AR 25 – 50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence: October 2020

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Signature blocks on MOUs and MOAs are unique because the signature blocks of the agree- ing agencies’ parties appear on the same line. The proponent may delegate this approval authority, in writing, to members of the Senior Executive Service within the proponent agency. If the subject is more than one line, begin the second line flush with the left margin (see fig 2–13). Exception: When used for “Exclusive For” correspondence, appreciation, and commendation, address the memorandum to the name and title of the ad- dressee. Use The memorandum is used for correspondence sent outside the headquarters, command, installation, activities, units, or similarly identifiable organizational elements within DoD; for routine correspondence to Federal Government agen- cies outside DoD; for notification of personnel actions, military, or civilian; for showing appreciation or commenda- tion to DA Civilians and Soldiers; and for internal correspondence within the same headquarters, command, or simi- larly identifiable organizational elements.

This chapter covers everything you need to know about memorandums including formatting and types of Army Memorandums. Also, use letters for correspondence to individuals inside the department or agency when a personal tone is appropriate, for official personal correspondence by military and civilian personnel, and for letters of welcome, appreciation, commendation, and condolence. I believe that every leader (E-5 and above) should keep a copy of AR 25-50 in their leader’s book or leader’s library. Army regulation AR 25-50 applies to all Army personnel, including active duty, reserve, and National Guard members, as well as civilian employees. Effective Army writing is understood by the reader in a single rapid reading and is clear, concise, and well- organized in accordance with PL 111–274.

Army Regulation AR 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence establishes three forms of correspondence authorized for use within the Army: a letter, a memorandum, and a message.

I can't even begin to fathom how many man-hours have been wasted reading this pub, pouring over word documents and fucking with alignment, passing it to someone else to review to make sure that the date is formatted "4 January 2024" and not "4 JAN 2024" or, heaven forbid, "January 4th, 2024". Yes, Army regulation AR 25-50 outlines the protocols and procedures for addressing and sending correspondence to higher-ranking officers or officials, ensuring appropriate respect and formality. The basic text will generally contain, but is not limited to, the following categories: (a) References.

Whenever you need to prepare official Army Correspondence you should refer to AR 25-50 to make sure your documents are formatted properly. AR 25-50, Preparing and Managing Correspondence is a GPT that provides guidance on the preparation and management of military correspondence according to the AR 25-50 guidelines. A verb in the passive voice uses any form of the verb “to be” (for example, am, is, are, was, were, be, being, and been), plus a past participle of the verb, which usually ends in “en” or “ed” (for example, were completed, as requested). If, however, the last paragraph or subparagraph has only one line, it may be placed alone on the con- tinuation page with the authority line and signature block.

Center the title “MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING” or “MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT” on the second line below the seal. Records Management, Information Management, Knowledge Management, and other military communications topics are also covered in this US Army publication. This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. If you are not using an authority line, begin the signature block on the fifth line below the last line of text.c) Include the name, title, and agency for civilians and name, military grade, branch, and title for military person- nel. Start the first line of text on the fifth line below the number of the page, keeping margins the same as those of the preceding page(s). Do not type the authority line and the signature block on the continuation page without at least two lines of the last paragraph. Yes, Army regulation AR 25-50 provides guidelines on the proper format, margins, fonts, and spacing to be used in all official Army correspondence.

Type the word “SUBJECT:” at the left margin on the second line below the last line of the agreeing agencies’ titles. AR 25-50 also has a bunch of appendixes such as title and protocol sequence, dealing with NATO Personnel, authority lines, signature blocks and much more. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Use “I,” “you,” and “we” as subjects of sentences instead of this office, this headquarters, this command, all individuals, and so forth. Each part and its sub-elements are discussed in the following paragraphs and in figures 3–1 through 3–5.

S. Army Materiel Command Personnel Letter Office of the General Counsel SAGC July 16 2013 subject if used and Message HQ TRADOC ATPL TDD OR 101623Z Sep 13 subject Correspondence Management. The purpose of the Memorandum for Record (MFR) is to document conversations, meetings, and other events for future reference. In the paragraphs below I will provide a summary of what information is offered in the regulation and what you need to know about AR 25-50. While having multiple fonts may look strange or potentially portray the counselor in a less than professional light having different fonts would not invalidate the counseling session. Format Use the block style format (flush with the left margin/ with three parts) when writing a memorandum: heading, body, and closing.