DoDM 5110.04, Volume 1, 'Manual for Written Material ...

1 DOD manual , Volume 1 manual FOR Written Material : correspondence management Originating Component: Office of the Chief management Officer of the Department of Defense Effective: June 16, 2020 Releasability: Cleared for public release. Available on the Directives Division Website at Reissues and Cancels: DoD manual , Volume 1, DoD manual for Written Material : correspondence management , October 26, 2010, as amended Approved by: Lisa W. Hershman, Chief management Officer of the Department of Defense Purpose: This manual is composed of two volumes, each containing its own purpose. In accordance with the authority in DoD Directive , the July 11, 2014 Deputy Secretary of Defense (DepSecDef) Memorandum, the February 1, 2018 Secretary of Defense (SecDef) Memorandum, and the policy in DoD Instruction (DoDI) : This manual provides guidance for managing: o The correspondence of the SecDef, the DepSecDef, and the Executive Secretary of the DoD (ExecSec).

2 O The correspondence of the OSD and DoD Components that is directed to the SecDef, the DepSecDef, and the ExecSec. This Volume : o Assigns responsibilities and provides procedures for preparing and submitting correspondence to SecDef, DepSecDef, and ExecSec using appropriate formatting, grammar, and writing guidelines in accordance with DoDI o Establishes the Director, Executive Services Directorate (ESD), under the authority, direction, and control of the Director, Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) as the lead agent for processing, controlling, disseminating, and archiving official classified and unclassified correspondence addressed to and sent by the SecDef, the DepSecDef, and the ExecSec. DoDM , Volume 1, June 16, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: GENERAL ISSUANCE INFORMATION.

3 7 Applicability.. 7 Information Collections.. 7 SECTION 2: RESPONSIBILITIES .. 8 Director, ESD.. 8 Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs (ATSD(PA)).. 8 Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs (ASD(LA)).. 8 General Counsel of the Department of Defense (GC DoD).. 9 OSD and DoD Component Heads.. 9 SECTION 3: GENERAL correspondence management .. 10 Assigning Action on SecDef, DepSecDef, and ExecSec correspondence .. 10 Assigning Suspense Dates.. 10 Routing Incoming correspondence .. 11 Processing OSD and DoD Component 12 Providing Status or Requesting Changes to Actions.. 12 a. Use of SD Form 391, Secretary of Defense correspondence Action Report.. 12 b. Changes to Action Assignments.. 13 Coordinating Assigned Actions.. 14 Submitting Materials to the SecDef, the DepSecDef, or the ExecSec.

4 15 Suspense Reporting.. 16 SECTION 4: WHITE HOUSE correspondence management .. 17 General Processing Information.. 17 Assigning Suspense Dates for White House correspondence .. 17 Replying to White House correspondence .. 18 a. Draft Reply.. 18 b. Interim Reply.. 18 c. Final Reply.. 19 Preparing DoD-Originated White House correspondence .. 19 Forms of Address.. 19 SECTION 5: CONGRESSIONAL correspondence management .. 21 CMD Procedures Reporting.. 21 Signature Authorities.. 21 Offices of Primary Responsibility.. 21 SECTION 6: WRITING STYLE AND PREFERRED USAGE .. 24 General 24 a. Action and Info Memoranda.. 24 b. correspondence for Principals Signature.. 24 c. References.. 24 Preparation.. 24 a. Subject Line on Memoranda and Messages.. 24 b. Audience.. 25 c. Purpose.

5 25 Organization, Clarity, and 26 DoDM , Volume 1, June 16, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 a. Organization.. 26 b. Clarity and Style.. 28 Capitalization, Punctuation, and Usage.. 31 a. Capitalization.. 31 b. Acronyms and Abbreviations.. 32 c. Punctuation.. 33 d. Numbers.. 35 e. Dates.. 36 f. Commonly Confused Words.. 36 SECTION 7: MEMORANDA .. 38 When to Use a Memorandum.. 38 Preparing Standard Memoranda.. 38 a. Stationery.. 38 b. Margins.. 39 c. Font.. 39 d. Spacing.. 39 e. 39 f. Paragraphing.. 39 g. Page 39 h. Date.. 40 i. Address Line.. 40 j. Attention Line.. 41 k. Through Line.. 41 l. Subject Line.. 41 m. References.. 41 n. Salutation.. 42 o. Body.. 42 p. Complimentary Close.. 42 q. Signature Block.. 43 r. Attachments.. 43 s. Material Under Separate Cover.. 44 t.

