Congressional Response Memo

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*This policy notice supersedes DA Memo 25–52, dated 1 May 2008.

*HQDA Policy Notice 25 – 52

Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC 4 October 2021

Information Management: Records Management

Staff Action Process and Correspondence Policies

Applicability. This policy notice applies to Headquarters, Department of the Army, its field operating agencies and support agencies, and any Army element when responding to official taskings or corresponding with or preparing cor- respondence for the Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Army, Under Secretary of the Army, and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. Proponent and exception authority. The proponent of this policy notice is the Administrative Assistant to the Sec- retary of the Army. The proponent has the authority to approve exceptions or waivers to this policy notice that are consistent with controlling laws and regulations. The Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army may dele- gate this approval authority, in writing, to a division chief within the proponent agency, field operating agency, or specified direct reporting unit of the proponent agency in the grade of colonel or the civilian equivalent. Activities may request a waiver to this policy notice by providing justification that includes a full analysis of the expected benefits and a formal review by the activity’s senior legal advisor. All waiver requests will be endorsed by the commander or senior leader of the requesting activity and forwarded through their higher headquarters to the proponent. Refer to AR 25 – 30 for specific guidance.

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Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 1 2 References and forms ....................................................................................................... 2 2 Explanation of abbreviations and terms ........................................................................... 3 2 Responsibilities ................................................................................................................ 4 2 Policy ................................................................................................................................ 5 4 Suspense date ................................................................................................................... 6 7 Tracking actions ............................................................................................................... 7 8 Handling of Red Top taskings .......................................................................................... 8 9 Department of Defense Directives Program ..................................................................... 9 11 Processing of White House actions .................................................................................. 10 11 Correspondence policies ................................................................................................... 11 12 Letters and memorandums ................................................................................................ 12 14 Letterhead and stationery ................................................................................................. 13 37 Information and discussion papers ................................................................................... 14 46 Headquarters, Department of the Army Enterprise Task Management Software Solution - Senior Leader Approval Page ........................................................................................... 15 51 Assembly of hardcopy staff actions and correspondence ................................................. 16 51 Distribution of signed documents to Headquarters, Department of the Army principal of- ficials, Army commands, Army service component commands, and direct reporting units ............................................................................................................................................ 17 51 All Army Activities and sends messages .......................................................................... 18 52 Format and scheduling of briefings .................................................................................. 19 52 Read-aheads ...................................................................................................................... 20 52

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Executive summary .......................................................................................................... 21 52 Talking points paper ......................................................................................................... 22 55 Headquarters, Department of the Army rollout plan and conditions check ...................... 23 57 Appendix A ...................................................................................................................... 58 Glossary ............................................................................................................................ 60

1. Purpose This document supplements AR 25 – 50 and provides Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), its field operat- ing agencies (FOAs) and support agencies, and any Army element’s staff action officers with guidance for preparing, coordinating, and submitting correspondence to the Secretary of the Army (SECARMY), Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA), Under Secretary of the Army (USA), Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (VCSA), and other staff offices and agencies within HQDA. This policy notice also provides guidance on the HQDA staff action process for staffing ac- tions, highlighting key organizations and their roles and responsibilities. 2. References and forms See appendix A. 3. Explanation of abbreviations and terms See the glossary. 4. Responsibilities

a. The Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army (AASA) will— (1) Develop policy and direction for correspondence management for HQDA. (2) Serve as the senior principal advisor to the SECARMY for administrative matters. (3) Oversee the administrative functions within HQDA. (4) Oversee the Correspondence Analysis and Processing Branch.

b. The Director of the Army Staff (DAS) has the authority to disapprove recommendations of the Army Staff (ARSTAF) agency principals in the name of the CSA. This authority is reserved for the CSA, VCSA, or DAS acting in the name of the CSA. The DAS will—

(1) Synchronize and integrate the Secretariat and ARSTAF. (2) Oversee the staff to ensure the effective integration and coordination of Army policy, positions, and proce-

dures across the functional domains of Army responsibility. (3) In concert with the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems, maintain the HQDA En-

terprise Task Management Software Solution (ETMS2) to ensure coordination of guidance among the Executive Com- munications and Control (ECC) Directorate, Office of Joint and Defense Affairs, Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison (OCLL), and U.S. Army Audit Agency and to ensure that such guidance is available to support the staff action control process.

(4) Through the Director, ECC, process documents requiring the review and decision of the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA. The Director, ECC will—

(a) Maintain close liaison with the SECARMY, CSA, USA, and VCSA and ensure that staff actions are responsive to their requests and direction.

(b) Serve as the focal point for tracking and tasking actions directed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, and DAS to appropriate HQDA agencies, Army commands (ACOMs), Army service component commands (ASCCs), direct reporting units (DRUs), and FOAs through the executive officers (XOs), staff action control officers (SACOs), and secretaries of the general staff (SGSs).

(c) Provide mission analysis for the SECARMY, CSA, USA, and VCSA. (d) Ensure the ECC website (https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx) remains current.

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

(e) Expedite inquiries, executive summaries (EXSUMs), information papers, and decision papers. Relay in- structions and information to the HQDA staff agencies, ACOMs, ASCCs, DRUs, and FOAs (through their respective HQDA staff agencies) on behalf of the SECARMY, CSA, USA, and VCSA.

(f) Ensure that responses to the taskers are complete (properly formatted, properly assembled, and appropri- ately coordinated). Coordination will include the names, positions, and offices with which coordination was made.

(g) Provide a functional officer to coordinate meetings and briefings, as directed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA. The functional officer will take the following actions:

1. Collect taskings from the meetings and briefings and dispatch them on approval of the summary with the XOs for the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA.

2. Task the appropriate lead HQDA staff agency, ACOM, ASCC, or DRU (through their respective HQDA staff agencies) to provide HQDA Form 11 (Army Senior Leader Calendar Request) for coordination and sched- uling with the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA. Send the official electronic meeting announcement if the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA dictates a specific date or time.

3. Create an official seating chart. (h) Task the staffing of Department of Defense (DoD) issuances to HQDA principal officials based on their

areas of responsibility. (i) Ensure the proper administrative processing of HQDA responses to draft DoD issuances. (j) In accordance with DoDI 5025.01, designate primary and alternate issuance focal points to interface with

Director, Administration and Management for DoD issuances. c. Officials listed below are part of the Office of the SECARMY, and they, as well as the ARSTAF, may act for the

SECARMY in their respective functional areas as authorized by Department of the Army (DA) general orders and further directed by the SECARMY:

(1) USA. (2) Assistant Secretaries of the Army. (3) General Counsel of the Army. (4) Deputy USA. (5) AASA. (6) Chief Information Officer. (7) The Inspector General. (8) The Army Auditor General. (9) Chief of Legislative Liaison. (10) Director of Small Business Programs. (11) Chief of Public Affairs.

d. Staff agencies (office of primary responsibility) are responsible for conducting mission analysis as well as creat- ing, coordinating, preparing, and approving final staff action packets submitted to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, or DAS for information, action, or approval. Staff agencies will—

(1) Provide the final coordinated (internal and external) product or requirement to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, or DAS. Final products to the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), Deputy Secretary of Defense (DEPSECDEF), or Executive Secretary must have principal or principal deputy level coordination (internal and external).

(2) Coordinate directly with all internal and external staff agencies (office of coordinating responsibility (OCR)) to gain concurrence on the final action. Obtain principal or principal deputy coordination within ETMS2 on staff actions that require SECARMY approval. If principal or principal deputy is out of the office, the first general officer (GO) or Senior Executive Service (SES) in the chain may coordinate within ETMS2.

(3) Conduct mission analysis for all aspects of the tasker, organize tasks, and prepare a timeline for completion. Inherent to the lead role is the authority to require products from any assisting staff agency supporting the preparation of the final product.

(4) Organize, provide guidance, and execute every aspect of product preparation. (5) Prepare tasker response in ETMS2. The staff principal or principal deputy will approve the action for sub-

mission to the Army senior leadership. If principal or principal deputy is out of the office, the first GO or SES in the chain will approve within ETMS2.

(6) If the product has resource implications, ensure coordination with the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Fi- nancial Management and Comptroller) (ASA (FM&C)) or Army Budget Office.

(7) Comply with the instructions in responding to time-sensitive correspondence from the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, DoD senior officials, Members of Congress (MOCs), and White House senior officials. If a product requires detailed analysis and explanations, provide an information paper with the product.

(8) Submit requests for an extension to the ECC point of contact (POC) no later than 48 hours from the agency’s receipt of the tasking.

(9) Organizations disagreeing with the assignment of an action will contact the ECC tasking officer via ETMS2, email, or telephone for reconsideration within 24 hours of assignment. The action officer will explain why ECC should reassign the action and provide a recommendation for reassignment.

(10) Comply with the guidance for staff actions and processes in accordance with this policy notice and ECC guidance.

(11) Complete the requirements for response to tasking for meetings and briefings with the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA as directed by this policy notice and ECC.

(12) Review the correspondence to ensure the accuracy of the response, including proper formatting and gram- mar, before delivery to ECC. Confirm the response answers the inquiry or questions from the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA. Provide a response that is concise and to the point.

(13) Package the correspondence in portfolio format in ETMS2 for approval by the appropriate principal or deputy principal official or, if not available, a designated GO or SES representative.

