originators code are placed in descending order, with the date the letter is signed being the last item.
FILE NUMBERS. The file number is a four-or five-digit number which represents a letters subject, helps to file and retrieve correspondence, and eventually dispose of it. The file number is the appropriate standard subject identification code (SSIC), which can be found in SECNAVINST 5210.11 series. A file number is required on all correspondence.
ORIGINATORS CODE. An originators code, formed according to local instructions and serving as a basic identification symbol, appears on all outgoing correspondence. It is usually the office symbol of the drafter, but it may be the hull number of a ship. An example is: AD18-80. This is office/department 80 of ship AD-18.
SERIAL NUMBERS. All classified correspondence must have a serial number. Whether unclassified correspondence is also serialized depends on local policy. A command that produces little correspondence probably does not need to serialize. An activity that uses serial numbers starts a new sequence at the beginning of each calendar year and assigns the numbers consecutively. The serial number, when used, is combined with the originators code. The following format is used: Ser AD18-80/0726.
There is no punctuation following the Ser and no spaces before or after the slash. For classified correspondence, the classification letter precedes the serial number (C for Confidential, S for Secret, T for Top Secret). For example: Ser AD18-80/C16.
This is the sixteenth piece of confidential correspondence originating from this ship since the beginning of the year.
DATES. Date all copies of a letter. Type or stamp the date on the same day that the correspondence is signed. Follow a day-month-year order without punctuation. Use the first three letters of the month and the last two digits of the year, i.e., 13 Mar 87. The date is placed flush with the identification symbols on the line immediately below the originators code.
Every standard letter must have a From block. As a general rule, use the commanding officers title, the activitys name, and, for a command based ashore, the geographical location, without the state or ZIP Code. The precise wording of the address comes from the Standard Navy Distribution List (SNDL), OPNAV P09B2-107 (Parts 1 and 2), or the List of Marine Corps Activities, MCO P5400.6. Type From: at the left margin, on the second line below the date. Two spaces follow the colon, then the title and address of the originator. Continuing lines begin flush with the first word following the heading:
From: Commanding Officer, Fleet and Mine Warfare Training Center, Charleston
Some variations exist. If a one-of-a-kind title adequately identifies an activity, i.e., Chief of Naval Operations, the location is unnecessary. Alternately, some commanding officers prefer the entire mailing address to aid in replies.
In general, the To block follows the same format as the from block. Type To: at the left margin on the first line under the from block. Four spaces follow the colon then the title and address, including the ZIP Code. Additionally, the use of codes is encouraged. Place codes after the activitys name, i.e., Naval Medical Command (MEDCOM-16). Add the word Code before codes that start with numbers. A code that starts with a letter is readily identified as a code.
To: Commander, Naval Medical Command (MEDCOM-16), Navy Department, Washington, DC 20372-5120
A via block is used when one or more activities should see the letter before it reaches the action addressee. The format is similar to the from and to blocks. Type Via: at the left margin on the first line below the to block, with three spaces following the colon. Type the title and activity of the via addressee. Where there is more than one via addressee, they are listed with Arabic numerals in parentheses in the sequence through which the correspondence is to be sent.
The subject is a sentence fragment that tells the reader at a glance the subject matter of the letter. Type Subj: at the left margin on the second