6 Courtesy Copies (cc).. 44 u. Security Classification Markings.. 46 Action Memoranda.. 46 a. Preparing an Action Memorandum.. 46 b. Assembling an Action Memorandum Package.. 48 c. Submitting an Action Memorandum Package.. 49 Information (Info) Memoranda.. 49 a. Preparing an Info Memorandum.. 49 b. Assembling an Info Memorandum Package.. 50 c. Submitting an Info Memorandum 51 Multi-Addressee Memoranda.. 51 a. Preparing a Multi-Addressee Memorandum.. 51 b. Ordering Multi-Addressees.. 51 c. Submission and Distribution of Multiple-Addressee 54 DoDM , Volume 1, June 16, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 SECTION 8: LETTERS .. 65 When to Use a Letter.. 65 Preparing Official Letters.. 65 a. Stationery.. 65 b. Margins.. 65 c. Font.. 66 d. Spacing.. 66 e. 66 f. Paragraphing.. 66 g. Page 66 h.

7 Date.. 66 i. Address.. 66 j. Attention Line.. 67 k. Salutation.. 67 l. Body.. 67 m. Complimentary Close.. 68 n. Signature Block.. 68 o. Enclosures.. 69 p. Material Under Separate Cover.. 70 q. Courtesy Copies.. 70 r. Security Classification 71 Packaging a Letter for Delivery.. 71 Submitting a Letter for Signature.. 72 Preparing Personal Letters for SecDef and DepSecDef Signature.. 72 a. Stationery and Envelopes.. 72 b. Subject and Attention Lines.. 72 c. Date.. 72 d. Forms of Address.. 72 e. Envelope 74 f. Signature Block.. 74 g. Courtesy Copies.. 75 h. Special Handling Instructions.. 75 SECTION 9: CATMS .. 77 General.. 77 Using CATMS to Task and Coordinate correspondence .. 77 Processing correspondence in CATMS.. 77 SECTION 10: COMMUNICATIONS WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

8 79 General.. 79 Preparing and Submitting Electronic Messages.. 79 Processing Electronic Communications.. 79 SECTION 11: E-MAIL .. 80 General.. 80 Guidelines.. 80 CMD s Use of E-mail.. 81 SECTION 12: LETTERHEAD STATIONERY .. 82 DoDM , Volume 1, June 16, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 General.. 82 Guidance.. 82 Authorizations.. 82 a. Authorized Users.. 82 b. Authorized Designators.. 83 Procedures.. 84 a. Preprinted Official Letterhead Stationery.. 84 b. Computer-generated Letterhead Stationery.. 85 c. Envelopes.. 85 SECTION 13: OFFICIAL DIGRAPHS AND TRIGRAPHS .. 86 For Component assignments.. 86 For Action Required.. 88 GLOSSARY .. 89 Acronyms.. 89 REFERENCES .. 91 TABLEST able 1. Action Suspense Types and Timelines .. 11 Table 2. Materials Not Processed Through CMD.

9 12 Table 3. SD Form 391 Approval Authorities .. 14 Table 4. Addressing the President .. 19 Table 5. Addressing the Vice President .. 20 Table 6. Addressing Members of Congress .. 23 Table 7. Examples of Vague Subjects and Suggested Alternatives .. 25 Table 8. Transitional Words and Phrases .. 27 Table 9. Examples of Passive Voice and Suggested Alternatives .. 29 Table 10. Examples of Weak Verb Phrases and Suggested Alternatives .. 30 Table 11. Subject-Verb Agreement Guidelines .. 31 Table 12. Examples of DoD-Specific Capitalization .. 32 Table 13. List of Commonly Confused Words .. 37 Table 14. Sample Attention Lines in Memoranda .. 41 Table 15. Listing References .. 42 Table 16. Dual and Multiple Signature Blocks .. 43 Table 17. Listing Attachments .. 44 Table 18. Sample List of Material Under Separate Cover in a Memorandum.

10 44 Table 19. Sample Courtesy Copy Listings in Memoranda .. 45 Table 20. Listing Coordinating Officials .. 49 Table 21. Sample Attention Line in a 67 Table 22. Listing 70 Table 23. Sample List of Material Under Separate Cover in a Letter .. 70 Table 24. Sample Courtesy Copy Listings in Letters .. 71 Table 25. Addressing a Foreign Chief of State, Head of Government, or Cabinet Minister .. 73 Table 26. Digraphs and Trigraphs for Action or Information Component Assigned .. 86 Table 27: Digraphs and Trigraphs for Action Required .. 88 DoDM , Volume 1, June 16, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 FIGURES Figure 1. Sample Standard Unclassified Memorandum .. 55 Figure 2. Sample Standard Classified Memorandum .. 57 Figure 3. Sample Action 59 Figure 4. Sample Classified Info Memorandum .. 60 Figure 5.