14.1: The Heading Section

The heading section is composed of these elements: date, MEMORANDUM FOR, ATTENTION, FROM, SUBJECT and References. Each element is described in detail, below.

Date

Placement and Format: Place the date 1 inch from the right edge, \(1.75\) inches from the top of the page. Use the "Day Month Year" or "DD Mmm YY" format for documents addressed to a military organization. In the "DD Mmm YY" format, the month and year are both abbreviated for consistency. For civilian addressees, use the "Month Day, Year" format. Finally, unless the date of signature has legal significance, date the original and all copies of the correspondence at the time of dispatch.

Examples:

Military Addressees-Day Month Year	15 October 2014
Military Addressees-DD Mmm YY	15 Oct 14
Civilian Addressees-Month Day, Year	October 15,2014

"MEMORANDUM FOR"

Placement: Place "MEMORANDUM FOR" on the second line below the date. Leave two spaces between "MEMORANDUM FOR" and the recipient’s organization abbreviation and office symbol (ORG/SYMBOL). If there are multiple recipients, two or three office symbols may be placed on each line with the second and following lines aligned under the first recipient. If there are numerous recipients, use the "DISTRIBUTION" element.

• When addressing one office, enter the organization/office symbol in uppercase letters. To indicate the memorandum is for a specific person, enter the organization/office symbol followed by the person’s rank and name in parentheses-all in uppercase. Another option is to use the "ATTENTION" element-see guidance below.
• When addressing several offices, align subsequent addressees under the first address. If the office symbols are fairly short and you have several for the memorandum, you may include two or three on a single line by aligning each additional line of recipients under the recipients in the first line in like fashion. Be consistent with your format: write out all organization names or use all organization/office symbols.
• When addressing several offices IN TURN, use the "IN TURN" format to distribute the official memorandum to several individuals or offices in sequence. The only difference is the format of the "MEMORANDUM FOR" element, as shown below.
  • "IN TURN" Originators: Prepare an "IN TURN" memorandum when the final addressee or OPR must see the coordination or action of all addressees. Use the official memorandum format. Type "IN TURN" in uppercase, one line below the last address of the "MEMORANDUM FOR" element aligned with the addresses.
  • "IN TURN" Recipients: When you receive an "IN TURN" memorandum, strike through your organization abbreviation and office symbol, then type, sign or initial, and date. Type "Concur," "Nonconcur," "Comments attached" or "Comments sent by separate correspondence to" next to the date. Prepare a separate memorandum for a lengthy comment. Attach comments to the "IN TURN" memorandum if the remaining addressees need them; otherwise, forward comments directly to the final addressee. Forward the "IN TURN" memorandum to the next address and "cc" the OPR for tracking purposes.
• Using a distribution element or list. When the address list is too long to include in the "MEMORANDUM FOR" element, use the distribution element or list. Simply leave two spaces after "MEMORANDUM FOR" and add "DISTRIBUTION" in uppercase letters. Include the addressees in the "DISTRIBUTION" element or on a separate page attached to the memorandum.

Headquarters or \(\mathbf{H Q}\): The term "Headquarters" and "HQ" are a part of the official title of units at the group level and above. Use HQ as part of the organization abbreviation and office symbol when corresponding with staff elements at MAJCOM and HQ USAF organizations. Do not use the term "Headquarters" or "HQ" when corresponding with the office of MAJCOM commanders and vice commanders.

Examples:

MEMORANDUM FOR	79 FS/DO (LT COL JORGE TORRES)
MEMORANDUM FOR	CHEIF OF STAFF DIRECTOR, INSTALLATIONS AND LOGISTICS GENERAL COUNSEL
MEMORANDUM FOR	42 ABW/JA [SECOND LINE] [THIRD LINE]	42 ABW/SE [SECOND LINE] [THIRD LINE]	42 ABW/XP [SECOND LINE] [THIRD LINE]
MEMORANDUM FOR	HQ USAF/A4 HQ USAF/A3 HQ USAF/A1 IN TURN	[THis format applies to all field units when sending memorandums to HQ USAF. Air Staff and Ssecretary of the Air Force staff offices follow Headquarters Operating Instruction 33-3.]
MEMORANDUM FOR	DISTRIBUTION

"ATTENTION:"

Placement: The attention element is aligned under the address or office symbol in the "MEMORANDUM FOR" line. The attention element is used when a memorandum is intended for both an office and the attention of a specific person in that office. The format of the attention element is to place "ATTENTION:" or "ATTN:" or "THROUGH:" with the abbreviated rank and last name in uppercase on the line immediately below the "MEMORANDUM FOR" line.

Example:

MEMORANDUM FOR

36 FS/DO ATTENTION: MAJ JONES

"FROM:"’

Placement: Place "FROM:" in uppercase, flush with the left margin, on the second line below the last line of the MEMORANDUM FOR element (or the ATTENTION element, if used). After the "FROM:" element, leave two spaces followed by the organization abbreviation and office symbol (ORG/SYMBOL) of the originator.

