. (To number the pages of a Top Secret document, follow OPNAVINST 5510.1G.)
Joint Letter

This letter may be used to establish an agreement between two or more commands or for other matters of mutual concern. See Figure 10-3 for information on how to prepare a joint letter.

Multiple-Address Letter

Use this letter when you have more than one action addressee, but do not use it for material belonging in the directives system. Except in its handling of the addressees, the multiple-address letter is the same as the standard letter.

List the addressees by using the to block by itself, as shown in Figure 10-4, or the distribution block by itself, as shown in Figure 10-5, or use both blocks.

Use both the to block and the distribution block in the same letter when you show a group title whose distribution is relatively unknown. In this case, you may give the group title in the to block and identify each member in a distribution block.

Every action addressee must receive a letter that has a letterhead and signature. The letterhead may be printed, typed, stamped, or photocopied. If you use a word processor, type multiple originals on letterhead paper. Obtain an original signature on each action addressee's copy.

Endorsement

When a letter comes to your activity because you are a via addressee, prepare an endorsement. Use either a same-page endorsement or a new-page endorsement (see Figs. 10-6 and 10-7). Keep an endorsement with the basic letter. Except as noted below, endorsements follow standard-letter practice. An endorsement may simply forward a letter without substantive comment to the next via addressee, if any, or to the action addressee. An endorsement may comment on the basic letter or any earlier endorsements. It may alter the order of any remaining via addressees or add others. And it may return the basic letter with a final reply or a request for more information.

Send copies as follows:

  1. Original for the action addressee. (Show this addressee in your to block.)
  2. Copies for via addressees who have yet to endorse the basic letter. (Show these addressees in a via block. If two or more via addressees remain, renumber them, starting with a 1 in parentheses before the next recipient of the package. Don't number a single remaining via addressee.)
  3. Copy for the originator of the basic letter. (Use a copy-to block.)
  4. Copies for any earlier via addressees and any earlier copy-to addressees only if your endorsement is significant. (Add these addressees to your copy-to block.) Routine endorsements include "forwarded," "forwarded for consideration, " and "forwarded recommending approval." Significant endorsements include "forwarded recommending disapproval," "readdressed and forwarded," and those with substantive comments.
  5. Copies for any copy-to addressees your command adds. (Include these in your copy-to block. To the right of each of these addressees, type (complete) to show that your endorsement includes the basic letter, enclosures, and prior endorsements.)
  6. Copy for your file

Don't repeat in your reference and enclosure blocks any references and enclosures shown in the basic letter or prior endorsements; show only the references and enclosures you add. Assign letters to all references you add, even a single one, by continuing any sequence of letters begun earlier. Likewise, assign numbers to all enclosures you add.

Send any enclosure you add to the action addressee. Also send it to the originator of the basic letter if that activity lacks it. The enclosure's importance will determine whether others should receive it.

Omit enclosures to any addressees who have them already. Similarly, omit enclosures to any addressees when sending them is impractical.

Speedletter

Use speedletters for urgent UNCLASSIFIED matters that don't require electrical transmission. The speedletter calls attention to the need for priority handling. Use it because speed of delivery is important, not just because completion of the form is easy. Avoid issuing directives through speedletters.

When speedletters arrive from other activities, process them before routine mail. Similarly, action officers are to give them prompt attention.

Prepare a speedletter on this special form: Naval Speedletter, OPNAV 5216/145 (Fig. 10-8). The form has six identical pages with carbons between them. The top three pages are for out- going copies; the bottom three pages are for internal use.

If you need a continuation page, use plain paper and follow standard letter practice in setting margins, numbering pages, and so on.

Memorandum

A memorandum is used to correspond informally within an activity or between several activities. Choose the format that suits the subject, occasion, and audience. Your choices, starting with the most informal, are:

  1. The printed memorandum form (Fig. 10-9)
  2. The plain-paper memorandum (Fig. 10-10,)
  3. The letterhead memorandum (Fig. 10-11)
  4. The memorandum-for (Fig. 10-12)

If the subject is insignificant, no file copy is required.

