R:030908/1200Z @:NN0MDR #:4681
R:030909/1144Z @:NN0MDQ #:2746
R:030909/1035Z @:NN0MDC #:1016
RR NOALL
DE NNN0ASA 150
R 091200Z SEP 03
FM CHNAVMARCORMARS WILLIAMSBURG VA
TO ALNAVMARCORMARS
BT
UNCLAS
CHNAVMARCORMARS BCST 16-03 - OBSERVING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND
1. SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING CHIEF I WAS ASKED HOW TO PROPERLY FOLLOW
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WHEN SUBMITTING A REQUEST VIA MESSAGE. THE
FOLLOWING IS A REHASH OF THE RESPONSE I SENT IN 1998. MY RESPONSE WAS
BASED ON EARLIER CORRESPONDENCE WHICH I NO LONGER HOLD. (THE REGION
WHERE THIS OCCURRED HAS BEEN DISESTABLISHED SO THE CALLS IN THE
EXAMPLE BELOW HAVE BEEN CHANGED.) IT IS EQUALLY VALID TODAY:
  A. FOLLOWING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND BY LETTER (OR E-MAIL IF PERSONAL
OR SENSITIVE INFORMATION IS INVOLVED) IS FAIRLY SIMPLE: SEND YOUR
REQUEST TO THE SENIOR INDIVIDUAL YOU ARE ADDRESSING VIA EACH OF YOUR
INTERMEDIATES IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. THE LETTER IS FORWARDED UP THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND WITH EACH LEVEL ADDING THEIR ENDORSEMENT TO THE
PACKAGE UNTIL IT REACHES THE ADDRESSED INDIVIDUAL.
  B. THE PROCEDURE IS DIFFERENT WHEN SUBMITTING BY MESSAGE. THE
CORRECT WAY TO DO THIS IS TO SEND THE MESSAGE TO THE NEXT SENIOR IN
THE CHAIN OF COMMAND FOR ACTION AND INFO THE OTHER MEMBERS IN THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND. FOR EXAMPLE, A MEMBER IN PA WOULD SEND A MESSAGE TO
NNN0GCP PA, INFO NNN0ASI SNE AND NNN0ASA VA (AND NNN0ASI ONE, AS A
COURTESY). (THE REGION DIRECTOR WOULD BE INCLUDED IF THIS WERE AN
OPERATIONAL ISSUE OR WHERE THEIR INPUT WOULD BE OF BENEFIT.) NNN0GCP
PA WOULD THEN SEND HIS/HER ENDORSEMENT BY MESSAGE TO NNN0ASI SNE OR
THE REGION DIRECTOR, NNN0AS3 IN THIS CASE, IF APPROPRIATE, INFO THE
ORIGINATING STATION, NNN0ASI ONE AND NNN0ASA. THIS IS DONE TO
PARALLEL THE CHAIN A LETTER WOULD FOLLOW WITHOUT HAVING TO READDRESS
THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE EACH TIME. ONLY THE ENDORSEMENT IS SENT VIA
MESSAGE SINCE ALL OTHER LEVELS OF THE CHAIN OF COMMAND HAVE THE
ORIGINAL REQUEST AND THE OTHER ENDORSEMENTS.
2. ADDITIONALLY, ALL CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESSED TO A SENIOR IN THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND MUST BE FORWARDED WHETHER THE INTERMEDIATES IN THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND AGREE OR DISAGREE.
3. IF THE QUESTION IS RESOLVED PRIOR TO REACHING THE HIGHEST
INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSED, THE ORIGINATING STATION SHOULD SEND A MESSAGE
TO/INFO ALL STATIONS CONCERNED STATING THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN
RESOLVED TO HIS/HER SATISFACTION.
4. IF THE INTERMEDIATES IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND DO NOT FORWARD A
MEMBERS CORRESPONDENCE, THE MEMBER MAY BYPASS THEM AND GO DIRECTLY TO
THE NEXT SENIOR IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. IN OTHER WORDS, ONLY THE
ORIGINATOR MAY CANCEL A REQUEST BEFORE IT REACHES THE FINAL LEVEL
ADDRESSED.
3. NAVMARCORMARS: PROUDLY SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE.
BT
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