Use the Marine rule set first.
Department of the Navy policy may supply the baseline, but Marine Corps orders, supplements, current messages, and official templates determine how a Marine product is handled. Local SOPs may add routing details; they do not override higher authority.
SECNAV M-5216.5 + MCO 5216.20B w/Admin Ch-4
Use the DON Correspondence Manual as the baseline and the Marine Corps supplement as the service-specific layer. MilAdmin keeps Marine correspondence separate from Navy-only conventions.
Standard letters, endorsements, memoranda for the record, information papers, position papers, decision papers, point papers, and other administrative staff products.
Letterhead, SSIC/serial/date, addressing lines, subject, paragraph hierarchy, references/enclosures, signature authority, continuation pages, and local routing.
MCO 5216.19A / NAVMC 10274
Administrative Actions should clearly state the requested action, basis, supported facts, references, and supporting documents. MilAdmin leaves unknown facts unresolved rather than filling them with plausible language.
Important: MilAdmin’s AA workspace is a drafting aid; the reviewed substance still belongs in the current official NAVMC 10274 process or command workflow.
MCO 5215.1K w/Admin Ch-3
Marine Corps Orders and Bulletins are governed by the Marine Corps Directives Management Program. Orders generally carry continuing policy or procedures. Bulletins generally address temporary or time-limited direction and require close attention to cancellation/expiration and records treatment.
A Marine directive should never be generated by simply relabeling a Navy instruction.
SECNAV M-1650.1 + Marine administrative procedures
SECNAV M-1650.1 is the controlling DON awards manual. Marine Corps administrative procedures and current messages remain part of the processing layer. MilAdmin can help organize supported accomplishments and draft citation language, but the chain of command determines award level, authority, routing, and approval.
MCO 1610.7B + current amendments
The base PES order must be read with current amendment and clarification messages. HQMC’s current Performance Evaluation page lists MARADMIN 634/23, 575/24, 595/24, and 209/26 among the active references. Report occasion, omission criteria, directed comments, and senior-enlisted format changes should therefore never be decided from memory alone.
MCO 1616.1
JEPES is the junior-enlisted evaluation system. Command Input addresses character, MOS/mission accomplishment, and leadership, while objective score components remain separate. MilAdmin organizes factual observations; it does not choose marks or calculate a promotion recommendation.
How MilAdmin resolves a rule
- Current statute, DoD, or DON authority when applicable.
- Current Marine Corps Order/manual or service supplement.
- Current MARADMIN/ALMAR amendment or clarification.
- Official HQMC forms, templates, training, or examples.
- Local SOP only for local routing/practice.
If two sources appear to conflict, MilAdmin should flag the conflict and favor the newer controlling authority instead of quietly guessing.
Current source status — September 2026
MCPEL lists MCO 5216.20B w/Admin Ch-4, MCO 5216.16B, MCO 5216.19A, and MCO 5215.1K w/Admin Ch-3 as current. HQMC Performance Evaluation lists MCO 1610.7B with current amendment/clarification references, and MCO 1616.1 remains the JEPES order.