Business Letter

Use the business letter to correspond with agencies or individuals outside the Department of the Navy who are unfamiliar with the standard letter. It also may be used for official correspondence between individuals within the Department of the Navy when the occasion calls for a personal approach.

Normally, the text should be single-space within paragraphs (see Fig. 10-13). Do not indent or number main paragraphs. If the letter is likely to run eight lines or less, you may start the address more than two lines below the date, use side margins as wide as 2 inches, indent paragraphs, and double-space throughout the text.

Use Sincerely for the complimentary close of a business letter. Start typing at the center of the page on the second line below the text.

Start the signature line on the fourth line below Sincerely. Type or stamp the following information:

  1. name of signer in all capital letters,
  2. military grade (if any) spelled out,
  3. functional title, and
  4. By direction of the Commanding Officer if the individual usually signs by direction. The by-direction line may be omitted on a routine business letter that neither makes a commitment nor takes an official stand. Women's names may begin with Miss, Mrs., or Ms. in parentheses.
Addressing Envelopes General. This section explains how to address letter-size envelopes for unclassified correspondence. Ask at your mail room about types, costs, and instructions on such special services as registered mail. Also ask about bulk mailing as well as pouch and messenger services; these methods of moving the mail require few envelopes or mailing labels. Envelopes. To avoid the extra charge for mailing large envelopes, fold correspondence and send it in letter-size envelopes. When you have several pieces of correspondence for one address, try to send it all in a single large envelope. To prevent tearing your correspondence or jamming postal equipment, use envelopes only slightly larger than their contents and press out the air before sealing them. Correct minor errors in an address instead of discarding the envelope. Addresses. Start an address halfway down the envelope and a third of the way from the left. Place the address parallel to the long sides. Type, stamp, machine-print, or hand-print the address. Use only black or dark blue ink. When using a rubber stamp, avoid smudging the address or leaving marks from the stamp's edges. Show your return address in the upper left corner of ZIP Code. Put a ZIP Code or FPO/APO number on all addresses. On 1 July 1984 a ZIP + 4 became the standard code for all Department of Defense (DOD) components. ZIP + 4 is composed of the current five-digit ZIP Code plus a four-digit add-on. The additional four digits are separated from the existing five-digit code by a hyphen. The first two of these digits identify broad geographic areas within ZIP Code zones. The last two digits represent the smallest geographic unit to which mechanized mail distribution can be made. For more detailed information on ZIP + 4 refer to OPNAVINST 5218.8, Implementation of the Nine Digit ZIP Code System (ZIP + 4). State Abbreviations. The two-letter abbreviations must be used on envelopes. They may be used in letters wherever a state appears as part of an address.Personnel Matters Identifying Military Personnel. If positive identification is essential, fully identify the member when you first mention him or her. That identification often appears in the subject block of a standard letter or the first paragraph of a business letter. In later references to the member, simply use the rank or rate and last name.
  1. For full identification of Navy personnel, use:
    1. abbreviated rank or rate,
    2. first name, middle initial if any, and last name,
    3. branch of service,
    4. Social Security number, and
    5. designator for an officer.

    Example:

    CAPT Robert W. Dole, USN, 123-45-6789/1110

  2. For full identification of Marine Corps personnel, use:
    1. unabbreviated grade,
    2. first name, middle initial if any, and last name,
    3. Social Security number without hyphens,
    4. military occupational specialty, and
    5. branch of service.

    Example:

    Captain Matthew T. Johnson 123 45 6789/0430 USMC.

