Navy Standard Letter and Memorandum Generator

Navy and Marine Corps standard letter format: what the generator sets

The standard letter of SECNAV M-5216.5 and MCO 5216.20B. Each rule is followed by where it is written.

Page setup

Letterhead

A one-inch DoD seal ½ inch from the top and left edges. "DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY" centered ⅝ inch from the top (Marine Corps activities print "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS"), then the activity's name and address. Computer-generated: 10-point bold for the first line, 8 point for the rest. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 2 par. 12; app. C pars. 1–2)

Marine Corps supplement

Marines prepare standard letters in this format, with additions of their own: letterhead ink is blue (PMS 288 or equivalent) on documents to be signed by the senior officials the supplement identifies, and black is an acceptable substitute for other signers; correspondence is addressed to the individual in command or in charge by functional title; the address carries the nine-digit ZIP code; the first Via addressee is written out in full and later ones may be abbreviated. (MCO 5216.20B ch. 13 sec. 2 par. 1)

Font and margins

10 to 12 point; 12-point Times New Roman is preferred, Courier New for informal correspondence. One-inch margins on every page; text is not justified. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 2 par. 20; ch. 7 par. 1)

Navy and Marine Corps

Heading

Sender's symbol

The SSIC on the second line below the letterhead, starting two inches or more from the right edge; the originator's code or serial under it; the date under that, as "7 Sep 06". (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 7 par. 3; ch. 2 par. 16)

From, To, Via

"From:" on the second line below the date with two spaces after the colon; "To:" on the next line with six; "Via:" on the next with five. Via addressees are numbered when there are two or more. A second line starts under the first word after the heading. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 7 pars. 6–8)

Subj, Ref, Encl

"Subj:" on the second line below, three spaces, every letter capitalized. "Ref:" four spaces and a letter in parentheses for every reference, even one. "Encl:" three spaces and a number in parentheses for every enclosure, even one. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 7 pars. 9–11)

Navy and Marine Corps

Text and signature

Paragraphs

Every paragraph is numbered or lettered: 1., a., (1), (a), then the same four underlined. Each new subdivision starts under the first letter of the paragraph above; continuation lines return to the left margin. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 7 par. 13; figure 7-8)

Later pages

The subject line is repeated at the top of each page and the text resumes on the second line below it. Page numbers are centered ½ inch from the bottom edge, starting with 2. A paragraph is split only with two lines on each page, and a signature page carries at least two lines of text. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 7 pars. 13, 16, 17)

Signature line

Starts at the center of the page on the fourth line below the text: initials and last name in capitals, no rank and no complimentary close. A title, "Acting" or "By direction" goes on the lines under it. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 7 par. 14)

Copy to

At the left margin on the second line below the signature line; the addressees listed below it. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 7 par. 15)

Navy and Marine Corps

Endorsements and memorandums

Endorsements

FIRST, SECOND, THIRD ENDORSEMENT. On the same page it follows the basic letter and may omit the SSIC, the subject and the basic letter's identification. On a new page it goes on the endorser's letterhead, repeats the SSIC, names the basic letter in the endorsement line ("SECOND ENDORSEMENT on NAS Meridian ltr 5216 Ser 11/273 of 22 Apr 15"), uses the basic letter's subject, and continues the page numbering. Added references and enclosures continue the lettering and numbering. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 9; figures 9-1, 9-2)

Memorandums

Memorandum for the record: plain paper, dated, signed, with the signer's organizational code. Plain-paper memorandum: the date on the sixth line ending at the right margin, then MEMORANDUM and the From-To headings. Letterhead memorandum: the standard letter's format with MEMORANDUM above From. (SECNAV M-5216.5 ch. 10; figures 10-1, 10-3, 10-4)