Follow the instructions enclosed in a change transmittal to enter changes to a directive. Proper notations, such as CH-1, are entered in the upper margin of the first page of each directive changed to indicate changes received and incorporated. For publication-type instructions, the changes are annotated on the record of changes sheet in the front of the publication.
Each year, the Navy Publications and Printing Service compiles and distributes a consolidated numerical list of all effective instructions distributed outside the issuing Washington headquarters commands. Quarterly additions and deletions or other periodic issuances are also distributed. Additional copies of or missing directives, excluding notices, may be requested by using NAVSUP Form 1205, Departmental Directives Requisition.
In addition to maintaining directives and logs and submitting reports, the corpsman working in an administrative billet must be able to draft and type correspondence correctly and neatly and be able to file correspondence so that it may be retrieved quickly and efficiently as needed.
Within the Navy, official correspondence is usually prepared in the standard naval letter format. The standard naval letter is also used when corresponding with certain agencies of the United States Government. Some civilian firms that deal extensively with the Navy also prepare correspondence using the standard letter. Most official letters addressed to persons outside the Navy are written in the business form.
Instruction for typing standard naval letters are very precise and must be followed to the last detail. All the information to properly prepare correspondence can be found in SECNAVINST 5216.5 series, Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual. You should consult this mdnual when you type the various forms of correspondence to assure proper preparation. Refer to Figure 13-2 for the general format.
The first page of a standard naval letter contains the letterhead of the initiating activity. If the 13-6 letterhead is not preprinted, it must be typed, beginning on the fourth line from the top edge of the paper and centered. The first line of the letterhead is always Department of the Navy. The second line is the activity name and the last line is the geographical location, including the state and ZIP Code. All of the following pages of a letter are typed on plain white bond paper, which corresponds in color, size, and quality to the first page.
White and colored tissues (manifold sheets) are used for carbon copies. You will determine the number of copies that you will need according to local filing practices, the number of addressees, and the type of letter involved.
In a standard naval letter, the left, right, and bottom margins must be 1 inch. All of the following pages will have the same margins, with a 1 inch margin at the top of the page.
Standard Naval letters never contain a salutation or complimentary close. Paragraphs begin flush (not indented) with the left margin, and are typed in the block style. The first line of a subparagraph or long quotation begins four spaces from the left margin, and the following lines are flush with the first word of the heading entry. If headings are referred to in the test, they are spelled out in full. With the exception of From, To, and Via, heading entries are abbreviated. The second line of a heading entry begins flush with the first word of the heading entry. If headings are referred to in the text, they are spelled out in full. Examples are provided in the paragraphs on headings.
The location of the identification symbols is governed by the In Reply Refer To line in the upper right-hand corner of the page. If this line is on your letterhead, the identification symbols are placed one line below and flush with the first letter or moved to the left as necessary to maintain a 1 inch margin on the right. If the In Reply Refer To line is absent, the identification symbols begin one line below the letterhead, starting 2 inches or more from the right edge of the paper. The longest identification symbols should end close to the right margin. The file number and