Limits on Using Social Security Numbers. When corresponding with DOD, do not use the Social Security number of a military member or civilian employee unless essential for identification. When corresponding outside DOD, don't use the Social Security number of a military member or civilian employee at all, except if the individual involved gives permission or the incoming communication already shows the Social Security number. Writing to Higher Authority
  1. Navy Personnel, Prepare your letter on plain bond paper in standard-letter format when writing on a personal matter affecting the command. Examples include requests for retirement or resignations. Send the letter via your commanding officer. The commanding officer prepares an endorsement on letterhead paper and forwards the correspondence to the next via addressee, if any, or to the higher authority.
  2. Marine Corps Personnel. Use NAVMC 10274, Administrative Action (AA) Form, as prescribed in MCO 5210.2.
Sex-Neutral Language Required. Avoid stereotyping men and women on the basis of gender. Whenever possible, use pronouns and titles that include either sex. Write directives as if you were talking to one typical reader or group of readers. Prefer plural pronouns they, their, them. Rewrite to avoid unnecessary pro- nouns. Substitute articles for singular possessive pronouns. Instead of "Each division head should turn in his draft by Friday," say "Each division head should turn in a draft by Friday." Handling Congressional Inquiries
  1. Send a final reply or an interim one within 5 workdays from the time a congressional inquiry reaches the action officer's desk. Interim replies take several forms:
    1. If the interim reply gives an estimated date for the final reply, only unusual developments require further interim replies.
    2. If the interim reply does not give an estimated date for the final reply, send more interim replies every 10 workdays until a date for the final reply can be set. Send an interim reply in less than 10 workdays when significant information develops.
    3. If you cannot meet a date for the final reply, send an interim reply that explains the added delay and sets a new date for the final reply.
  2. Send a blind copy of your final reply and substantive interim replies to the Office of Legislative Affairs, Washington, DC 20350. Also send blind copies to other Washington headquarters as good judgment dictates.
  3. Always send a courtesy copy when responding to a congressional inquiry. A courtesy copy is an extra copy that accompanies the original.
Correspondence Management
  1. Use Mail Controls Effectively. Assign mail controls only to mail that needs a response or has long-term reference value. Route incoming action correspondence directly from the mail room to the action office. If necessary, send duplicate copies to intermediate offices.
  2. Don't Write Unless You Must. Preparing correspondence is time-consuming and expensive. A conversation in person or by phone often saves two letters and is more effective for working out details that require give and take. You can always confirm a conversation by a memo to the other person or a memo for your records. Include return phone numbers when your correspondence might prompt a reply or inquiry. Don't send cover letters with forms, reports, and publications that are self-explanatory.
  3. Use More Window Envelopes. Window envelopes eliminate the cost of addressing envelopes and the risk of putting letters in the wrong envelopes. They are encouraged for unclassified correspondence.
  4. Use More Form and Guide Letters. Review outgoing correspondence periodically for recurring topics that lend themselves to form and guide letters.
  5. Coordinate Efficiently
    1. Obtain agreement among offices that have a substantial interest in a proposed action.
    2. Coordinate by phone or in person rather than by writing. Coordinate revisions of documents during the drafting stage.
    3. If many offices must coordinate and time is short, fan out copies to all coordinators simultaneously. Then summarize their responses on a briefing sheet that accompanies the letter when it goes for signature.
    4. The originator is responsible for deciding who should coordinate, for working to resolve major differences, for any retyping that may be needed, and for providing copies of the signed correspondence to coordinators who request them.
  6. Submit Correspondence for Signature in Final Form. Use double-spaced drafts only when changes are likely, perhaps because a subject is controversial or a policy statement needs precise wording.
  7. Make Minor Changes in Ink. Rarely retype correspondence already in final form merely to correct typographical errors, word omissions, or other minor mistakes. Make these corrections legibly in ink, correcting all copies at the same time. Two ink changes are permitted on a page. Retype to correct minor errors only in those few cases when the importance of the subject or the addressee justifies the expense of retyping.
  8. Sign and Mail Promptly. Sign correspondence throughout the day rather than just at the end of the day. This will keep signed correspondence from lingering overnight before it goes out.
  9. Reply Promptly. Give prompt attention to incoming correspondence that requires action or answers. Normally, answer correspondence in no more than 15 workdays or in the time set by the incoming correspondence. Congressional correspondence must be answered within 5 workdays of receipt.
  10. Limit Information Copies. Include only those copy-to addressees that have a genuine need to know.
  11. Avoid Unnecessary File Copies. Centralize files whenever possible to eliminate redundant ones. See SECNAVINST 5210.11C for more guidance on filing.
  12. Reuse Paper. Use salvaged paper for written or typed drafts, computations, and rough notes. Obsolete forms, for example, can be cut into stacks of note paper.
  13. Update Distribution Lists. Tell the originator if you continue to receive documents needlessly.
  14. Take Advantage of New Office Technology. OPNAVINST 5210.12A, Navy Word Processing Program, describes the main types of equipment and details survey procedures for determining an activity's work processing needs. Micrographics offers a reliable, compact, and inexpensive way to pass and store information. SECNAVINST 5210.12C, Micrographic Management, gives broad policy on obtaining approval to buy micrographic equipment.
  15. Military models of address for all armed services are contained in Appendix A, SECNAVINST 5216.5C.
  16. Civilian models of address are contained in Appendix B, SECNAVINST 5216.5C.
  17. For instruction on writing directives see SECNAVINST 5215.1C.
Standard Subject Identification Codes