(14) Coordinate action with appropriate internal and external agencies as indicated in the tasking. Note the re- sults of the coordination (for example, concurrence or nonconcurrence) in ETMS2.

(15) Immediately notify ECC of any actions addressed to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA received di- rectly from agencies outside of the Army (such as Congress, the White House, a foreign government, DoD, an Answer Secretary Note, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), DEPSECDEF, Assistant SECDEF, or another military Service).

e. The OCR agencies are responsible for providing all required assistance to the office of primary responsibility (OPR) (lead staff) agencies to complete a tasker. Provide support within the direction given by the OPR agency and coordinate in ETMS2. Complying with the provisions in this policy notice, the OCR XO, SGS, SACO, or Congres- sional Affairs Contact Office (CACO) will ensure that agency action officers respond to ECC taskings in a timely manner and that the tasker response is accurate, complete, packaged, and properly coordinated. 5. Policy

a. General. Process all HQDA, ACOM, ASCC, and DRU staff actions to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, and VCSA through ECC in the HQDA ETMS2 system, using Adobe Acrobat portfolio. Instructions for building a portfolio in Adobe Acrobat are located on the ECC’s website at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/ETMS2-catms.aspx.

b. Headquarters, Department of the Army Enterprise Task Management Software Solution electronic staff- ing. HQDA’s business rules for ETMS2 optimize electronic staffing. HQDA is replacing “wet” signatures with digital signatures secured via DoD Common Access Card, except for where a wet signature is required by law, regulation, or congressional tasking.

c. Staffing exceptions. (1) Actions prepared by the immediate offices, planning groups, and initiatives groups of the SECARMY, CSA,

USA, or VCSA. (2) Actions that the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA have instructed staff agencies to submit directly to their

offices, such as short-fused requests for information. (3) Actions pertaining to GOs, originating in the General Officer Management Office, and sensitive actions,

such as Inspector General or legal correspondence. Forward these actions directly to the appropriate approval authority. (4) Actions originating in the Civilian Senior Leader Management Office pertaining to executive and senior

professionals. (5) Sensitive military personnel actions, such as promotion selection boards, promotion review boards, special

selection boards, and black book assignments. (6) Joint actions that the Office of Joint and Defense Affairs (DACS – ZDV – JDA) tracks and coordinates. (7) Congressional actions OCLL or ASA (FM&C) budget liaison tracks and controls. (8) Actions pertaining to civilian personnel hiring, hiring freezes, voluntary early retirement authority, and vol-

untary separation incentive payment within HQDA. Staff agencies will forward these requests directly to the Office of the AASA.

(9) Audit actions that the Army Audit Agency tracks and controls.

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/tmt-catms.aspx

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

(10) Actions involving major policy, budget, or reorganization proposals that have significant State and local impact.

(11) Actions of special interest. Provide to ECC for review and determination of the appropriate review by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, and VCSA.

d. Resources. Each HQDA staff agency is responsible for addressing its respective manpower, finance, and other resource implications for each action. Directly coordinate resources among HQDA, ACOM, ASCC, and DRU agencies.

e. Meetings and briefings. If tasked as the OPR agency for a SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA meeting or briefing by ECC:

(1) Provide a completed and coordinated request. The lead staff agency is responsible for coordinating with all other meeting participants from other HQDA staff agencies, ACOMs, ASCCs, and DRUs, excluding SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA participation.

(2) Provide ECC with a read-ahead in both electronic and hardcopy (cover sheet plus materials) a minimum of 2 working days before the scheduled meeting.

(3) Provide all participants in the meeting with hardcopy briefing packets. (4) Ensure the briefing is coordinated with all appropriate HQDA staff agencies, ACOMs, ASCCs, and DRUs. (5) If legal implications exist, ensure the briefing has been coordinated with the Office of the General Counsel

(OGC) for briefings to the SECARMY or USA, or the Office of The Judge Advocate General (OTJAG) for briefings to the CSA or VCSA.

(6) See the ECC website for additional information at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/meet- ings%20and%20briefings%20process.aspx.

f. Delegation of authority (1) Use of line-thru authority. Line-thru authority is approval authority used to limit the number of administra-

tive levels in the staffing process. Exercise line-thru authority for routine actions and actions that principal officials determine will not require review by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA.

(a) Ensure line-thru actions clearly show the organization and position by stamp or printed annotation so that the addressee will know the routing process.

(b) The agency principal official or principal deputy must sign, line-thru, or initial correspondence to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA and forward action to ECC for tracking and processing.

(c) The DAS may line-thru for the CSA on correspondence addressed to Assistant Secretaries of the Army and principal officials of HQDA agencies, but not on correspondence addressed to the SECARMY. Forward a copy of all line-thru actions through ECC to the DAS.

(2) Use of quotes. Use quotes from officials in the offices of the SECARMY, CSA, and OSD only if the corre- spondence is for personal review of the content and for specific use in the text.

(3) Implied personal connection of President of the United States of America. Do not refer to the President in any manner that implies a personal connection with a specific policy or official action.

(4) Use of “Army position.” Use the phrase “Army position” in oral or written communications only when the SECARMY, CSA, or individuals delegated this authority in writing by the SECARMY and CSA approve the position. Agencies that are not certain if such delegated authority exists will process the actions through ECC to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA for review, approval, and signature. Consult ECC for specific guidance on determining the ap- propriate involvement of HQDA principal officials and the appropriate signature authority.

g. Priority White House and Office of the Secretary of Defense actions. (1) White House correspondence. Staff agencies will coordinate all written, electronic, and telephonic White

House contacts with the ECC White House Liaison Office (WHLO). (2) Office of the Secretary of Defense correspondence. Correspondence to the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF from

senior White House staff, Cabinet members, MOCs, State governors, and other correspondents will receive personal replies from the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF unless otherwise directed by OSD correspondence or directives.

(3) Congressional correspondence. Staff agencies will coordinate all correspondence to MOCs through OCLL. (4) Addressing officials in Office of the Secretary of Defense. Staff agencies will route all SECDEF and

DEPSECDEF correspondence from or to OSD through ECC for tracking and processing. When responding, use the following guidance:

(a) For responses on behalf of the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF, the standard opening is: “This is in reply to your (date) letter to Secretary (Secretary’s name) (or Deputy Secretary (Deputy Secretary’s name)) regarding...”

(b) Staff agencies will not use, “The Secretary of Defense (or Deputy Secretary of Defense) has asked that I respond to your letter,” nor a closing authority line without such instructions.

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/meetings%20and%20briefings%20process.aspx

(c) When responding to questions of authority for policies or actions of the SECDEF, staff agencies will only reference the office or position from which the authority derives, not the official occupying the office or position.

(d) Correspondence prepared for or addressed to the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF requires the use of “DoD” in accordance with DoDM 5110.04, Volume 1.

h. Priority Office of the Secretary of the Army actions. (1) ECC will assign a Secretariat, ARSTAF, ACOM, ASCC, DRU, or FOA agency as OPR for a formal action

that involves major policy or that may result in substantially increased activity for an agency. (2) The Office of the SECARMY may task an action that requires an immediate response directly to an agency.

The tasked agency will provide an information copy of the tasking to ECC. Staff agencies will route correspondence for SECARMY review through ECC. The OPR agency will prepare the final product in ETMS2, and ECC will deter- mine the proper routing at the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA level.

i. Officials in the immediate office of the Secretary of the Army and Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army. Staff agencies will route all correspondence from or to the immediate office of the SECARMY through ECC for official tracking and processing. If tasked to respond on behalf of the SECARMY, use the following in the correspondence:

(1) The standard opening when responding on behalf of the SECARMY is: “This responds to your (date) letter to the Secretary of the Army concerning...”

(2) If the date on the incoming letter is more than 30 days old, consider using “recent” instead of the actual date. (3) Use the statement, “The Secretary of the Army (or Secretary (Secretary’s name)) has asked me to respond

to your letter (or memo),” only when the SECARMY specifically requests the usage. (4) The CSA and VCSA delegate authority to take final action for the CSA on all subjects within their functional

areas, except for those areas in which the CSA or VCSA has expressed personal interest. (5) The standard opening when responding on behalf of the CSA is: “The Chief of Staff has asked that I respond

to your letter of (date) because the subject you address is within my responsibility.” (6) Correspondence from an ARSTAF agency for the SECARMY requires routing the final packet through the

DAS to the CSA or VCSA (or both) before submission to the SECARMY. (7) Agency principal officials will delegate their signature and coordination authority to the lowest level possible

and prepare correspondence following the guidance provided in this policy notice. j. Coordination. Complete all required coordination before forwarding an action to ECC. Coordination and com-

ments will show official positions only. Actions requiring a decision by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA will have the endorsement of the OPR’s principal official or principal deputy (if not available, the designated GO or SES).

(1) The OPR will coordinate assigned staff actions with all applicable HQDA agencies, ACOMs, ASCCs, DRUs, appropriate offices of the SECARMY, and OSD elements. Inform any office included in the initial coordination of any major changes made by the decision maker. The OPR will coordinate with OCRs in ETMS2.

