1602. Preparation of Official Correspondence.

1. Official correspondence in the form of letters (including endorsements) and memoranda shall be prepared as prescribed or authorized in the Navy Correspondence Manual, issued by the Secretary of the Navy. The term "official correspondence" includes issuances in the Navy and Marine Corps Directives Systems and the provisions of this chapter apply thereto, except as may be prescribed otherwise by the Secretary of the Navy or by his authority. Reports shall be prepared in accordance with law and regulations, directives, orders or requests of competent authorities.

2. Official correspondence in the form of messages shall be prepared in accordance with instructions contained in Communication Instructions and related publications issued by the Chief of Naval Operations.

1603. Official Correspondence by the Secre

tary of the Navy.

Official correspondence which is required by law to be conducted by the head of the department or official correspondence with other departments, branches, and agencies of the government involving establishment of policies or enactment of legislation, shall be conducted by the Secretary of the Navy.

1604. Signing "By Direction of the Secretary."

1. Official correspondence shall not be signed "By direction of the Secretary" except by the Judge Advocate General, by the official charged with correspondence relating to pensions or records of service, and by such other officials as the Secretary may specifically authorize to do so.

2. When it is necessary for others in authority, in giving an order or making a communication, to refer to an order or authorization of the Secretary, the specific order or authorization shall be cited.

1605. Security and Priority of Official Correspondence.

1. Official correspondence that must be limited in circulation shall be appropriately classified, marked, handled, transmitted, and filed.

2. Official correspondence other than messages shall be regarded as of two priorities— urgent and ordinary. Urgent official correspondence shall be given precedence, and shall be appropriately marked.

1606. General Rules for Official Correspond

ence.

1. Official correspondence shall be courteous in tone, concise, and accurate; typed or printed, if practicable; and, if appropriate, may include tables, diagrams, photographs, or similar material.

2. Letters, if classified confidential or higher, shall be serially numbered in each calendar year by the originator; and may be serially numbered if not so classified.

3. Correspondence addressed to the Civil

Service Commission pertaining to examinations, certificates, appointments, or similar matters concerning civilian employees shall be submitted in accordance with the Naval Civilian Personnel Instructions.

4. Official correspondence to foreign addresses shall be in the English language.

5. Letters or documents written in a foreign language shall, when transmitted, be accompanied by translations in English if practicable. 1607. Addressees.

1. Official correspondence intended for the incumbent of an office and pertaining to that office shall be addressed to him by title and not by name.

2. Official correspondence intended for the Navy Department shall be addressed to the chief of the bureau or office having control of the subject matter.

3. Official correspondence intended for a command or activity shall be addressed to the commanding officer or officer in charge, as the case may be. This paragraph shall not be construed to prevent the direct exchange, between subordinates within a command or activity, of memoranda, reports, and similar correspondence required in the performance of their duties.

4. Except in the case of official correspondence intended for ships, the address may be followed by the title or the code designation of the office having immediate responsibility for the subject matter.

5. Official correspondence erroneously addressed shall be forwarded by the recipient to the proper addressee if known, and notice of such action shall be sent to the originator and to the activity from which received. If the proper addressee is unknown, the correspondence shall be returned to the originator. 1608. Signing Official Correspondence.

1. The commanding officer or officer in charge shall sign all official correspondence addressed to higher authority relating to the mission or efficiency of his command or activity.

2. Official correspondence which is required by law or regulation to be signed by an officer in the execution of the duties of his office shall be signed by him in his own handwriting.

3. Other than the above, official correspondence may be signed for a chief of a bureau or office of the Navy Department, an officer in

command, or an officer in charge of an activity, by subordinate officers when authorized by him to do so. However, a disbursing officer shall not be authorized to sign travel orders or orders affecting pay and allowances.

4. In official correspondence signed by subordinate officers for a senior, the words "Deputy" or similar title, "Chief of Staff," or "By direction," as appropriate, shall appear below the signature of the subordinate officer, except that, in orders affecting pay and allowances, the words "By direction of-(the appropriate commander)" shall appear after the title of his office. In the business form letter the rank of the signing official, his functional title, and, as applicable, the words "Deputy" or similar title, "Chief of Staff," or "By direction of (appropriate commander)" should appear in that order below the signature.