Contents: If the complete mailing address is printed on the letterhead or if all recipients are located on the same installation as the originator, then only a single line FROM element consisting of the organization abbreviation and office symbol is used.

If the complete mailing address is not printed on the letterhead or if the recipients are on another installation, then the FROM element contains the full mailing address of the originator. This enables recipients to easily prepare and address return correspondence.

• The first line of the FROM element includes the organization abbreviation and office symbol separated by a virgule and typed in uppercase.
• The second line of the FROM element is the delivery address of the originator in upper and lower case.
• The third line of the FROM element includes the city, state and ZIP+4 code (without a comma between the city and state). For some installations, the city or installation name may be used interchangeably, as shown in the examples, below. Consult your local United States Post Office for details. The standard format for spacing between the state abbreviation and the ZIP code is two spaces.

Examples:

FROM:	20 FW/CC	[Sender and receiver on same installation]
FROM:	HQ SOC/CC 125 Chennault Circle Montogomery AL 36112-6430	[Sender and receiver on different installations] [City State option]
FROM:	HQ SOC/CC 125 Chennault Circle Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6430	[Sender and receiver on different installations] [Installation State option]

"SUBJECT:"

Placement: In all uppercase letters place "SUBJECT:", flush with the left margin, on the second line below the last line of the FROM element. After "SUBJECT:", type two spaces followed by the title; capitalize the first letter of each word except articles, prepositions and conjunctions. Be brief and clear to focus readers; if you need a second line, align it under the first word of the subject.

• When writing about an individual/employee who is not the addressee, include rank/grade and full name in the subject line. If you refer to the person again in the text of the memorandum, use only the rank/grade and surname.
• Do not include names in the subject line when writing about two or more individuals.
• When writing about several people, state their full names with rank/grade in the text of the memorandum the first time the names appear.
• SUSPENSE items: Include the suspense date in the subject line by typing "SUSPENSE:" or "SUSP:" with the date in parentheses after the title. If additional information for the suspense is necessary, include it in a separate paragraph-not in the SUBJECT line.

Examples:

SUBJECT:	Official Memorandum Format Standards
SUBJECT:	Letter of Appreciation (SSgt Angela Harkins)
SUBJECT:	Self-Inspection CHecklist Completions (SUSPENSE: 23 September 2014)
SUBJECT:	The Format for a Subject Line That is Too Long for a Single Line Must Wrap and be Aligned Under the First Word of the Subject in the Subject Line

"References"

Placement: There are two options for placement of the references element-within the subject line or below the subject line. Cite a single reference to a communication or a directive in parentheses immediately after the subject title. For two or more references, type "References:" on the second line below the last line of the SUBJECT element. Capitalize the first letter of every word except articles, prepositions and conjunctions.

Citation Format: In general, identify references within the DoD by organization, type of communication, date and title. The organization and type of document within the DoD are included in the document’s identification (e.g., an AFMAN is an Air Force Manual; a DoDD is a DoD Directive) and need not be written out in the "References" section. For referencing commercial publications, use the notes entry format from AU-1 Style and Author Guide or use The Chicago Manual of Style (AU-1 is based on The Chicago Manual of Style). AU-1 is available online from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). In general, the notes entries include the author’s name, publication title, publisher, date, and the paragraph or page number.

Examples:

SUBJECT:	PACAF Work Center Standard (PACAF Memo, Same Subject, 6 June 2012)
SUBJECT: References:	Preparation of Memorandums AFMAN 33-326, 25 November 2011, Preparing Official Communications. SAF/CIO A6 Memo, 12 October 2011, Air Force Guidance Memorandum to AFI 33-360, Publications and Forms Management. DoDM 5110.04-M-V2, October 26, 2010, DoD Manual for Written Material. William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style (NY: MacMillan Publishing Co, 1989), 70 .

Additional Information for References: When completing the reference list, consider the questions the recipients might have based on the memorandum you sent to them. For example, if it can be assumed that the recipient is unfamiliar with the publication or form cited, write out the title the first time you reference it. Also, you may want to attach a copy of the reference, or instructions on how to obtain it, if the reader does not have it. Finally, if the reference was not sent to all addressees previously, type not to all "(NOTAL)" after the citation for the referenced item. The table below summarizes these tips and several other specifics for citing referenced materials.

Table \(14.1.1\) Additional Information for References

When you refer to:	Show it in this format:
Unfamiliar references	Write out the title the first time you reference
Familiar references	Attached or instructions on how to obtain
References sent to some, but not to all	[Reference citation] (NOTAL)
Other correspondence	AF/A1 Memo, 23 March 2012, Military Training Program
A publication when the communication is addressed within the Department of Defense	AFI 33-360, Publications and Forms Management, paragraphs 2.1 through 2.35
A publication when the communication is addressed outside the Department of Defense	Air Force Handbook 33-337, The Tongue and Quill
A Government form	AF Form 74, Communications Status Notice/Request
A commercial publication	Strunk and White, The Elements of Style (NY: MacMillan Publishing Co, 1989), 70
An item in a magazine, newspaper, or book	"New Optimism About Aging" The Washington Post, 9 September 1993, p.1.