On an Army memorandum, the authority line is the all-caps phrase — “FOR THE COMMANDER:” is the common one — that sits at the left margin two lines below the body when someone signs for a commander or agency head instead of the principal signing personally. AR 25-50, revised October 2020, sets the wording, the placement, and who may use it. Get any of those wrong and the memo can come back.
Which Phrase to Use
The correct wording depends on what kind of organization is issuing the memo.
FOR THE COMMANDER: Use this at units, headquarters, and installations where a commander holds a formal command position through official orders, and use it when the document pertains to command policy. Do not use it on technical channel correspondence, which flows between staff sections at different echelons rather than through command channels.1U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
FOR THE [Agency or Staff Head]: When a memo comes out of a staff agency or directorate rather than a command, name the head of that organization. At Headquarters, Department of the Army, the line might read “FOR THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, G-1:” or whichever principal staff officer heads the issuing agency. The pattern is always “FOR THE” followed by the official title.2U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: Only the Secretary of the Army can approve delegation of this signature. U.S. Army Human Resources Command uses it on military personnel matters. You will not see it at battalion or brigade level; it is reserved for Army-level actions where the Secretary’s authority is being invoked.1U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
Using the wrong phrase for your organization is one of the most common formatting errors in Army correspondence, and it tells the receiving office the signer may not understand the command structure they are writing on behalf of.
When to Leave the Authority Line Off
AR 25-50 identifies two situations where omitting the line is the correct move, not just tolerated.
- The commander, agency head, or office head is signing the memo personally. Their signature alone establishes the source of authority.
- The body of the memo already includes an attribution phrase such as “The Secretary of the Army directs…,” “The Commander desires…,” or “The Commanding Officer…has asked that I inform you….” The text itself names who is behind the communication, so the authority line would be redundant.2U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
Formatting and Placement
Type the authority line in all capital letters, starting at the left margin, on the second line below the last line of the body.1U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence The caps visually separate it from the body above and the signature block below.
The signature block then begins in the center of the page on the fifth line below the authority line.2U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence That gap is where the signer places their handwritten or digital signature. Wrong spacing is a quick way to get the memo returned by an administrative office screening correspondence before it moves up the chain.
For memos signed electronically with a Common Access Card, place the digital signature box directly above the signer’s typed name, left-aligned with it.2U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence The authority line itself does not change between wet ink and digital. On “THRU” memorandums routed through intermediate headquarters, each addressee line gets its own digital signature box, with a text box for short comments placed to its left.
Whoever signs uses their own signature block and title. You never sign with the commander’s name or rank. The structure lets the reader see both who authorized the communication (the authority line) and who physically signed it (the signature block).3Department of the Army. AR 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
You Need a Written Delegation First
Before anyone uses an authority line, the commander or agency head has to formally delegate signature authority. This does not happen by custom or assumption. AR 25-50 requires the delegation in writing, and it must spell out the specific types of correspondence the subordinate is authorized to sign.3Department of the Army. AR 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
The written delegation can take whatever form the commander chooses, standalone memorandum or a locally designed form, but it must include two statements:
- The commander retains the right to cancel or withdraw the delegated authority at any time.
- When a new commander takes over, all existing delegations are subject to review and may be cancelled or modified.
That second point is where units trip. A delegation from the previous commander does not automatically carry over. The new commander can honor it, revise it, or scrap it. Until the new commander affirmatively acts, treat prior delegations as under review.3Department of the Army. AR 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
One distinction matters. The commander delegates the authority to sign, not the underlying decision-making authority or the responsibility. The commander remains legally responsible for whatever a subordinate signs under the authority line.2U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence
AR 25-50 allows delegation to commissioned officers, noncommissioned officers, and Department of the Army civilian employees.2U.S. Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence Rank is not the limit; scope is. An NCO authorized to sign supply documents cannot start signing personnel actions or disciplinary paperwork unless the written delegation covers those areas.
What Goes Wrong When It’s Misused
Signing under an authority line you were never formally delegated, or signing outside the scope of your delegation, creates real problems. The memo can be invalidated during an audit or legal review because the document lacks proper authorization. Administrative actions taken based on an improperly authorized memo, including reassignments, supply requisitions, or policy changes, can be unwound.
Exceeding delegated authority can also lead to administrative action against the signer, ranging from a counseling statement to more formal corrective measures depending on the circumstances. The commander whose authority was misused has a stake as well, since they carry ultimate responsibility for anything issued under their authority line, including documents they never actually approved.