(2) Conduct staffing and coordination as needed, using ETMS2. The OPR may need to conduct a meeting, in- cluding teleconference when physically separated, to resolve or address complex issues. The final action must include the name, telephone number, position, and office for all coordination. Annotate this information in the staff coordina- tion portion of the Senior Leader Approval Process (SLAP) as part of the staffing package. However, informal coordi- nation will not presume or imply a SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA decision or position.

(3) Do not assume concurrences. Use ETMS2’s “Manage Assignments” and, if necessary, telephone to verify the agency response to the staffing action. A line-thru does not indicate concurrence or nonconcurrence unless the correspondence specifically requests a line-thru and initial to indicate concurrence or approval. Oral consultation or discussion between action officers does not imply concurrence if action requires approval by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA.

(4) Do not imply personal review by an agency principal official unless that official actually conducts the review. The term “Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS), G – 4” indicates office coordination, whereas “the DCS, G – 4” indicates the personal review of the agency principal official. Action officers will provide their name, rank, office symbol, phone number, and ETMS2 control identification number.

(5) HQDA principal officials and commanders of ACOMs, ASCCs, DRUs, and FOAs will coordinate with the appropriate Assistant Secretaries of the Army, GOs, SES representatives, OGC, and OTJAG any actions that the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA will line-thru or sign personally.

(6) Conduct direct coordination among staff agencies. The agency establishing suspense dates during coordina- tion will allow reasonable time to accomplish the action. Agencies will respond by the established suspense date or negotiate an extension with the tasking agency before the established suspense date.

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

(7) Only the Office of The Inspector General or other special staff agencies should use the term “noted” as a response for coordination. These organizations have reason to note actions and may use this term or “no staff interest” as an official staffing response. For others, avoid the use of the term “noted.”

(8) A nonconcurrence is a separate act and requires a formal statement. (a) For actions not requiring staffing through ECC, the OPR agency’s principal official will review all non-

concurrences. The OPR agency principal official may override the nonconcurrence when the action is not within the agency’s functional area and has no direct effect on other agencies. The action officer is responsible for providing background information and rationale for the nonconcurrence as part of the staffing package.

(b) Forward nonconcurrence with actions involving the agency’s functional responsibility through ECC to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA and include background information, rationale for the nonconcurrence, and a recommendation for an appropriate decision as part of the staffing package.

(9) Lead staff agencies will coordinate any document for SECARMY or USA signature with OGC. Lead staff agencies will coordinate any document for CSA or VCSA signature with the OTJAG and, if involving policy, OGC. Some actions may require both OTJAG and OGC coordination depending on the topic and signature authority.

(10) Documents originating within the ARSTAF will be coordinated with OTJAG for a legal review. OTJAG will provide a legal review for the ARSTAF principal official and will coordinate all documents for SECARMY or USA signature with OGC.

k. Army Records Information Management System record number. Agencies will place the appropriate Army rec- ord number after the office symbol on memorandums. These numbers can be found at the Army Records Information Management System (ARIMS)/Records Retention Schedule-Army at https://www.arims.army.mil.

l. Completed staff actions. Fully coordinate actions before the assigned suspense date and document the actions in ETMS2. Ensure responses and justifications are concise. Ensure that staff action processing and requests for extensions to suspense dates adhere to the guidance in this policy notice. Additional guidance is available on the ECC website at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.

m. Correspondence. (1) Follow the guidance in this policy notice and AR 25 – 50 for preparing HQDA correspondence. (2) Follow the guidance in this policy notice, DoDM 5110.04, Volumes 1 and 2 for the preparation, coordination,

and submission of staff actions and DoD correspondence. 6. Suspense date The SECARMY, CSA, USA, and VCSA offices direct the suspense dates for HQDA agency tasks, but if none are specified, ECC will task the OPR with a 15-working-day suspense. The response time for the suspense begins the first working day after ECC officially tasks the action to an agency. The following is additional guidance for processing OSD and HQDA actions:

a. Office of the Secretary of Defense suspense timetable. The Correspondence Management Division assigns sus- pense dates in accordance with guidance for OSD correspondence management in DoDM 5110.04, Volumes 1 and 2.

b. Headquarters, Department of the Army suspense timetable. (1) On receipt of correspondence addressed to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA, ECC establishes a sus-

pense date in coordination with the appropriate office. Response time for the suspense begins the first working day after the date ECC officially tasks the action to an agency. The final product is due to ECC no later than 1200 on the assigned suspense date.

(a) Time standard. If suspense is more than 30 days, allow two-thirds of the time for the OPR to work the action. This gives Army senior leaders one-third of the time to review. If the suspense is less than 30 days, allot half of the time for the OPR to work the action and half of the time for Army senior leader review.

(b) Returns and rework. OPRs will have 24 hours, unless otherwise specified, to make the necessary adjust- ments and return the action in ETMS2. SECARMY’s suspense for a request for information is 72 hours.

(2) Staff agencies will immediately notify ECC of any action received directly from agencies outside of the Army (for example, SECDEF, OSD, DEPSECDEF, Assistant Secretaries of Defense, MOCs, the White House, or foreign governments) addressed to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA.

(3) Submit requests for an extension to the ECC POC, through ETMS2, no later than 48 hours from the agency’s receipt of the tasking.

(4) For DoD issuances, submit the request for extension by email to the DoD issuance focal point.

https://www.arims.army.mil/

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

(5) Organizations disagreeing with the assignment of an action will contact the ECC tasking officer via ETMS2, email, or telephone for reconsideration within 24 hours of assignment. The action officer will explain why ECC should reassign the action and provide a recommendation for reassignment.

c. Congressional reports timetable. OPRs will submit to ECC any congressional report 45 days in advance of the due date to Congress. The Army senior leader review will be a period of 45 days. The OPR will provide hardcopy packets of the report directly to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, and DAS office 45 days in advance of the due date to Congress.

d. Extensions. When a staff agency needs more time to complete an adequate response to an ECC tasker, the agency’s XO, SGS, SACO, or CACO will request an extension from ECC. Staff agencies will request extensions as far in advance of suspense as possible using ETMS2. The staff agency will provide an interim response to the tasker using ETMS2, including an EXSUM if necessary, that clearly identifies the reasons for the extension and the projected date of completion. ECC will coordinate with the originator and confirm all extensions. Staff agencies will request extensions to an assigned suspense as follows:

(1) Internal Headquarters, Department of the Army suspense. The lead staff agency will request an extension to a response to time-sensitive correspondence from the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, DoD senior officials, MOCs, and White House senior officials through ECC no later than 48 hours from the agency’s receipt of the tasking.

(2) External Headquarters, Department of the Army suspense. An interim response, a valid explanation, and a projected completion date will accompany the request for an extension to an external HQDA suspense. Submit these requests for extension to ECC via ETMS2 for further processing.

(3) Actions controlled by Executive Communications and Control. ECC requires an interim response to the tasker that clearly identifies the reasons for the extension. ECC will notify HQDA, ACOM, ASCC, DRU, and FOA agencies of short-suspense actions as soon as possible. Hand-carry or send short-suspense actions electronically. Pro- vide an interim response via ETMS2 if it is not possible to provide a complete response before the suspense date. An interim response to the tasker is required that clearly identifies the reasons for the extension and projected date of completion.

(4) Actions received from Office of the Secretary of Defense for signature of the Secretary of Defense or Deputy Secretary of Defense. Suspense actions from OSD are firm, and extensions are rarely granted. Extensions require a valid explanation with a request for extension on SD Form 391 (Secretary of Defense Correspondence Action Report) coordinated with ECC. ECC must review and sign all SD Forms 391 addressed to OSD.

(5) Actions received from the Under Secretaries of Defense, Assistant Secretaries of Defense, and other Office of the Secretary of Defense offices. If the lead staff agency requires an extension, directly contact the appropriate OSD office. Notify appropriate control points (ECC or SACO) of any extensions that OSD grants. However, staff agencies will request extensions to coordination requests for draft Department of Defense directives, DoDIs, or directive-type memorandums through the Deputy Director, ECC.

(6) Actions received for the signature of the Secretary of the Army. If a suspense cannot be met, HQDA, ACOM, ASCC, and DRU agencies will notify ECC immediately and provide an interim response for SECARMY signature.

(7) Requests for extensions. Request an extension of any official task within 24 hours of assignment from ECC using ETMS2. After 24 hours, the tasking agency is responsible for identifying and coordinating with another staff agency for acceptance. The original OPR agency retains responsibility for executing the tasker if ECC does not confirm verification of acceptance from another staff agency. 7. Tracking actions

a. General. ECC uses the ETMS2 to track the status of all SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, and DAS actions as- signed to HQDA, ACOM, ASCC, DRU, and FOA agencies. For ETMS2 training guides and HQDA ETMS2 business rules, visit the ECC website at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx. For HQDA taskings, commands should use the HQDA ETMS2 instance only.

(1) ECC will complete the assignment of a task by entering information into ETMS2 and attaching all supporting documents for the task. ECC tasks all actions electronically through ETMS2 to the agency’s XO, SGS, SACO, or CACO.

(2) The “Instructions” section in ETMS2 provides a general description of the action required based on the initial assessment of the action received.

b. Tasker details. ETMS2 can generate tasker details identifying information specific to the assigned action. c. Closing out actions in the Enterprise Task Management Software Solution. The ECC tasking officer or ECC

team who assigned the action is responsible for closing the task.

