“PREPARING AND MANAGING CORRESPONDENCE”

PRESENTED BY

COL EDILBERTO L SURATOS GSC (AGS) PA

DEPUTY/EX-O
 OBJECTIVES

TO KNOW THE POLICIES AND

PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN
PREPARING AND MANAGING
CORRESPONDENCE
CLASSIFICATION OF CORRESPONDENCE
(WHETHER MILITARY OR NON-MILITARY )

1. FORMAL:
LETTER AND INDORSEMENT
2. INFORMAL:
DF, RS, RADIO MESSAGE
3. MISCELLANEOUS:
CONFERENCE MINUTES
BRIEFING NOTES / KITS
AFTER CONFERENCE REPORT
MEMORANDUM
 REFERENCES

1. AFPM 12-2
2. HPA STAFF HAND BOOK
3. COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS HANDBOOK
4. GHQ & HPA MEMORANDUM
 SCOPE

1. SUBJECT TO LETTER
2. DISPOSITION FORM / SDF
3. MEMORANDUM
 Top Margin .75 or ¾ inch

HEADQUARTERS
PHILIPPINE ARMY
Fort Andres Bonifacio, Metro Manila
2 R/S 2 R/S
1/OAAG Date
Left
2 R/S Right
margin
1.25 or
SUBJECT: Not to Exceed 10 Words margin
.75 or
1¼ ¾ inch
inches
4 R/S
THRU: Channel
 THRU: Channel
4 R/S
TO: Commander
HHSG, PA
Post
Attn: AC of S for Personnel, G1

5 R/S
1. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
2 R/S
2. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
2. X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x following:
2 R/S
a. Xxxxx 1st Subdivision of paragraph
b. Xxxxx
2 R/S
3. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
2 R/S
a. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
b. X x x x x x x x x x x x to wit:
2 R/S
(1) Xxxx
2 Subdivision of paragraph
nd

(2) Xxxx
(a) X x x …./
 Top Margin 1.25 or 1 ¼ inches

(a) X x x x x.
3rd Subdivision of paragraph
(b) X x as follows:
2 R/S
1. X x x x x.
4th Subdivision of paragraph
2. X x x x x.
2 R/S
4. X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x.
2 R/S
5. X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x.

1.25 or 1 ¼ inches
Bottom margin
 6. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
2 R/S
7. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx.
2 R/S
8. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2 R/S
9. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
x.
 10. X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
2 R/S
BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL IBRADO:
C
e
n
5 R/S t
e
r 2 B/S
2 Incls: EDILBERTO L SURATOS
1. Ltr GHQ, AFP dtd 10 Apr 06 l Lt Colonel, GSC (AGS) PA
2. SOP Nr 1, GHQ, AFP dtd 25 Feb 00 i Asst. Adjutant General
1 R/S n
e
Copies Furnished:
GC, Signal Group, PA
GC, CMOG, PA
ON THE BODY OF CORRESPONDENCE:

“ EFFECTIVE ARMY WRITING TRANSMITS A CLEAR

MESSAGE IN A SINGLE RAPID READING AND ITS GENERALLY
FREE OF ERRORS IN GRAMMAR, MECHANICS AND WORD
USAGES “

“ GOOD ARMY WRITING IS CONCISE, ORGANIZED AND

RIGHT TO THE EPOINT “
7 RULES OF THE ARMY WRITING STYLE

1. PUT THE MAIN POINT UP-FRONT (B-L-U-F)

2. WRITE SHORT PHARAGRAPHS.

3. WRITE SHORT PAPERS. (1 to 2 Pages Long)

4. PREFER ACTIVE SENTENCE

5. USE MOSTLY SHORT, CONVERSATIONAL WORDS.

6. WRITE SHORT SENTENCE. (Average of 15 Words)

7. BE CORRECT, CREDIBLE AND COMPLETE.

THE 15 – 15 – 1 – 2 RULE

• WRITING SHOULD NOT HAVE MORE THAN 15 PERCENT LONG WORDS.

• YOUR SENTENCES SHOULD AVERAGE AROUND 15 WORDS IN LENGTH.

• PARAGRAPH SHOULD NOT BE MORE THAN 1-INCH DEEP.

