Navy Correspondence Field Guide.
A practical desk reference for picking the right format, building the page correctly, handling references and enclosures, setting the signature block, and catching the small formatting errors that create needless rework.
Choose the format by what the document needs to do.
Formal correspondence between commands, officials, or organizations when a standard Navy letter is appropriate.
Useful for internal or less formal official communication, including documenting decisions, agreements, or facts.
Captures significant facts, decisions, conversations, or events for the file when no outside addressee is needed.
Forwards correspondence through the chain while adding recommendations, information, approval, or disapproval.
Use the directives system when establishing policy, procedures, responsibilities, or time-limited direction. These are not just long letters.
Used when writing outside the Department of the Navy in business-letter format when appropriate.
Standard-letter anatomy at a glance.
| Element | What to check |
|---|---|
| Letterhead | Correct command identity and address; do not improvise decorative formatting. |
| Identification symbols | Use the correct SSIC, serial when required, and date placement. |
| From / To | Use official titles and organizations consistently. |
| Subj | Concise subject line that states what the correspondence is actually about. |
| Ref / Encl | Use only when needed, identify them correctly, and cite them in the body. |
| Body | Clear paragraph structure, professional tone, accurate capitalization, and no filler. |
| Signature | Correct signer name, title, and authority line when required. |
Write for the reader, not the routing folder.
SECNAV M-5216.5 emphasizes correspondence that is clear, concise, technically correct, grammatically correct, and free of typographical errors before signature. A document can be perfectly aligned and still be weak if the action is buried.
- Put the purpose early. The reader should not need three paragraphs to figure out why the document exists.
- Use direct verbs. Request, approve, provide, submit, and coordinate are usually clearer than passive setup language.
- Keep titles and capitalization disciplined. Do not carry random all-caps text forward from legacy templates.
- Use a point of contact when a reply or follow-up is likely.
Use the guide, then go straight to the work.
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