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

(1) The agency SGS, SACO, CACO, or action officer will post information in ETMS2, attach all documents associated with the response in an Adobe Acrobat portfolio, and upload into the ETMS2 Final Documents library. The posting will include any additional information required for reference. The agency will notify ECC that all the infor- mation is in ETMS2.

(2) Agency SACOs may complete actions not requiring a principal official’s signature by providing ECC with the following information:

(a) Staff action control number. (b) Action officer and telephone number. (c) How and who completed the action. (d) The date the action was completed.

(3) Agency SGSs, SACOs, or CACOs may complete actions requiring an HQDA principal official’s signature or an ACOM, ASCC, DRU, or FOA commander’s signature by providing ECC with a copy of the final signed docu- ment. This includes key actions signed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA, a principal official, and other actions of interest to ECC; OSD; WHLO; personal staff of the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA; or OCLL.

d. Appealing a suspense assignment. (1) Organizations disagreeing with the assignment of an action will contact the ECC tasking officer via ETMS2,

email, or telephone for reconsideration within 24 hours of assignment. The action officer will explain why ECC should reassign the action and provide a recommendation for reassignment.

(2) After 24 hours of assignment, it is incumbent on the assigned OPR to coordinate with another agency to assume lead on an action. Once ECC has verification, ECC will officially change the OPR in ETMS2. 8. Handling of Red Top taskings Red Top taskings are deemed by the SECARMY to have top priority. They take precedence over all other tasks. The SECARMY is directly responsible for replying to correspondence and requests for information from the White House, Congress, governors, State legislators, SECDEF, and DEPSECDEF in a timely and effective manner. The Office of the SECARMY created the Red Top tasking process because of the sensitivity and importance of these issues and other tasks that require immediate action. Any senior leader (SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA) may use this process to expedite any issue that requires a quick response and is a high-priority task.

a. Receipt of Red Top correspondence. ECC receives correspondence addressed to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, and VCSA, or actions from the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF from the following sources:

(1) Correspondence Analysis and Processing Branch. (2) OCLL. (3) Immediate office of the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA. (4) OSD Correspondence Management Division.

b. Office of primary responsibility assignment. ECC will not assign the lead (OPR) for a Red Top action to an agency unless the agency is physically located within the Pentagon. ECC will provide notification of the task assign- ment directly to the principal official’s agency, Office of the SECARMY, the DAS, and Vice Director of the Army Staff (VDAS) for each Red Top task. ECC will assign the task as either “prepare a letter for SECARMY’s signature” or “direct reply” and will provide recommendations for signature authority to the Office of the SECARMY for valida- tion.

(1) ECC tracks and maintains a report detailing the status of Red Top tasks for SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA signature or for direct reply, as well as follow-up Red Top tasks, including open direct-reply Red Top tasks and closed SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA signature Red Top tasks.

(2) The SECARMY’s XO or Red Top representative briefs the SECARMY daily on the current status of Red Top tasks. The SECARMY reviews all congressional actions and correspondence addressed to the SECARMY that the SECARMY will sign or delegate for a direct reply. Additional guidance will be provided as necessary. The SECARMY validates the appropriate signature authority for each action and will send an acknowledgment letter to the MOC for congressional correspondence addressed to the SECARMY that has been assigned as a direct reply. On occasion, the SECARMY will direct a phone call to the MOC or constituent, or brief MOCs or their staff. ECC tracks for completion.

c. Office of primary responsibility (lead agency) required actions. (1) On receipt of a Red Top task, the OPR agency will conduct a thorough mission analysis, assign an action

officer, and coordinate with the OCLL Congressional Inquiry Division to determine the appropriate OCLL assists if responding to a letter from an MOC.

(2) The lead OPR agency will determine whether the action is a policy or an individual issue. A policy issue or an issue that requires an investigation or extensive research or detailed follow-up that will not be completed by the suspense date requires an interim letter to notify the MOC.

(3) The lead HQDA staff agency can request reassignment of a task within 24 hours if, during mission analysis, it determines that the responsibility for answering the task belongs to another staff agency. After 24 hours, the OPR agency must coordinate directly with another staff agency for a POC and obtain an email acknowledgment from that POC before ECC will reassign the lead.

d. Coordination of responses. The OPR agency will coordinate with all relevant staff agencies and task coordina- tion in ETMS2.

(1) OGC or OTJAG must review, as appropriate, all Red Top tasks, regardless of the type of origin. (2) All congressional correspondence replies will include an OCLL review. Staff the final packet with all rele-

vant staff agencies, coordinate with OCLL, and submit to ECC. (3) On receipt of the lead HQDA agency’s fully staffed response, OGC or OTJAG, as appropriate, will provide

an expedited legal review. OGC reviews will address all issues related to business judgment and clarity of content. (4) OGC and OCLL will be the final coordination before submission of the final product for SECARMY signa-

ture responses. (5) Some actions require coordination with other Services, especially those actions prepared for SECDEF sig-

nature. Coordination with other DoD organizations must occur before sending the action to the SECARMY for approval to forward to OSD.

(6) All SECDEF signature letters must have OSD OGC coordination. If the SECDEF is signing a letter that will be sent to an MOC, the OPR staff agency must obtain coordination from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legis- lative Affairs. ECC, with assistance from the Office of the SECARMY, will identify all external coordination necessary before tasking.

e. Suspense and submission requirements. The HQDA OPR principal official is directly responsible for completing all assigned Red Top tasks, meeting the assigned suspense, and completing coordination requirements.

(1) Suspense to ECC for Red Top tasks for SECARMY signature is no later than 1200, 2 – 1/2 working days after official assignment.

(2) Suspense to ECC for a direct-reply Red Top is no later than 1200, 5 working days after official assignment. The portfolio procedures outlined in paragraph 8e(3) of this policy notice apply for any direct reply.

(3) To meet suspense deadlines, the lead OPR agency will provide a completed electronic product (ETMS2) and hardcopy (when requested) that includes the following:

(a) Print the SLAP approval page. (b) The proposed response for signature on the right-side flap of the blue folder and at Tab A in the electronic

portfolio. (c) Any backup documentation on the left side of the blue folder and at Tabs B, C, D, and so on in the

electronic portfolio. (4) During mission analysis, if the agency determines it cannot complete the requirement within the allotted

time, it must provide an interim response no later than 1200, 5 working days after the official assignment for a SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA Red Top task or after official assignment for a direct reply. The OPR agency will prepare the interim reply for signature by the OPR agency principal, using the format located on ECC website at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.

(5) The OPR principal or principal deputy (GO or SES at a minimum if principal or principal deputy is unavail- able) will sign all direct-reply Red Top tasks.

(6) The ETMS2 tasker response will include background and relevant information and facts for Army senior leader review and decision.

f. Follow-on guidance. In the event the action needs additional work or the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA provides additional guidance or requirements, the senior leader’s office will return the action to ECC for routing back to the OPR agency. ECC will formalize follow-on guidance and inform the principal official or XO of all comments and questions using a scanned portable document format (PDF) of the draft. The SECARMY expects principals to be directly involved in the crafting of the final product for all Red Top taskings.

(1) Turnaround time is 24 hours unless otherwise directed. If the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA returns an action for a substantive change, the OPR agency must obtain OGC coordination before resubmitting the product.

(2) No further legal coordination is required if the packet is returned for administrative changes, such as gram- mar, punctuation, or spelling.

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

g. Interim replies may be required when Secretary of the Army signature is not obtained. When a SECARMY signature packet is submitted, but not signed by the suspense, the Office of the SECARMY, in coordination with ECC, OCLL, and the OPR will determine whether an interim response (written or telephonic) will occur with the Member’s office.

(1) The suspense for a SECARMY signature Red Top task is no later than 1200, 5 working days after official assignment. If ECC does not receive the packet by 1200, the agency’s principal or principal deputy must sign a written interim reply, and the OPR agency CACO must deliver it to ECC no later than 1500.

(2) The suspense for a direct-reply Red Top task is no later than 1200, 5 working days after official assignment. If the response is not complete, the lead staff agency will coordinate with OCLL and ECC to telephone the addressee’s staff to provide a current status. If the SECARMY does not sign the written response within 24 hours, the agency’s principal or principal deputy will sign a written interim response to send to the MOC. The lead staff agency will provide ECC with a copy of the interim response no later than 1500, 6 working days after official assignment.

h. Lead agencies. Lead agencies should ensure that final replies— (1) Provide a direct answer to the questions posed in the correspondence. (2) Use plain English. (3) Adopt an appropriate tone. (4) Follow proper grammar and format.

i. Completion and delivery. After a congressional action is completed, ECC will— (1) Provide OCLL with the original letter addressed to an MOC for delivery. OCLL is responsible for determin-

ing who else needs to know and will make distribution. (2) Send out an electronic copy of the signed SECARMY document to OCLL, the OPR agency, and the XOs

for the CSA, USA, VCSA, and DAS. (3) Obtain a copy of the direct reply, signed by GO or SES (at a minimum), and provide to the Office of the

SECARMY. j. Follow-ups. Follow-up actions are tasked and tracked as a Red Top task until completion of the final answer or

response. 9. Department of Defense Directives Program The DoD Directives Program is regulated by DoDI 5025.01. The Army focal point from ECC will grant access to the portal when an individual requests access from https://apps.sp.pentagon.mil/sites/dodips/pages/site/home.aspx (unclas- sified) and https://entapps.osd.smil.mil/sites/dodips/pages/site/home.aspx (classified).

a. The tasked responsible official will prepare and coordinate the HQDA response. Most draft DoD issuances affect the policies, responsibilities, or resources of multiple stakeholders. Therefore, the responsible official should coordinate directly with any other affected HQDA office, agency, or activity.

