When an actual or simulated emergency arises or is anticipated, it may become necessary to reduce the volume of record and/or voice communications ordinarily transmitted over U.S. military-owned or -leased telecommunications facilities, This action, known as MINIMIZE, is designed to clear communications networks of all traffic whose urgent y does not require transmission by electrical means during MINIMIZE. Only traffic of a precedence that concerns mission accomplishment or safety of life is considered essential and, therefore, requires electronic transmission.

Commanders at any level have the authority to impose MINIMIZE within their command or area of command responsibility. The authority to impose MINIMIZE is further discussed in Allied Communications Publication, ACP 121, U.S. Supplement 1.

When MINIMIZE is in effect, the releasing officer shall review all record traffic that has not been released or has been released but not yet received at the serving telecommunications center to ensure that the words MINIMIZE CONSIDERED are included in the Special Instructions block at the bottom of DD Form 173/2 or DD Form 173/3. These words are not included as part of the text.

CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Proper security classification of correspondence is a serious problem in the Navy, largely because of overclassification. You, as the writer, should ensure that any assigned classification is justified by a genuine need. There are no simple rules for security. You

Table 1-3.-Speed-of-Service Objectives

must digest the various policy directives and then apply common sense.

Correspondence does not need to be classified according to the classification of its references unless it reveals a significant part of the content of the references. If the correspondence is classified, the classification is indicated on the rough draft, and the draft is handled as required by that classification.

Each piece of correspondence should be assigned the lowest classification consistent with the proper protection of the defense information contained in it. Correspondence and documents should be classified according to their relationship to other documents. This procedure is particularly important when documents are part of a series. Different paragraphs or actions of a single document may contain different classifications. However, the document must bear the highest overall classification it contains.

This section discusses classified material categories and classified material markings.

CLASSIFIED MATERIAL CATEGORIES

Information that requires protection against unauthorized disclosure in the interest of national security must be classified with one of only three designations: Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential. The handling markings For Official Use Only (FOLIO) and Limited Official Use (LOU) cannot be used to identify classified information, nor can modifying terms be used with authorized classification designations, such as Secret Sensitive. a e -4 shows these classifications and for which kind of information they are used.

Regulations and guidance for classifying and safeguarding information are contained in Depart-ment of the Navy Information and Personnel Security Program Regulation, OPNAVINST 5510.1. Guidelines concerning classifying and safeguarding mine warfare information and material are contained in Department of the Navy Security Classification Guidance for Mine Warfare Programs, OPNAVINST S55 13.7.