Naval correspondence formats
The Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual (SECNAV M-5216.5) defines a handful of document formats. Here is what each one is for — and a free, in-browser tool that formats every one of them to the manual, with pixel-accurate PDF and editable Word exports.
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- Standard naval letter (Ch 7) — the formal default for official business up the chain or outside your command. Letterhead, identification symbols upper-right, From/To/Via, numbered paragraphs. Full how-to →
- Memorandum (From-To) (Ch 10) — informal, routine business within your own command. Plain bond or letterhead, headed "MEMORANDUM," date-only identification by default.
- Memorandum for the Record (MFR) (Ch 10) — documents something for the file: the result of a meeting, a phone call, an oral agreement. It isn't addressed or sent — you write it, sign it, and file it.
- Business letter (Ch 11) — for firms, agencies, or people outside the DoD. An inside address and salutation instead of From/To, a civilian-style date, unnumbered paragraphs, and a centered "Sincerely," over the signature.
- Endorsement (Ch 9) — how a Via addressee forwards a letter, adding its own recommendation and signature as an appended page.
- Multiple-address letter (Ch 8) — one letter to several action addressees: up to four stack on the To: line; five or more move to a Distribution: line after the signature.
- Memorandum of Agreement / Understanding (MOA/MOU) (Ch 10) — a plain-bond agreement between two activities, with a centered title, the parties listed "BETWEEN," and dual signatures (the senior official at the right).
- Joint letter / memorandum (Ch 7) — one letter co-signed by two or more commands, each with its own identification column and signature, the senior command at the right.
- NATO travel order — the bilingual two-page form, with U.S. → NATO rank codes filled in.
What the tool does
Pick a type, type your content, and the yeomanizer renders the manual-correct page live. Export a CAC-signable PDF or an editable Word document — clean, with no hidden metadata. Everything runs in your browser: nothing you type is sent or stored, which matters when you're handling sensitive or CUI material. It also includes a searchable SSIC code lookup and the full manual text.