(1) If concurring, the designated principal official will sign the DD Form 818 (DoD Issuance Coordination Re- sponse) on behalf of the SECARMY.

(2) If nonconcurring or if comments are necessary, the HQDA principal official will sign and provide comments using DD Form 818 – 1 (Consolidated DoD Issuance Comment Matrix). Any coordination with critical comments is an automatic nonconcur with comment.

b. Department of Defense directives, DoDIs, or directive-type memorandums that assign or update executive agency responsibilities to the SECARMY must be coordinated with the Army lead agency; DCS, G – 8; OGC; and ASA (FM&C) because of budgeting and resource implications. Additionally, when the AASA is not the signatory official for the DD Form 818, the AASA must personally coordinate on the action before it is forwarded and entered into the Directives Portal System.

c. After obtaining the necessary signature from one of the designated officials, the responsible official will enter the signed DD Form 818 response into the Directives Portal System and into ETMS2 to close the Army tasker.

d. For more information on preparing HQDA responses to draft DoD issuances, see DA Memo 1 – 20. 10. Processing of White House actions

a. Frequently, the White House directs DoD to respond to constituents who write to the President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, their spouses, or senior members of the White House staff on their behalf. The ECC WHLO receives these directives from the White House, through OSD, and tasks staff agencies to respond to constituents, addressing their concerns specifically or directing them to appropriate agencies for resolution.

b. The OPR agency will—

https://apps.sp.pentagon.mil/sites/dodips/pages/site/home.aspx

https://entapps.osd.smil.mil/sites/dodips/pages/site/home.aspx

(1) Review the assigned task in ETMS2, accept or acknowledge receipt of action, or request reconsideration of the action with detailed justification within 24 hours.

(2) Requests for reassignment of the task submitted outside of the 24-hour initial assignment period and coordi- nate acceptance of the task by another principal staff agency.

(3) Provide the name and telephone number of the POC and agency accepting the redirect action. The ECC WHLO will confirm the new agency’s acceptance before changing the task lead in ETMS2.

(4) Enter interim and final responses into ETMS2 and courtesy copy (cc) DACS – ZDV – WHL for information. c. Complete final response within the assigned suspense, ranging from 1 to 10 working days (depending on the

urgency of the request), unless the ECC WHLO approves an extension. Any requests for extension of the suspense will include an interim reply to the constituent within 2 working days before the suspense due date. The interim reply will include an estimated date of completion.

d. External agencies must give the ECC WHLO a copy of the signed reply, including the ETMS2 control identifi- cation number and subject.

e. Lead agencies may send responses directly to the constituent by letter or email when appropriate (that is, email address, but no home address). Lead agencies may use phone conversation to request additional information, clarifica- tion, and justification to mark an inquiry complete, as long as they document it by email or memorandum for record to the ECC WHLO.

f. The following examples will be used in preparation of letters when responding: (1) President. “Thank you for your recent (letter, email, or telephone call) to President (President’s name) con-

cerning...” (2) Vice President. “Thank you for your (letter, email, or telephone call) to Vice President (Vice President’s

name) regarding...” (3) Spouse of the President or Vice President. “Thank you for your recent (letter, email, or telephone call) to

(President or Vice President’s spouse name) regarding...” (4) White House staff. “Thank you for your recent (letter, email, or telephone call) to (White House staff mem-

ber’s name) regarding...” (5) Incorporate the following additional sentence into your response letter to the writer: “Our office only recently

received your letter because of mail screening procedures. We appreciate your patience in awaiting this response.” g. White House health and welfare action processing (threat to life or suicide). Responses to these time-critical

inquiries require the following action: (1) Immediately notify the Soldier’s chain of command so they can take action to ensure the safety of Soldiers,

Families, and others. The ECC WHLO will notify the Soldier’s command by telephone, followed by email, on receipt of notification.

(2) Health and welfare requests sent by the White House have a suspense of 1 day or less. A full and complete response on the Soldier’s situation may not be immediately available. Once the chain of command is notified of the steps taken to ensure the safety of all concerned (that is, Soldier and Family), those responsible for making this notifi- cation will advise the ECC WHLO that this action is complete. If applicable, provide notification that all concerned have been moved to a safe location or to the nearest medical treatment facility and information about contacts made to military police or the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.

(3) A White House inquiry stating that a Soldier may be considering suicide requires immediate notification. In accordance with the current Army Suicide Prevention Program, immediately notify the Soldier’s chain of command. Within 1 day or less, provide to the ECC WHLO a status of the Soldier’s condition and information about protective actions taken. The OPR agency will provide an updated status within 5 days that addresses the Soldier’s condition and any additional actions taken. 11. Correspondence policies

a. Designated style references. (1) The U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual. (2) The Chicago Manual of Style. (3) DoDI 5025.13. (4) DoDM 5110.04, Volume 1. (5) DoDM 5110.04, Volume 2. (6) References listed in appendix A of this policy notice.

b. General rules for preparing correspondence. (1) Correspondence.

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

(a) HQDA correspondence follows the guidance in this policy notice and AR 25 – 50. (b) DoD correspondence follows the guidance in this policy notice, DoDM 5110.04, Volumes 1 and 2 for

the preparation, coordination, and submission of staff actions and correspondence. (2) Letterhead and stationery. In accordance with this policy notice, submit correspondence for signature of

HQDA principal officials to the official’s office (XO or SACO, when appropriate) in final form and on the correct letterhead and stationery.

(3) Staples. Do not use staples for correspondence submitted for signature. (4) Matrix. Use a spreadsheet or table to present complex and essential matters in matrix form. (5) Envelope. If mailing the correspondence, prepare and enclose an envelope in the staffing package. (6) Margins.

(a) Use standard margins: 1 inch from the left, right, and bottom edges. (b) Do not use full- or right-justified margins.

(7) Fonts. Use the following fonts for all correspondence: (a) Arial size 12 point for internal Army correspondence prepared for the signature of HQDA principal

officials. (b) Times New Roman size 12 point for correspondence prepared for the signature of the SECDEF and

DEPSECDEF and for information or action memorandums from the SECARMY to the SECDEF (see fig 8 and 9). (8) Office symbols. Do not use office symbols on correspondence for the signature of the SECARMY, CSA,

USA, VCSA, AASA, or OSD officials. However, correspondence for DAS signature may use office symbols of the originating office unless instructions dictate otherwise.

(9) Army Records Information Management System record number. As an exception to AR 25 – 50, only those HQDA offices that use office symbols on their correspondence will place the appropriate ARIMS record number one space after the office symbol, in parentheses on memorandums (for example, AAHS – RD (25-50a)). Follow Army recordkeeping requirements according to AR 25 – 400 – 2.

(10) Punctuation spacing. Place one space between the punctuation and the text that immediately follows it for colons, periods, commas, and semicolons.

(11) Dating correspondence. (a) Do not date correspondence prepared for signature of OSD or principal officials. The signatory office

will date the correspondence after signature. (b) For letters, type the date in civilian style (for example, January 8, 2019) centered two lines below the last

line of the letterhead. (c) Place dates on memorandums two lines below the last line of the letterhead flush with the right margin. (d) A date is required when digitally signing memorandums (either typed by the signer before the digital

signature or date stamped after signature). See AR 25 – 50 for instructions on placing a text box for the date on Adobe PDF files that use digital signature.

(e) For memorandums, use the following date formats: 1. 8 January 2019. 2. 8 Jan 2019 (date stamps only). 3. 8 Jan 19.

(f) AR 25 – 50 provides additional guidance on dating memorandums and letters. (12) Signatures and authority lines.

(a) In accordance with the Office of the Chief of Staff memorandum (Headquarters, Department of the Army Use of Digital and Electronic Signatures) of 16 June 2017, and AR 25 – 50, HQDA will use digital signatures, except where a wet signature is required by law, regulation, or congressional action.

(b) Do not use closing authority lines on letters and memorandums signed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, AASA, or DAS unless directed.

(c) Digital signatures will not be used on letters. However, electronic signatures that are not secured via DoD Common Access Card, such as digitized signatures (for example, a digital image of a handwritten signature) may be used on letters (see AR 25 – 50).

(d) AR 25 – 50 provides step-by-step instructions for creating an Adobe digital signature on a Microsoft Word document using Adobe Pro.

c. Writing guidance. Prepare all written material, including letters, memorandums, DoD information and action memorandums, read-ahead packages, briefing slide presentations, and all Army correspondence, using the writing rules and guidelines in the references in appendix A of this policy notice.

d. Style. (1) The following is a selection of style and usage preferences for HQDA correspondence. Additional guidance

is available in the GPO Style Manual and, for OSD correspondence, in DoDM 5110.04, Volumes 1 and 2. (a) Capitalize the word “Soldier” when it refers to a U.S. Army Service person for internal Army corre-

spondence. (b) Capitalize the word “Family” when it refers to U.S. Army Family members for internal Army corre-

spondence. (c) Capitalize the word “Civilian” when referring to DA Civilians and used in conjunction with Soldier and

Family for internal Army correspondence. (d) Single space text and double space between paragraphs and subparagraphs. Place one space between

sentences. (e) Avoid abbreviations except for those generally accepted (for example, a.m., p.m., or Inc.). (f) Spell out the meanings of acronyms and brevity codes at first use, followed by the acronym or brevity

code in parentheses (for example, memorandum of understanding). Spell out acronyms and brevity codes if used only once.