Use Department of the Navy Standard Subject Identification Codes, SECNAVINST 5210.1 1C, for categorizing and subject classifying Navy and Marine Corps information; identifying directives, blank forms, and reports; and establishing filing and retrieval systems.

SECNAVINST 5210.11C consists of three sections:

  • Section 1 Filing Procedures
  • Section 2 Construction of Standard Subject Identification Codes (SSIC)
  • Section 3 List of SSIC Codes

Major Subject Groups

The Navy's SSIC system is broken down into 13 major subject groups:

1000 Series MILITARY PERSONNEL. Includes subjects relating solely to the administration of military personnel. (Civilian personnel subjects are included in the 12000 series. General personnel subjects relating to both civilian and military personnel are included in the 5000 series.)
2000 Series TELECOMMUNICATIONS. Includes subjects relating to general communication matters and to communication systems and equipment.
3000 Series OPERATIONS AND READINESS. Includes subjects relating to such matters as operational plans, fleet operations, operational training and readiness, warfare techniques, operational intelligence, research and development, and geophysical and hydrographic support.
4000 Series LOGISTICS. Includes subjects relating to logistical support of the Navy and Marine Corps, including procurement, supply control, property redistribution and disposal, travel and transportation, maintenance, construction and conversion, production and mobilization planning, and foreign military assistance.
5000 Series GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT. Includes subjects relating to the administration, organization, and management of the Department of the Navy, including general personnel matters (concerning both military and civilian personnel), records management programs, security, external and internal relations, audiovisual management, law and legal matters, office services, office automation, and publishing and printing matters.
6000 Series MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY. Includes subjects relating to medical and dental matters such as physical fitness, general medicine, special or preventive medicine, dentistry, and medical equipment supplies.
7000 Series FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. Includes subjects relating to the financial administration of the Department of the Navy, including budgeting, disbursing, accounting, auditing, contract auditing, industrial and other special financing matters, and statistical reporting.
8000 Series ORDNANCE MATERIAL. Includes subjects relating to all types of ordnance material and weapons, including ammunition and explosives, guided missiles, nuclear weapons, fire control and optics, combat vehicles, underwater ordnance materials, and miscellaneous ordnance equipment.
9000 Series SHIPS DESIGN AND MATERIAL. Includes subjects relating to such matters as the design and characteristics of ships, and to ships material and equipment.
10000 Series GENERAL MATERIAL. Includes subjects relating to general categories of materials not included in the specialized material groups. It includes audiovisual/graphic arts/photographic/television/video equipment and accessories, general machinery and tools, personnel (materials), and miscellaneous categories.
11000 Series FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ASHORE. Includes subjects relating to ashore structures and facilities, fleet facilities, transportation facilities, heavy equipment, utilities and services, and other similar subjects.
12000 Series CIVILIAN PERSONNEL. Includes subjects relating solely to the administration of civilian personnel. (Military personnel subjects are included in the 1000 series. General personnel subjects relating to both military and civilian personnel are included in the 5000 series).
13000 Series AERONAUTICAL AND ASTRONAUTICAL MATERIAL. Includes subjects relating to aeronautical and astronautical materials, including parts, accessories, and instruments; special devices; armament; aerological equipment, weapons systems, types of aircraft; and astronautic vehicles.
16000 Series COAST GUARD MISSIONS. Includes subjects relating solely to the administration and mission of the Coast Guard. NOT TO BE USED BY NAVY OR MARINE CORPS ACTIVITIES.
  1. Subdivisions

    The 13 major subject groups are broken down into primary, secondary, and tertiary subdivisions. (Activities may be further subdivided by the addition of a slant (/) and arbitrary symbols.)

