Introduction to the Joint Service Writing Manual
The Department of Defense recognizes the importance of clear and consistent communication across all branches of the military. To ensure service members, civilian employees, and the general public receive standardized and understandable information, the Department promulgated the Joint Service Writing Manual (JSWM). This comprehensive document provides guidelines for writing styles, formatting standards, and rules for military correspondence used by all branches, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, and Defense agencies.
The JSWM aims to foster coherence and uniformity in all written products coming from the military. Key audiences the manual addresses include service members, their families, veterans, partners of the Department of Defense both domestic and international, members of Congress and other government entities, and the American public. By prescribing set formatting practices and clear writing principles, the manual ensures all parties interacting with or receiving information from the military can easily comprehend content regardless of service or department origin.
History and Development
While individual branches had long maintained their own style guides, the first edition of a consolidated joint military writing reference emerged in 1990 under the title Department of Defense Correspondence Manual. Recognizing continued need to standardize correspondence across an increasingly integrated military, subsequent revised editions were published under new names, including DoD Correspondence and Memorandum Writing Handbook in 2004 and the current Joint Service Writing Manual first issued in 2011.
Key events driving the evolution and expansion of the manual included the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 which sought to promote jointness among the services and the establishment of U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command which highlighted requirements for standardized communication in new operational domains. The 2011 JSWM brought all correspondence guidelines into a single comprehensive reference and has since undergone periodic review and update to meet the dynamic communication needs of the joint force.
Contents and Organization
The Joint Service Writing Manual is organized into five main sections covering fundamentals of military correspondence, general requirements, correspondence formats, business letter styles, and reference materials. Key chapters provide instruction on topics such as writing clearly and concisely, corresponding with the public, correspondence templates, letterhead specifications, memos, emails, reports, awards and decorations documents, and others.
To ensure consistency, the JSWM establishes standard paragraph styles, fonts, spacing, templates, and other formatting conventions. Margins, signature blocks, addresses, letterhead logos, and other visual elements are prescribed. The manual also contains example letters, memos, reports and forms formatted to demonstrate proper style. Additional items like acronym lists, proofreading checklists, and style references further equip writers to meet JSWM guidelines.
Importance and Usage
Compliance with the Joint Service Writing Manual is mandatory for all official written communication originating from the Department of Defense and its subordinate services and agencies. Its standardized practices and formats help facilitate efficient coordination, cooperation and understanding among diverse military and civilian components. Consistency across correspondence instills professionalism and trust in information released by the Department of Defense to external audiences as well.
Beyond official correspondence and reports, the manual’s clear writing principles are beneficial for service members from all ranks and occupational specialties to follow. Strong communication skills established early on are applicable to tasks as varied as briefings, award narratives, operational orders and memoranda. Civilian employees of the Department also use the JSWM as a single unifying reference for business writing in a joint environment. At all levels, the manual aids production of organized, well-composed documents that convey intended messages effectively.
Feedback and Future Adjustments
To keep the Joint Service Writing Manual current with emerging communication needs, the initial approving authority – the Office of the Secretary of Defense – established a recurring review process. Every three years the Defense Language Office evaluates utilization and alignment of the JSWM. Feedback from the military departments and defense agencies helps identify where policy, technology or operational changes necessitate manual updates. Adjustments are then coordinated and approved through Department of Defense channels before new editions are published and distributed.
This oversight ensures the Joint Service Writing Manual maintains relevance to its goal of providing consistent and standardized military correspondence guidance. As communication methods and joint interdependence continue evolving, the manual’s content will require periodic revision to serve the expanding informational requirements of the future force. Through collaboration across the joint community The goal of a single unified correspondence guidebook promoting coherence in Department documents will remain ongoing.