(g) Avoid acronyms and abbreviations when preparing written material for the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF. If written material is longer than two pages, it will include a comprehensive alphabetized glossary as the last tab of the package.

(h) Do not carry abbreviations (for example, Jr. or Inc.) to the next line. Adjust spacing to accommodate or move entire words to the next line.

(i) Avoid separating any of the three date elements (day, month, and year). If necessary, carry over the four- digit year to the next line.

(j) Avoid separating elements of a report number, whether words or numerals (for example, DoDM 5110.04). (k) Do not divide proper nouns (for example, person, place, or organization) and single-syllable words.

(2) Style rules for correspondence for the signature of the SECARMY. (a) Do not use “that” with recommendations by OSD principal officials (for example, “Recommendation:

That the principal deputy…”). Instead, say “Recommendation: The principal deputy appoints...” or “Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense appoints...”

(b) Do not use the pronoun “you” when referring to OSD principal officials and recommending a course of action. Instead, refer to the person by the duty position, such as “Secretary of Defense” or “Deputy Secretary of De- fense.”

(c) Examples are “Recommendation: The Deputy Secretary of Defense approves the board’s report and the Secretary of Defense forwards the names of the 502 officers to the President for nomination for promotion” or “Rec- ommendation: The Secretary of Defense appoints the 502 officers to the next higher grade.” 12. Letters and memorandums

a. Letters. (1) General. Use letters for correspondence addressed to the most senior Government officials outside of DA

and to the public. Also use letters for correspondence to individuals outside the department or agency when a personal tone is appropriate. Letters prepared for the signature of HQDA principal officials or their staffs will follow AR 25 – 50 and the following supplemental guidance.

(2) Format. See figure 1 for an example of a letter prepared for SECARMY signature. (a) No set number of lines is required between the seal and the first line of the address. Evenly space the

letter on the page so that the appearance is balanced and professional. A good rule of thumb is to begin the addressee line approximately one-fourth down the page.

(b) When a multiple-page letter or letter with subparagraphs is necessary, format as shown in figure 2. (c) Use the “cc” line to inform other readers of the subject only if they have a need to know or an interest in

the subject. Type “cc:” on the second line below the last line of the signature block or enclosure listing, whichever is lower. Placement of a statement in the body of the letter, preferably in the last paragraph, is still an appropriate alter- native to using “cc:” to indicate a copy is being furnished and to whom; for example, “I am forwarding a copy of this letter to (name)” (see fig 3).

(3) Forms of address for letters to Members of Congress. Use DoDM 5110.04, Volumes 1 and 2 as references for appropriate forms of addresses, salutations, and complimentary closings for letters to senior Government officials and other officials.

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 1. Sample letter format for Secretary of the Army signature

Figure 2. Sample multipage letter to Congress with subparagraphs for

Secretary of the Army

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 2. Sample multipage letter to Congress with subparagraphs for

Secretary of the Army-continued

Figure 3. Sample letter with the use of courtesy copy

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

b. Memorandums. The memorandum is the primary internal correspondence medium used by OSD, HQDA, and throughout the Army.

(1) See AR 25 – 50 and figures 4 through 12 of this policy notice for examples of memorandums. (a) Do not add an office symbol to memorandums signed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, or AASA. (b) Do not date before the principal official signs. This rule also applies to correspondence for the signature

of OSD leaders. Place the date in the upper right corner after the document is signed. When digitally signing memo- randums, a date is required (either typed by the signer before digitally signing or stamped after signature). See AR 25 – 50 for instructions on placing a text box for the date on Adobe PDF files that use digital signature.

(c) Do not use “attachment” or “tab” to refer to documents included with the basic correspondence to com- plete the action in correspondence. Use “enclosure(s)” or “Encl.”

Note. HQDA memorandums will not list the number of enclosures following the “Encl” notation. Label enclosures in the footer of the first page of each enclosure, flush right with the margin. Use “Enclosure” if the correspondence in- cludes only one. Use “Enclosure 1,” “Enclosure 2,” and so on for multiple enclosures, as indicated in AR 25 – 50.

(2) Use the “See Distribution” format shown in figure 7 when distributing to more than five addressees. (3) Memorandums from ARSTAF agencies to the SECARMY or the USA need not be addressed “thru” an

Assistant Secretary of the Army. Formally coordinate the actions with the Assistant Secretaries of the Army or their principal deputies and ensure their concurrence is noted in ETMS2.

(4) Appropriate HQDA officials in the Secretariat and ARSTAF may sign memorandums to all HQDA principal officials.

(5) Route memorandums for or addressed to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA through the DAS via ECC. The DAS will annotate review in ETMS2. This rule does not apply for actions approved or signed under delegated authority by the AASA.

(6) An information or action memorandum using OSD style and formatting must accompany correspondence prepared for the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF. Format memorandums addressed to the SECDEF or DEPSECDEF in the OSD style. See DoDM 5110.04, Volumes 1 and 2 and figures 8 and 9 of this policy notice for specific guidance.

(a) OSD uses the word “attachment(s)” instead of “enclosure(s).” (b) Written material longer than two pages will either not use acronyms or will include a comprehensive

alphabetized glossary as the last tab of the package. Written material includes information and action memorandums, read-ahead packages, and written briefings or slide presentations.

(c) Use only watermark preprinted letterhead for letters and memorandums prepared for SECDEF or DEPSECDEF signature. Electronically generated letterhead is prohibited.

(7) The Secretariat and the ARSTAF commonly use the DAS tasking memorandum to obtain a formal tasking in ETMS2.

(a) When the DAS tasks on behalf of SECARMY to agencies of the Secretariat, place the memorandum on DA letterhead and use the authority line: “For the Secretary of the Army:” (see fig 10).

(b) When the DAS tasks ARSTAF agencies, use Office of the CSA letterhead (see fig 11). (8) Decision memorandum.

(a) Use the decision memorandum to obtain decisions from the Command Group or higher headquarters. Prepare the memo on letterhead and do not exceed two pages, excluding supporting documents.

(b) Contents. 1. Heading. Include the office symbol, date, and subject. 2. Body. Include the purpose, recommendations, discussion, and coordination for the action to inform

reviewing and signing officials. 3. Signature block. If more than one signature block is required, see AR 25 – 50 and figure 12 of this

policy notice. (c) See figure 12 and AR 25 – 50 for the digital version.

(9) Follow the format in AR 25 – 50 when sending a memorandum “thru” one or more recipients with a digital signature.

c. Multiple-signature memorandum. The following information applies to multiple-signature memorandums. (1) Before submission to ECC, the lead staff agency will ensure that the tri-signed letter or memorandum has

coordination concurrences from the following (see fig 13): (a) Legal (OGC for SECARMY or USA; OTJAG for CSA or VCSA). (b) Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) speechwriter.

(2) The originator of the tri-signed document must upload the Word file into ETMS2. (3) When preparing a memorandum for the signature of two officials, the signature block of the higher-ranking

office is placed on the right (see fig 14). (4) When preparing a memorandum for the signature of three officials, center the signature of the highest-rank-

ing office at the bottom. Place the signature block of the next highest-ranking office above and on the right. The signa- ture block of the junior office is on the left (see fig 14).

(5) Place correspondence with multiple signature blocks of the Service Secretaries on plain bond paper (see fig 14).

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 4. Sample memorandum to a single address with a digital signature

Figure 5. Sample memorandum to multiple addresses

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 6. Sample multipage memorandum for signature by a principal official

Figure 6. Sample multipage memorandum for signature by a principal official-continued

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 7. Sample memorandum with a “see distribution” address list

Figure 7. Sample memorandum with a “see distribution” address list-continued

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 8. Sample information memorandum from the Secretary of the Army to the

Secretary of Defense

Figure 9. Sample action memorandum from the Secretary of the Army to the

Secretary of Defense

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 10. Sample Director of the Army Staff tasking memorandum for the Secretariat

Figure 10. Sample Director of the Army Staff tasking memorandum for the Secretariat-

continued

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 11. Sample Director of the Army Staff tasking memorandum for the Army Staff

Figure 11. Sample Director of the Army Staff tasking memorandum for the Army Staff-

continued

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 12. Preparing a decision memorandum

Figure 12. Preparing a decision memorandum-continued

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 13. Sample signature block format for tri-signed correspondence

Figure 14. Sample signature block formats for multi-Service memorandums

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

13. Letterhead and stationery a. The DA letterhead template is available on the Army Publishing Directorate website at

https://armypubs.army.mil/tools/pubsresources.aspx. b. Print all letterhead for principal officials sent to external addresses in blue ink. Print all letterhead for principal

officials sent to internal addresses in black ink. (1) Flag stationery. Write informal or personal letters for the signature of the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA

on that individual’s flag stationery. (2) Secretary of the Army. Use SECARMY letterhead for correspondence prepared for SECARMY signature

(see fig 15). (3) Chief of Staff. Use CSA letterhead for correspondence prepared for CSA signature (see fig 16). (4) Under Secretary of the Army. Use USA letterhead for correspondence prepared for USA signature (see fig

17). (5) Vice Chief of Staff. Use Office of the Vice Chief of Staff letterhead for correspondence prepared for VCSA

signature (see fig 18). (6) Department of the Army. All HQDA principal officials and their offices will use DA letterhead, displaying

their organization title, complete street address, city, state, and ZIP+4 (see fig 18). (7) Uses for Department of the Army letterhead. Use DA letterhead that displays “Department of the Army”

and “Washington DC 20310,” centered on two lines, when correspondence is for— (a) The signature of an Acting SECARMY (see fig 19). (b) The signature of an Acting USA (see fig 19). (c) The signature of the SECARMY and CSA (see fig 20). (d) The signatures of the SECARMY, CSA, and SMA (see fig 20). (e) The signature of the AASA and DAS (see fig 20).