    PRIMARY SUBJECTS are designated by the last three digits (the hundreds group) of the code number.

    SECONDARY SUBJECTS are designated by the last two digits (the tens group).

    TERTIARY SUBJECTS are designated by the last digit.

    Here are some examples:

    • Major Subject 5000 General Administration and Management
    • Primary Subject 5200 Management Programs and Techniques
    • Secondary Subject 5210 Records Management
    • Tertiary Subject 5211 Filing, Maintenance, Protection, and Retrieval, and Privacy Act Systems
Classified Information

The security of the United States in general and of naval operations in particular depends in part upon the success attained in safeguarding classified information. It is of paramount importance that all who engage in administering security preserve a balanced and commonsense outlook toward the subject. The goal of the security education program is to impress upon all personnel fundamental habits of security to the point that proper discretion is automatically exercised in the discharge of their duties and security of classified information becomes a natural element of every task.

  1. Definitions

    Access. The ability and opportunity to obtain knowledge or possession of classified information. An individual does not have access to classified information merely by being in a place where such information is kept, provided the security measures that are in effect prevent him from gaining knowledge or possession of such classified information.

    Classified Information.Official information that has been determined to require, in the interests of national security, protection against unauthorized disclosure and that has been so designated.

    Classified Matter. Any matter, document, product, or substance on or in which classified information is recorded or embodied.

    Classifier.

    1. An individual who is designated as an original classification authority and who determines that official information, not known to be already classified, currently requires, in the interests of national security, a specific degree of protection against unauthorized disclosure and, having the authority to do so, designates that official information as Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential; or
    2. an individual who, in the performance of his or her official duties, determines that official information is in substance the same as information known by him to be already classified by an original classification authority as Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential and marks it accordingly.

    Clearance. An administrative determination by competent authority that an individual is eligible, from a security standpoint, for access to classified information of a specified category.

    Command. Any organizational entity under one individual authorized to exercise direction and control. This term includes "unit," "base," "squadron," "activity," or any other indication of organizational integrity.

    Compromise. A violation of security that results from an unauthorized person obtaining knowledge of classified information. As used in this case, the term "unauthorized person" means any person not authorized to have access to classified information.

    Declassify To remove the classification from classified information. Notification to holders of this information is part of the process. Decisions concerning declassification or downgrading are based on the loss of sensitivity of the information with the passage of time or on the occurrence of an event that permits declassification or downgrading.

    Disclosure. An officially authorized release or dissemination by competent authority whereby the information is furnished to a specific individual, group, or activity.

    Document. Any recorded information, regardless of its physical form or characteristics, and including but not limited to the following:

    1. Written material, whether handwritten, printed, or typed
    2. All painted, drawn, or engraved material
    3. All sound or voice recordings
    4. All printed photographs, exposed or printed film, and still or motion pictures
    5. Data processing cards and tapes
    6. All reproductions of the foregoing by whatever process reproduced

    Downgrade. To determine that classified information requires a lower degree of protection against unauthorized disclosure than currently provided, coupled with a changing of the classification designation to reflect such lower degree.

    Handling. The preparation, processing, transmission, and custody of classified information.

    Marking. The physical act of indicating on classified material the assigned classification, changes in classification, downgrading and declassification instructions, and any limitations on the use of the classified information. It serves to inform and to warn the holder of the classification of information involved, of the degree of protection against unauthorized disclosure that is required, and to facilitate extracting, paraphrasing, upgrading, downgrading, and declassification actions.