• PAPER SHOULD NOT BE OVER 2 PAGES LONG.

 DISPOSITION FORM (DF)

* USED FOR CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN

ELEMENTS OF AN ORGANIZATION.

* AN ACTION PAPER USED TO ORIGINATE

AN ACTION OR OBTAIN COMMENTS, COORDINATION,
OR OTHER ACTION.

* USUALLY PRE-PRINTED DATA.

 GENERAL RULES
A. THE OFFICE SYMBOLS INDENTIFIES THE SPECIFIC ORIGINATING OFFICE.

B. THE DATE IS THE DAY THE DF IS SIGNED.

C. THE SUBJECT IS TYPED WITH THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH WORD

CAPITALIZED.
STATE THE SUBJECT IN CONCISE TERMS.

D. WITHIN HPA, THE DF IS ADDRESSED TO ANOTHER STAFF ONLY BUT NEVER

TO THE COMMANDING GENERAL. USE “MULTIPLE” OR “IN TURN” ADDRESSEE
WHEN THER IS MORE THAN ONE ADDRESSEE. USE ABBREVIATED
DESIGNATIONS OF ADDRESSEE AND ORIGINATOR UNLESS ABBREVIATIONS RISK
MISUNDERSTANDING. USE “ATTN” TO IDENTIFY THE INTENDED ACTION
OFFICER WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.

E. THE ACTUAL WRITER MUST BE IDENTIFIED BY NAME. CITE THE TYPIST’S

INITIAL AND THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE WRITER.

F. ORGANIZE THE SUBSTANCE OR BODY OF THE DF IN NUMBER PARAGRAPHS,

LETTERED SUBPARAGRAPHS, ETC. IF THE DF CONSIST OF ONLY ONE (1)
PARAGRAPH, DO NOT NUMBER IT.
G. MARGINS ARE GOVERNED BY THE PRINTED LINES ON THE FORM.

H. THE COMMANDER MAY AUTHORIZED OTHERS TO SIGN THE DF FOR HIM.

WHEN SOMEONE SIGNS FOR THE COMMANDER, THE AUTHORITY LINE WIL BE
USED TO INDICATE THAT THE DF EXPRESSES THE WILL OF THE COMMANDER.

I. THE NUMBER OF INCLOSURES WILL ALWAYS BE STATED. WHEN THEY ARE

NOT FULLY IDENTIFIED IN THE BODY, GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EACH. IF
THE INCLOSURES ARE FULLY IDENTIFIED, USE THE SYSBOL “AS” TO INDICATE
“AS STATED”.

J. THE BASIC MESSAGE IS “CMT 1”. SUCCEEDING ENTRIES ARE

CONSECUTIVELY NUMBERED “COMMENTS” BEGINNING WITH “CMT 2”. WHEN
SUCCEEDING COMMENTS CAN BE STATED IN FULL ON THE SAME PAGE, PLACE
THEM IMMIDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PRECEDING COMMENT. IF THE ENTIRE
COMMENT WILL NOT FIT, BEGIN IT ON A SEPARATE BLANK PAGE. WHEN A
COMMENT CONSISTS OF ONLY ONE PARAGRAPH, IT IS NOT NUMBERED.
SUMMARY DISPOSITION FORM (SDF)

* A STAFF PAPER USED TO

SECURE COMMANDERS APPROVAL OF
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.
 PARAGRAPHS OF SDF

1. REFERENCES – TO ESTABLISHE THE BACKGROUND

2. PURPOSE – TO STATE THE PURPOSE

3. DISCUSSION – TO DISCUSS THE RELEVANT ISSUES

4. RECOMMENDATIONS – TO RECOMMEND THE

ACTION NECESSARY
 “WE SHALL DEVELOP OUR STRENGTHS,
ADDRESS OUR WEAKNESSES AND
CORRECT OUR DEFICIENCIES IN ORDER
TO COMPLEMENT ONE ANOTHER”

LTGEN ALEXANDER B YANO AFP

COMMANDING GENERAL, PA
“OUR PLEASURE
TO
SERVE YOU”

THE ADJUTANTS
 THERE’S NO WAY TO UNDO THE PAST,
BUT WE CAN WEAVE THE FUTURE INTO A
MASTERPIECE.

THE ADJUTANTS