(8) Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. Use AASA letterhead for official correspondence (see fig 21).

(9) Director of the Army Staff. Use Office of the Chief of Staff letterhead for correspondence prepared for the DAS signature to ARSTAF agencies (see fig 22) and DA letterhead for Secretariat agencies (see fig 19).

(10) Tri-flag stationery. Use tri-flag stationery to observe national ethnic observances, holidays, and significant events signed by the SECARMY, CSA, and SMA.

(a) The DAS must approve the use of tri-flag stationery unless the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA gen- erates it.

(b) Before submission to ECC, the lead staff agency will ensure that the tri-flag correspondence has coordi- nation concurrences from the following (see fig 13):

1. Legal (OGC for SECARMY or USA; OTJAG for CSA or VCSA). 2. SMA speechwriter. 3. CSA speechwriter. 4. SECARMY speechwriter.

(c) The originator of a tri-flag document must upload the Word file into ETMS2. (11) Office of the Secretary of Defense. Follow DoDM 5110.04, Volumes 1 and 2 for correspondence prepared

for signature by OSD officials.

https://armypubs.army.mil/tools/pubsresources.aspx

Figure 15. Sample Secretary of the Army letterhead

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 16. Sample Chief of Staff letterhead

Figure 17. Sample Under Secretary of the Army letterhead

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 18. Sample Office of the Vice Chief of Staff letterhead

Figure 19. Sample Department of the Army letterhead

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 20. Sample Department of the Army letterhead for correspondence signed by the

Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army; Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Sergeant Major of the Army; and Administrative Assistant to the

Secretary of the Army and Director of the Army Staff

Figure 21. Sample Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army letterhead

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 22. Sample Office of the Chief of Staff letterhead used for

Director of the Army Staff signature

14. Information and discussion papers Use information and discussion papers to present information in general or information specifically for a discussion.

a. Information papers. Figure 23 shows the format for an information paper. Use plain bond paper. b. Discussion papers. Figure 24 shows the format for a discussion paper. Use plain bond paper.

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 23. Sample format for an information paper

Figure 23. Sample format for an information paper-continued

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

Figure 24. Sample format for a discussion paper

Figure 24. Sample format for a discussion paper-continued

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

15. Headquarters, Department of the Army Enterprise Task Management Software Solution - Senior Leader Approval Page

a. Use ETMS2 to control and coordinate staff documents. ETMS2 provides pertinent information about the action being staffed for coordination or submitted for approval and signature.

b. The information provided in the tasker response will be a brief, accurate, and clear summary of the action required and the documents included in the staff package.

c. Include a printed copy of the senior leader approval page (ETMS2 SLAP) in the staffing package and attach it to the front of the folder and as the first file in the portfolio in ETMS2, as described in paragraph 16a(1) of this policy notice. 16. Assembly of hardcopy staff actions and correspondence All actions will be submitted through ETMS2. When required to submit a hardcopy staff action and correspondence portfolio for HQDA principal officials, follow the instructions in AR 25 – 50 except as noted in this section.

a. Place correspondence in a blue folder with facing pockets as follows: (1) Front of the folder. Once the Army senior leader SLAP route is finalized, print and attach the completed

senior leader approval page to the front of the folder using a clam or butterfly clip. Use the appropriate cover sheet for the classification.

Note. These instructions are different from guidance in AR 25 – 50.

(2) Left side of folder. Place the supporting documentation on the inside left of the folder in the following order with alphabetic tabs placed behind the document:

(a) The incoming correspondence. (b) The tasking summary or control sheet. (c) Any supporting or backup documentation.

(3) Right side of folder. Place the document for action on the right side of the folder in the following order: (a) Executive correspondence cover. (b) Proposed correspondence requiring signature or initial, marked with an adhesive signature tab to indicate

where to sign or initial. (c) Place alphabetic tabs behind the correspondence to be signed. (d) Do not staple correspondence intended for signature. (e) Documents to be signed are printed single-sided.

b. Do not mark correspondence submitted for principal official’s signature or papers forwarded to a higher authority. Do not highlight or underline any portion of any correspondence. Use celluloid markers, such as self-adhesive notes and adhesive tabs to point out specific lines or paragraphs at tabs for easy removal before the document is mailed. 17. Distribution of signed documents to Headquarters, Department of the Army principal officials, Army commands, Army service component commands, and direct reporting units

a. The OPR staff agency or organization is responsible for making final distribution of any document signed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, AASA, DAS, or an agency principal official.

b. Documents signed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, or DAS with specific tasks and suspense will be tasked in ETMS2 by ECC. OPR staff agencies will make final distribution to staff agency XOs and ACOM, ASCC, and DRU SGS elements. The only two exceptions are OCLL will deliver the actual Red Top response for SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA signature directly to the MOC; and ECC will make final delivery to OSD of Red Top taskings for SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA signature.

c. All documents signed by the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, or DAS will be sent directly to agency principal official XOs and ACOM, ASCC, and DRU SGS elements within these organizations for distribution. The only excep- tion is documents a principal official sends directly to other staff agency principals.

d. Use current staff rosters (principal and XOs, deputies, executive assistants, SACOs, ACOMs, and ECC personnel rosters) that ECC provides to facilitate distribution.

e. Distribute signed action and information memorandums for SECDEF or DEPSECDEF as follows: (1) Action memorandums. Provide original plus one copy to the OSD Correspondence Management Division,

located in 3C843. (2) Information memorandums. Provide original plus two copies to the OSD Correspondence Management Di-

vision, located in 3C843.

18. All Army Activities and sends messages

a. For information on processing routine all Army activities (ALARACT) messages, see AR 25 – 30 and DA Pam 25 – 40.

b. Sends messages are usually personal notes written to convey a specific message to all GOs and, on occasion, at the colonel level.

(1) With CSA or VCSA approval, release of a sends message is routed through ECC to the lead staff agency for submission to the General Officer Management Office for official release.

(2) The OPR agency will provide the sends message to the General Officer Management Office with the proper senior leader approval for transmission. 19. Format and scheduling of briefings

a. ECC will arrange briefings for the SECARMY, USA, CSA, VCSA, and DAS in coordination with the staff agency XO or SACO. The XO or SACO will complete the following:

(1) Provide a completed and coordinated HQDA Form 11 to ECC. The assigned agency or organization is re- sponsible for coordinating with all other meeting participants from other HQDA staff agencies, ACOMs, ASCCs, and DRUs, excluding the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA participation.

(2) Provide a read-ahead (cover sheet plus materials) to ECC no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meet- ing.

(3) Provide all hardcopy brief packets for all participants in the meeting. (4) Coordinate the briefing with all appropriate staff agencies, ACOMs, ASCCs, or DRUs. Ensure coordination

with the ASA (FM&C) or the Army Budget Office. b. ECC will facilitate reservations for conference room scheduling for SECARMY conference rooms based on the

meeting requirements. (1) Headquarters, Department of the Army Form 11. Submit an approved HQDA Form 11 electronically to the

appropriate ECC representative to schedule a briefing. (2) Office of the Secretary of Defense principal officials. OSD does not provide written guidance for scheduling

briefings for OSD principal officials. Coordinate with ECC to obtain additional guidance as needed. 20. Read-aheads

a. For Headquarters, Department of the Army principal officials. (1) A read-ahead is required for all briefings to senior Army leadership to provide information about the issues

before a scheduled briefing. (2) Provide read-ahead material to ECC no later than 48 hours before the scheduled briefing. (3) Read-ahead summaries should be no longer than two pages and will be provided using ETMS2 with “Read-

Ahead” typed in the area normally used for a tracking number. See the ECC website for templates and additional instructions.

