•
•
Flash
Requests for news of aircraft in flight, flight
plans, or cancellation messages to prevent
unnecessary search and rescue action
Reports of weather observations of wind speeds
of 34 knots or greater
The precedence Flash (prosign Z) is reserved for
initial enemy contact reports of operational combat
messages of extreme urgency. The following are
examples of reports assigned this precedence:
•
•
•
•
•
Initial enemy contact reports
Messages recalling or diverting friendly aircraft
about to bomb targets unexpectedly occupied by
friendly forces
Warnings of imminent large-scale attacks
Messages containing major strategic decisions of
great urgency
Reports of tropical storms, typhoons, or
hurricanes believed to be previously undetected
(Unit commanders may use Flash precedence for
such reports if no extenuating circumstances
would jeopardize the tactical situation.)
DELIVERY TIME
Because precedence is assigned according to
desired writer-to-reader time, you should be aware of
elements that affect message delivery time, such as the
following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Types of telecommunications facilities
Number of messages processed
Telecommunications equipment speed
Message length
Number of addressees
Telecommunications circuit conditions
The following lists the speed-of-service objectives
of each precedence:
PRECEDENCE
Flash
Immediate
Priority
Routine
SPEED OF SERVICE
PROSIGN
OBJECTIVE
Z
As fast as possible with
an objective of less than
10 minutes
O
30 minutes
P
3 hours
R
6 hours
DATE-TIME GROUP
A date-time group (DTG) is assigned to a message
for identification and file purposes only. The DTG is a
universal date-time reference system expressed in
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The date-time group is
a six-digit number suffixed by the letter Z, which
indicates GMT. The abbreviated month and year are
appended to the DTG. The first two digits of the
date-time group indicate the date; the next four digits the
GMT. For example,
071246Z APR85
indicates
7 April 1985, 1246 GMT.
CLASSIFICATION
Each classified message must have its classification
listed on the classification line of the message. The first
word of the classification line must be one of three
classification designators or the word “UNCLAS.” The
three classification designators are CONFIDENTIAL,
SECRET, and TOP SECRET.
The acronyms FOUO (For Official Use Only) and
EFTO (Encrypt for Transmission Only) are not
classifications but can be used with UNCLAS in the
classification line. Likewise, the terms Restricted
Data and Formerly Restricted Data, while not
classifications, can be used with classification
designators. The proper spelling and spacing of these
terms are as follows:
UNCLAS
UNCLAS
EFTO
FOUO
C O N F I D E N T I A L
S E C R E T
T O P S E C R E T
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