When you are given the job of maintaining a set of files, more is involved in the job than just stuffing incoming paperwork into drawers of a filing cabinet. In this section, we define some of the terms used to discuss information and filing system procedures, outline the tasks involved in maintaining a filing system, and list the retention periods of the common types of meteorological and oceanographic information.

Files are designed to hold information acces-sible for reference. The length of time that material is held is determined by the type of information. The Secretary of the Navy has defined two basic types of informational material, based upon the importance of the information for future applications:

Permanent records Informational material and records necessary to protect the Navys interests and to insure proper documenta-tion of the Navys significant experiences. Per-manent records may be of research, legal, historical, or scientific value. In the geophysics community, some of the more important perma-nent records are the surface weather, upper-air, and bathythermograph observation record sheets and recordings taken by our observers. Just as important are research and program development files, and the so-called Trip Reports or Deploy-ment Reports filed by returning Mobile En-vironmental Team members and Geophysics

Officers of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. Many Operation and Exercise support files and Command History files from the Oceanography Centers also contain permanent record informa-tion. Usually, permanent record material is original material produced by you and the personnel in your office or command, but not all original material is permanent record material.

Temporary material Informational material that has little long-term value or significance but is necessary for the routine or short-term use. A few examples of temporary material frequently found in the geophysics community are the training reports, inventories, and general correspondence. In general, most material you file that is a copy of other material (copies of charts, messages, letters, technical information or magazine articles, and publications or pamphlets) may be considered temporary material.

Files for a specific subject may contain mixed materialboth permanent-record information and temporary information. Files that contain predominately permanent-record information are permanent files. Permanent files may contain copies of temporary information that directly relates to the information in the file, or supports the work or research. Temporary files contain mostly temporary information. Any information of permanent value in a temporary file must be separated from the file when the temporary information is destroyed.

Files are normally held in drawers of filing cabinets or safes, and separate file folders are used to contain each subject file. Many different types and grades of file folders are available in the supply system. Use of a specific type of file folder may be designated by the command or left to the users choice. For ease of finding and retrieving material, however, similar size file folders should be used in each set of files.

Many shipboard geophysics offices and Oce-anography Centers/Facilities also originate or receive, and hold, NEDS charts, FNOC message products, AUTODIN message reports of ship-board observations, outgoing meteorological and oceanographic support messages, incoming NWS products and bulletins, facsimile charts, and original (locally produced) meteorological or oceanographic analysis and prognostic charts. 

Few of these products are routinely stored in what is typically thought of as a set of files. Most likely, the smaller size paper products are sorted by type and date and stored in expandable envelopes, and the larger size original charts and facsimile charts are stored in map drawers or chart cabinets. The products, regardless of the method or location of storage, are official files and must be properly maintained, just as the material kept in file folders in safes and filing cabinets is properly maintained. Most files are maintained on an annual basis.

A separate set of file folders is used for each years files. Usually, file subject-titles and SSICs are duplicated on the new file folders. While most files start at the beginning of the calender year (January 1) and are closed out at the end of the calender year (December 31), fiscal files (or files dealing with budgeting, supply, or other money matters) are opened at the beginning of the Fiscal Year (1 October) and are closed at the end of each Fiscal Year (September 30). The date that files are closed is known as the cutoff date. No new material dated after the cutoff date should be placed in a file after the cutoff date. Material originated after the cutoff date should be placed in the next years set of files.

After the cutoff date, files must be held for a prescribed period of time, based on the type of information they hold. This period of time is known as the retention period. Most material held in files in geophysics offices have retention periods from 1 to 3 years. To determine the proper retention period for material in your files, you must consult SECNAVINST 5212.5, Navy and Marine Corps Records.

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