(4) Provide two color copies of all slides in the briefing with the ETMS2 response SLAP print page for briefings to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, VCSA, and DAS.

b. For heads of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Department of Defense components. Guidance for read- aheads for OSD and DoD officials is in the Military Assistant and Executive Officer Handbook (available at https://ex- ecsec.defense.gov/), which addresses preferred content, style, and format. Informal guidance includes instructions to avoid the use of color for color’s sake in briefing slides. Keep briefings to black and white unless color serves a purpose. 21. Executive summary Use an EXSUM to provide information to senior Army leadership in a brief, succinct manner. An EXSUM is used to answer questions, provide information, or make leadership aware of issues. It is a standalone document comprising a single paragraph of no more than 20 lines (see fig 25). If necessary, an information paper may accompany the EXSUM to further convey important information.

a. EXSUMs prepared in response to a SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA tasking will include the ETMS2 control identification number (for example, HQDA – 000000 – IG21) in the upper right corner. Type the date the EXSUM was prepared under the ETMS2 control identification number (if applicable). If necessary, an information paper may ac- company the EXSUM to further convey important information.

b. All unclassified and classified EXSUMs will be submitted to ECC in portfolio format in ETMS2.

https://execsec.defense.gov/

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

c. The principal official of the submitting activity will approve the EXSUM before its submission to ECC. ECC will forward the EXSUM to the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA office as appropriate.

d. In addition to the format and content requirements of the EXSUM, address the following items: (1) What question is being answered?

(a) This EXSUM addresses the Director’s, CSA’s, or SECARMY’s question or request for information. (b) This EXSUM summarizes the weekly G – 3/5/7 meeting.

(2) Why does the SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA need this information? (3) What action by SECARMY, CSA, USA, or VCSA is required or desired?

Figure 25. Sample format of an executive summary

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

22. Talking points paper Use a talking points paper to provide an outline of a single issue and quick reference on key facts, data, positions, or frequently asked questions (see fig 26).

Figure 26. Talking points paper

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

23. Headquarters, Department of the Army rollout plan and conditions check All actions with potential congressional or public interest will have a rollout plan and related documents to ensure intended messages are conveyed to appropriate audiences, including OCLL, in synchronization with the release of the action. Rollout plans and documents are developed, coordinated, and tracked by the OPR for the action.

a. Rollout plan components. (1) The narrative rollout plan, a Word document, is included with the action in ETMS2 for Army senior leader

review. (2) The rollout conditions check, a PowerPoint slide, broadly details the time, audience, and sender for clarity

of action. It is coordinated across affected staff agencies, OTJAG, OGC, OCLL, and the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs (OCPA).

(3) The rollout execution checklist (EXCHECK) is required for complex, multistep rollouts. It details sequential rollout actions and includes specific actions, senders, and recipients at specific times. The OPR tracks execution of the EXCHECK and provides a summary to Army senior leaders at conclusion of the rollout. The OPR coordinates the EXCHECK across all affected staff agencies, OTJAG, OGC, OCLL, and OCPA. Rollouts that require an EXCHECK will be approved by DAS, at a minimum.

(4) Rollout plan and conditions check templates are available at https://csa.army.penta- gon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.

b. Rollout plan timelines and approval requirements. (1) Simple rollouts not requiring an execution checklist. The OPR will include the rollout plan narrative and

rollout conditions check in the ETMS2 submission for actions that require only simple rollouts. The rollout will be approved in conjunction with the action. The DAS may direct the OPR to develop a detailed rollout EXCHECK if more detailed synchronization is required.

(2) Complex rollouts requiring an execution checklist. (a) The OPR will coordinate a meeting with the DAS to approve the rollout plan at least 10 days before

rollout. Meeting attendees will include OCPA, OCLL, OTJAG, OGC, and staff agencies affected by the action. (b) The OPR will coordinate a formal conditions check a minimum of 2 working days before the planned

rollout to verify that all rollout actions are rehearsed, materials approved, and conditions set for the rollout. The condi- tions check will be chaired by the Office of the Director of the Army Staff and include OCLL, OCPA, OTJAG, OGC, and staff agencies affected by the action. The OPR will facilitate the conditions check.

(c) The OPR is responsible for verifying completion of the EXCHECK. At rollout completion, the OPR will provide an EXSUM to the DAS or Army senior leaders as directed.

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

Appendix A References

Section I Required Publications AR 25 – 50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence (Cited in para 1.)

DoDM 5110.04, Volume 1 Manual for Written Material: Correspondence Management (Available at https://www.esd.whs.mil/.) (Cited in para 5g(4)(d).)

DoDM 5110.04, Volume 2 Manual for Written Material: Examples and Reference Material (Available at https://www.esd.whs.mil/.) (Cited in para 5m(2).)

Section II Related Publications A related publication is a source of additional information. The user does not have to read it to understand this publi- cation. DoD material available at https://www.esd.whs.mil/.

Accessing the HQDA ETMS2 Beginner, Advanced, and SLAP CBTs User Guide (Available at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.)

AR 1 – 9 White House Liaison and Communications

AR 1 – 20 Legislative Liaison

AR 25 – 30 Army Publishing Program

AR 25 – 55 The Department of the Army Freedom of Information Act Program

AR 25 – 400 – 2 The Army Records Information Management System (ARIMS)

AR 380 – 5 Army Information Security Program

DA Memo 1 – 18 Joint Actions

DA Memo 1 – 20 Staffing Department of Defense Issuances

DA Pam 25 – 40 Army Publishing Program Procedures

DoD Military Assistant and Executive Officer Handbook (Available at https://execsec.defense.gov/.)

DoDI 5025.01 DoD Issuances Program

DoDI 5025.13 DoD Plain Language Program

https://www.esd.whs.mil/

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

https://execsec.defense.gov/

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

GPO Style Manual (Available at https://www.govinfo.gov/.)

HQDA Specific Guidance for Staff Action Processes and Policies (Available at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.)

HQDA ETMS2 Business Rules (Available at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.)

Preparing Taskers for Top 4 Review – Top Down and Bottom Up Taskers (Available at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.)

Steps to Build an Adobe Portfolio (Available at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.)

The Chicago Manual of Style (Available with subscription at https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html.)

ETMS2 Advanced Level Participant Guide (Available at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.)

ETMS2 Beginner Level Participant Guide (Available at https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx.)

Section III Prescribed Forms Unless otherwise indicated, HQDA forms are available on the Army Publishing Directorate website (https://armypubs.army.mil/).

HQDA Form 11 Army Senior Leader Calendar Request (Cited in para 4b(4)(g)(2).)

Section IV Referenced Forms Unless otherwise indicated, DD forms and SD forms are available on the OSD website (https://www.esd.whs.mil/directives/forms/).

DD Form 818 DoD Issuance Coordination Response

DD Form 818 – 1 Consolidated DoD Issuance Comment Matrix

SD Form 391 Secretary of Defense Correspondence Action Report

https://www.govinfo.gov/

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

https://csa.army.pentagon.mil/ecc/sitepages/home.aspx

https://armypubs.army.mil/

https://www.esd.whs.mil/directives/forms/

Glossary

Section I Abbreviations AASA Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army

ACOM Army command

ALARACT all Army activities

AR Army regulation

ARIMS Army Records Information Management System

ARSTAF Army Staff

ASA (FM&C) Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller)

ASCC Army service component command

CACO Congressional Affairs Contact Office

cc courtesy copy

CSA Chief of Staff of the Army

DA Department of the Army

DA Pam Department of the Army pamphlet

DAS Director of the Army Staff

DCS Deputy Chief of Staff

DD Department of Defense (forms)

DEPSECDEF Deputy Secretary of Defense

DoD Department of Defense

DoDI Department of Defense instruction

DoDM Department of Defense manual

HQDA Policy Notice 25–52

DRU direct reporting unit

ECC Executive Communications and Control

ETMS2 Enterprise Task Management Software Solution

EXCHECK execution checklist

EXSUM executive summary

FOA field operating agency

GO general officer

HQDA Headquarters, Department of the Army

MOC Member of Congress

OCLL Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison

OCPA Office of the Chief of Public Affairs

OCR office of coordinating responsibility

OGC Office of the General Counsel

OPR office of primary responsibility

OSD Office of the Secretary of Defense

OTJAG Office of The Judge Advocate General

PDF portable document format

POC point of contact

SACO staff action control officer

SD Secretary of Defense (forms)

SECARMY Secretary of the Army

SECDEF Secretary of Defense

SES Senior Executive Service

SGS secretary of the general staff

SLAP Senior Leader Approval Process

SMA Sergeant Major of the Army

USA Under Secretary of the Army

VCSA Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

VDAS Vice Director of the Army Staff

WHLO White House Liaison Office

XO executive officer

Section II Terms This section contains no entries.

Distribution: This publication is available in electronic media only and is intended for Headquarters, Department of the Army and its field operating agencies.

1. Purpose
2. References and forms
3. Explanation of abbreviations and terms
4. Responsibilities
5. Policy
6. Suspense date
7. Tracking actions
8. Handling of Red Top taskings
9. Department of Defense Directives Program
10. Processing of White House actions
11. Correspondence policies
12. Letters and memorandums
13. Letterhead and stationery
14. Information and discussion papers
15. Headquarters, Department of the Army Enterprise Task Management Software Solution - Senior Leader Approval Page
16. Assembly of hardcopy staff actions and correspondence
17. Distribution of signed documents to Headquarters, Department of the Army principal officials, Army commands, Army service component commands, and direct reporting units
18. All Army Activities and sends messages
19. Format and scheduling of briefings
20. Read-aheads
21. Executive summary
22. Talking points paper
23. Headquarters, Department of the Army rollout plan and conditions check
Appendix A

Section I
Section II
Section III
Section IV

Glossary