    Need To Know. The necessity for access to, knowledge of, or possession of classified information in order to carry out official military or other governmental duties. Responsibility for determining whether a person's duties require that he or she is authorized to receive it rests upon the possessor of the classified information and not upon the prospective recipient.

    Official Information. Information that is owned by, produced for or by, or is subject to the control of the United States Government.

    Originator The command by whose authority an item of information is created and disseminated.

    Security A protected condition of classified information that prevents unauthorized persons from obtaining information of direct or indirect military value. This condition results from the establishment and maintenance of protective measures that ensure a state of inviolability from hostile acts or influences.

    Security Violation. Any failure to comply with the regulations relative to the security of classified material.

    Stowage The manner in which classified material is protected by physical and/or mechanical means.

    Transmission Movement involving the actual transfer of custody and responsibility for a document or other classified material from one command or section of a command to another command or another authorized addressee. It does not apply to personnel carrying classified material for their own legitimate use to be retained by them and returned to their own command files.

    Upgrading The act of assigning a higher classification to information than that previously assigned. Permitted only when all known holders of the information can be notified promptly and are authorized access to the higher level of classification or the information can be retrieved from all known holders not authorized access to the contemplated higher level of classification.

  2. Classification Designations

    Information that requires protection against unauthorized disclosure in the interest of national security must be classified in one of three designations: "TOP SECRET," "SECRET," or "CONFIDENTIAL." The markings "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY," and "LIMITED OFFICIAL USE" cannot be used to identify classified information. Nor can you use modifying terms in conjunction with authorized classification designations, such as "SECRET SENSITIVE."

    "TOP SECRET" is the designation applied only to information the unauthorized disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security. Examples include armed hostilities against the United States or its allies; disruption of foreign relations vitally affecting the national security; the compromise of vital national defense plans or complex cryptologic and communications intelligence systems; the revelations of sensitive intelligence operations; and the disclosure of scientific or technological developments vital to national security.

    "SECRET" is the designation applied only to information the unauthorized disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to the national security. Examples include disruption of foreign relations significantly affecting the national security; significant impairment of a program or policy directly related to the national security; revelation of significant military plans or intelligence operations; and compromise of significant scientific or technological developments relating to national security.

    "CONFIDENTIAL" is the designation applied to information the unauthorized disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to cause damage to the national security. Examples include information indicating strength of ground, air, and naval forces; performance characteristics, test data, design, and production data on U.S. weapon systems and munitions.

  3. Limitations on Classifying

    Classifiers may NOT:

    1. Use classification to conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error, to prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency, or to restrain competition.
    2. Classify basic scientific research information that is not clearly related to the national security.
    3. Classify, or use as a basis for classification, references to classified documents, when the reference citation does not itself disclose classified information.
    4. Use classification to limit dissemination of information that is not classified under the Information Security Program Regulation (OPNAVINST 5510.1G).

References:

  1. SECNAVINST 5216.5C, Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual
  2. SECNAVINST 5210.1 1C, Navy Standard Subject Identification Codes
  3. OPNAVINST 5510.1G, Navy Information Security Program Regulation
  4. AP Pamphlet 13-5, US Air Force Effective Writing Course, 1980

 

Naval Education and Training Command: Hospital Corpsman 1 & C: August 1986

Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited.

The listing of any non-Federal product in this CD is not an endorsement of the product itself, but simply an acknowledgement of the source. 

Operational Medicine 2001

Health Care in Military Settings

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Department of the Navy
2300 E Street NW
Washington, D.C
20372-5300

Operational Medicine
 Health Care in Military Settings
CAPT Michael John Hughey, MC, USNR
NAVMED P-5139
  January 1, 2001

 United States Special Operations Command
7701 Tampa Point Blvd.
MacDill AFB, Florida
33621-5323

*This web version is provided by The Brookside Associates Medical Education Division.  It contains original contents from the official US Navy NAVMED P-5139, but has been reformatted for web access and includes advertising and links that were not present in the original version. This web version has not been approved by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or the Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates is a private organization, not affiliated with the United States Department of Defense.

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