procedures; require action; set forth information
essential to the effective administration or operation of
activities concerned; or contain authority or
information that must be promulgated formally.
Instruction
An instruction is a directive containing authority
or information having continuing reference value, or
requiring continuing action. It remains in effect until
superseded or otherwise canceled by the originator or
higher authority.
Notice
A notice is a directive of a one-time or brief nature,
and it always contains a self-canceling provision. A
notice has the same force or effect as an instruction.
Notices usually remain in effect for 6 months or less,
but never for longer than a year. Any requirement for
continuing action contained in a notice (such as
submitting a report, using a form, or following a
specified procedure) is canceled when the notice is
canceled, unless the requirement is incorporated into
another document (such as an instruction).
Change Transmittal
A change transmittal is used to transmit changes to
manuals, publications, instructions, or, occasionally,
notices. Each transmittal describes the nature of the
change and gives directions for making it. Changes
and corrections are made by inserting new pages,
removing obsolete pages, or making pen-and-ink
changes in the existing text. When a list of effective
pages is included with a change, it is important to
check all pages against the checklist. This procedure
enables you to determine if your publication is
complete and current.
In the Marine Corps,
comparable changes are made to orders and bulletins.
MAINTAINING DIRECTIVES
Instructions are normally placed in large three-ring
binders in numerical sequence according to a standard
subject identification code n u m b e r ( S S I C ) ,
consecutive number, and issuing authority. At some
activities, directives may be maintained in a CD-ROM
library. For security purposes, classified directives
and documents are generally filed in separate binders
and maintained in a safe.
Because of their brief
duration, notices ordinarily do not need to be filed in
the master file (main files of instructions). If it is
necessary to file them temporarily with instructions,
tab the notices so that each one may be easily and
promptly removed as soon as its cancellation date is
reached. Copies may be filed in separate suspense
binders when necessary.
Locator Sheets
When directives must be removed from the files, a
locator sheet is made up and put in where the directive
should be in the binder. This sheet will contain the
identity of the issuing authority, the directives
standard subject identification code number, subject
title, date removed, and both the location of the
directive and the name of the person who has custody
of it.
Making Changes
Follow the instructions enclosed in change
transmittals to enter changes to directives. Proper
notations, such as CH-1, are entered in the upper
right margin of the first page of each directive changed
to indicate changes received and incorporated. For
publication-type instructions, completed changes are
noted on the record of changes sheet in the front of the
publication.
List of Effective Instructions
Each year, BUMED conducts a review of all
current instructions, then compiles and distributes a
consolidated list of effective internal and external
instructions via the internet.
CORRESPONDENCE
In addition to maintaining directives and logs and
submitting reports, the Hospital 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.
Navy official correspondence is usually prepared
in the standard naval letter format, referred to as the
standard naval letter. 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 naval letter.
Instructions for typing standard naval letters are very
precise and must be followed to the last detail. All the
information to properly prepare naval correspondence
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