Standard Letter

Use the standard letter to correspond officially with activities in the Department of Defense (DOD). You can also use the standard letter when corresponding with organizations outside the DOD if they have adopted the format. Outside users include the Coast Guard and some contractors who deal extensively with the Navy and Marine Corps. For instructions on how to prepare and examples of properly prepared standard letters, refer to the Correspondence Manual, chapter 2.

Multiple-Address Letter

Use the multiple-address letter when you have more than one action addressee. Except for its handling of addressees, the multiple-address letter is the same as the standard letter. For instructions on the preparation of and samples of properly prepared multiple-address letters, refer to the Correspondence Manual, chapter 3.

Endorsement

When a letter comes to your activity because you are a via addressee, prepare an endorsement rather than another letter. You can use either a same-page endorsement or a new-page endorsement as shown in the Correspondence Manual, chapter 4. Many endorsements simply forward letters without substantive comment to the next via addressee, if any, or to the action addressee; however, other possibilities exist. An endorsement may either comment on the basic letter or any earlier endorsement. An endorsement may alter the order of any remaining via addressees or add others. An endorsement may return the basic letter with a final reply or a request for more information.

Memorandum

A memorandum provides an informal way to correspond within an activity or between several activities. Subordinates may use a memorandum to correspond directly with each other on routine business. You may not use a memorandum to issue directives. Examples of memorandums are shown in the Correspondence Manual, chapter 6.

Business Letter

Use the business letter to correspond with agencies or individuals outside the Department of the Navy (DON) who are unfamiliar with the standard letter. You may also use the business letter for official correspondence between individuals within the DON when the occasion calls for a personal approach. Instructions for the proper preparation and samples of business letters are shown in the Correspondence Manual, chapter 7.

Message

Messages are the quickest form of written communication in the Navy. Our telecommunications system is designed to get time-sensitive or critical information to addressees rapidly for effective use of information.

There are four types of classified and unclassified narrative messages: single-address, multiple-address, book, and general messages.

A message that has only one addressee, either action (TO) or information (INFO), is a single-address message.

A message that has two or more addressees, whether action or information, and is of such a nature the drafter considers that each addressee should know the other recipients is a multiple-address message.

A message that is destined for two or more addressees, but is of such a nature the drafter considers that no addressee need or should he informed of the other addressee(s), is a book message.

General messages are designed to meet recurring requirements for the issuing of information to a wide, predetermined standard distribution. General messages are titled; for example, ALCOM, ALMILACT, or NAVOP. Because the title indicates the distribution, it serves as the address designator in the address line of the message heading.

General administrative (GENADMIN) is the format used for most narrative messages, with the only exception being those narrative messages that a publication, instruction, or directive requires a different format. Refer to the Telecommunications Users Manual, NTP 3(I), Annex C, regarding the rules and general regulations for the preparation of the GENADMIN message format.

You may not use a DD Form 173 for submission of messages anymore. Instead, you must use the message text format (MTF) program. This program allows for floppy diskette transmission and up to 50 messages may be included on one diskette.