5212.5, contains detailed information about termi-
nating files.
DISPOSITION OF RECORDS
The Department of the Navy is producing records
with increasing speed and ease. Actions and decisions,
both important and unimportant, are being
documented at every level of command. Informational
papers are being more widely distributed. The records
disposal program is designed to identify records for
permanent retention or temporary retention and later
destruction. One of the goals of the program is to
dispose each year of a volume of records at least equal
to the volume of records created during that year.
Decisions to save or not save must not be avoided
by saving all your files. No matter how firmly you
believe that disposing of a file today will mean that
someone will need it tomorrow, a decision must be
made. If you are in doubt about disposal of certain
records, avoid taking it upon yourself either to retain or
dispose of them; consult with your superiors to decide
what course of action to take. The current version of
the Disposal of Navy and Marine Corps Records
Manual,
SECNAVINST 5212.5, discusses the
retention period of official files and explains whether
they should be destroyed or forwarded to a Federal
Records Center for further retention.
ELECTRONIC RECORDS
An electronic record is any information that is
recorded in a digital form that only a computer can
process. In practice, there is no difference between
managing electronic and paper records.
The Navy
Correspondence Manual is an excellent guide to use
for handling electronic records.
TICKLER FILES
As we discussed earlier in this chapter, the Medical
Department is required to submit a number of reports.
These required reports are listed in OPNAVNOTE
5214 (which is published annually) and in NAVMED
P-117, chapter 23. To ensure that these reports are
submitted in a timely manner, a system has been
developed to readily identify what report is due and
when it is due. This system is known as the tickler
system. The manner in which a tickler file is made up
may vary with each command. Use a computer to save
time since there are many approved programs
available to create tickler files. Or, you may use 5" x 8"
cards with separators marked with the month (i.e.,
January through December), with the tickler card filed
in the month in which the report is due. The tickler file
may also be used as a reminder of action required on
incoming correspondence, or interim reports on a
project with a future completion date. Aboard ship, the
tickler file is also required for personnel requiring
immunizations, physical examinations, or program
evaluation.
To ensure that departments submit all
reports when due, it is advisable to have a tickler
system alerting them in sufficient time before the
actual due date. This may be accomplished as follows:
Put out a monthly listing of reports due.
Provide each department with a copy of the
appropriate tickler card.
To be effective, the tickler file requires daily attention
and updating.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT SUPPORT
TO THE FLEET MARINE FORCE
(FMF) AND FLEET HOSPITALS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize the
medical organization of the Fleet Marine
Force and Fleet hospitals.
To understand the complexity of medical support
to FMF and Fleet hospitals, you must first be familiar
with its overall organization. We will first discuss the
FMF. Medical and dental personnel are not members
of the U.S. Marine Corps. They are detailed from the
Navy and assigned to the FMF, which is a balanced
force of combined air and ground troops trained,
organized, and equipped primarily for offensive
deployment.
The FMF consists of a headquarters,
force troops, a force service support group (FSSG),
one or more Marine divisions, brigades, and aircraft
wings.
Each of these units is assigned a specific
number of medical support personnel, providing an
interrelated network of medical support.
FMF MEDICAL SUPPORT
In general, Medical Department personnel serving
with FMF may be divided into two groups:
Combat personnel, who provide medical and
initial first aid to prepare the casualty for further
evacuation, and
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