ROUTING

Knowing what to do with incoming correspondence is important to the efficient operation of your office and command. You must take care in the initial sorting and routing of incoming correspondence. You must make sure the proper individual receives the correspondence so he or she may take any action that is required with a particular piece of correspondence.

FILING

Constant changes in naval office personnel due to transfers, leave, and discharges create a need for a single subject classification system. The present standard Navywide system fulfills that need because it makes sure any person who knows the subject filing system of one ship or station can operate that of another with little decrease in efficiency. This does not mean that each office has the same number or type of files. Instead, it signifies that a standard system is used to (1) assign subject codes (numbers), (2) guarantee that general files have the same basic arrangement, and (3) make sure certain sets of files are kept by all activities.

Details of file arrangement within any particular naval office depend upon the mission or function of the office and the volume of its official correspondence.

You will find that the general files in your office are similar to those found in any other office in the Navy. These general files contain such items as incoming letters, copies of outgoing letters, and memorandums that normally form the bulk of your office files. In addition to the general files, you may decide to set up separate files for such items as claims, court-martial records, investigations, and nonjudicial punishments.

In a small SJA office where the volume of claims business is not so heavy, you could probably file all your claims correspondence in the general file (5890). However, if your office processes many claims, you should file only general correspondence in the general files and set up a special file in alphabetical order (by last name of claimant) for claims processed.

In a decentralized filing system, files are normally kept by the section responsible for the function being performed; that is, the claims section would keep claims

files, the review section would keep review files, and the legal assistance section would keep legal assistance files. You may encounter the decentralized filing

system in NLSOs where the volume of files warrants such a system. However, in a small SJA office where the volume of business (and hence, the volume of files) is not so heavy, such a system probably should not be instituted.

Court-martial records, while a part of your general files, are normally kept in a separate drawer of the filing cabinet. You should file summary court-martial (SCM), special court-martial (SPCM), and general court-martial (GCM) records separately. They may, of course, be filed in the same drawer of the filing cabinet, if necessary, but group them together by the type of court involved and file alphabetically according to the last name of the accused.

Whether your office uses a centralized or decentralized filing system is usually determined by the size of your organization and the volume of business handled. Whichever system you use, it is important that you thoroughly understand the system in use.

SUBJECT CLASSIFICATION

Having the proper subject classification on a naval letter or a directive will help you and the individual that the correspondence is being sent to in filing and in proper identification of the subject material. To make sure a piece of correspondence has the proper subject identification code, you should refer to the Department of the Navy Standard Subject Identificaton Codes,

SECAVINST 5210.11.

DRAFTING CORRESPONDENCE

As a senior LN, you will compose letters from brief notes or even from oral instructions. In preparing long letters, you should be able to prepare a first draft that will need only minor changes before the draft is ready for smooth typing. You should master the preparation of short, routine letters to the point where they rarely need any change before signature. Refer to the Correspondence Manual for instructions regarding naval writing standards and sample letters.