5. When an officer temporarily succeeding to command signs official correspondence, the word "Acting" shall appear below his signature. 6. Except as required in paragraph 2 above facsimile signatures may be used for signing official correspondence, but only to the extent authorized by, and subject to the instructions of, the bureau or office of the Navy Department, or the fleet, type, area, or district commander concerned.

7. Except in the business-form letter, official correspondence signed by a subordinate officer for a senior shall have the title of the senior officer in the prescribed place at the head of the correspondence, and may have the name of such senior officer placed above the signature of the subordinate.

1609. Forwarding Official Correspondence.

1. Official correspondence shall be forwarded via the chain of command or control, except as otherwise prescribed by these regulations or other competent authority. In the case of dispatches, officials through whom a letter pertaining to the same subject would have been forwarded, shall be made information addressees.

2. Officers in the chain of command or control shall forward official correspondence, as soon as practicable, with appropriate endorsement. The endorsement may be restricted to the term "Forwarded," but only if no opinion or comment is necessary.

3. The originator shall inform his seniors in

the chain of command or control whenever official correspondence, which normally would be forwarded via them, is sent direct.

4. Official correspondence of a routine or technical nature requiring no action, review, or comment by officers in the chain of command or control may be sent direct by a command or activity to the addressee, unless otherwise directed.

5. Correspondence of interest to other executive departments, including all reports on diplomatic subjects, shall be forwarded to the appropriate addressees in the Navy Department for transmission to such executive departments.

6. Official correspondence from or to the bureaus, boards, and offices of the Navy Department affecting the availability for service of units of the Operating Forces, or containing information affecting or which may affect their movement, operation, or disposition, shall be sent via the Chief of Naval Operations.

7. The chiefs of bureaus and offices of the Navy Department may send circular letters and similar material of a technical nature directly to individual officers for their personal files.

8. Official correspondence of a ship at a naval shipyard in regard to all matters pertaining to the yard shall be direct with the commander of the shipyard, except when otherwise directed by an administrative senior.

9. Official correspondence with the Navy Department or with the commander of the fleet or unit of the fleet to which a ship at a naval shipyard is attached shall, unless otherwise specified, be forwarded via the commander of the shipyard when the subject of such correspondence pertains to the yard.

10. Official correspondence addressed to subordinates within a command or activity shall be forwarded through the commanding officer or officer in charge, except as otherwise prescribed by regulation or other competent authority.

1610. Copies.

1. The originator of official correspondence shall provide a copy for each office through which such official correspondence is routed. In the case of an endorsement stating an opinion, a copy of the endorsement shall also be forwarded to the originator of the basic correspondence and to each prior endorser. Each

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copy shall show the office of origin, have the name of the originator typed or stamped thereon, and be marked for the office for which it is intended. Except in cases of correspondence addressed outside of the Naval Establishment, the original and all copies shall show the list of offices to which information copies are sent.

2. A copy of official correspondence may be sent direct to an office other than that to which such correspondence is addressed, but no action shall be directed or requested of the recipient unless the copy bears the same authentication as the original.

1611. Acknowledgment of Receipt.

Receipt of official correspondence shall be acknowledged when requested or when unusual delay is expected in either action or reply. 1612. Answering Official Correspondence.

1. Normally, official correspondence shall be answered by separate correspondence and not by endorsement.

2. Separate official correspondence shall be originated on each separate subject, unless the subjects are of a like nature.

3. Official correspondence shall be opened upon receipt by the officer actually in command at the time, or by his designated representative, and all matters requiring prompt action shall be given immediate attention. 1613. Files.

1. Copies of all official correspondence sent and the originals of all official correspondence received, and such other correspondence as will or may become the subject of future reference or action, shall be preserved in files.

2. Flag files shall be separated from the files of the flagship in such manner that the transfer of the flag files will leave the ship files intact and complete.

1614. Disposal of Obsolete Correspondence.

Obsolete correspondence shall be disposed of only in accordance with instructions authorized by the Secretary of the Navy.

1615. Oral or Telephonic Communications.

When official business is conducted by telephone or orally, the substance of any communication or order that should be made matter of record shall be reduced to writing without unnecessary delay.

NOTE.-There are no articles 1616-1700.

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