To write an Army memorandum that will not get bounced back, follow the fixed sequence set out in AR 25-50: organizational letterhead, office symbol and date on the same line, MEMORANDUM FOR, an optional THRU line, FROM, SUBJECT, a numbered body that leads with the main point, and a signature block with any required authority line, enclosures, and copy-furnished entries. The regulation controls every internal Army memo, and a document that misses one of these elements or places them in the wrong order gets returned for correction before anyone reads what you actually wrote.
Start With the Header Block
The top of the page carries your organization’s official letterhead, including the Department of the Army heading and unit identification. Directly beneath the letterhead, the office symbol goes at the left margin. Office symbols are alphanumeric codes of up to ten letters that identify the originating office, with hyphens separating groups of characters, such as “AFRC-OPT-T.”1United States Army Reserve. USAR Circular 25-26-50 – Office Symbols
The date goes on the same line as the office symbol, flush with the right margin. Do not date the memo when you draft it. The date reflects when the memo was signed, so it is added after signature. Format the date day-month-year with the month spelled out or abbreviated: “5 January 2026” or “5 Jan 2026.”2Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence
Address Lines: MEMORANDUM FOR, THRU, FROM, SUBJECT
The “MEMORANDUM FOR” line identifies the recipient by complete title, office, and unit. If the memo is going to more than five recipients, replace the individual listings with “SEE DISTRIBUTION” and put a full distribution list below the signature block.3Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence
When a memo needs to pass through intermediate commands, add a “THRU” line between the “MEMORANDUM FOR” and “FROM” lines. This gives those intermediate recipients a chance to see the action and add comment if their input matters to the outcome.4Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence AR 25-50 has separate figure examples for routing through a single intermediate recipient and through several in sequence.
The “FROM” line identifies the sender’s office. Both address lines use the office symbol and organizational designation, not personal names.
The “SUBJECT” line summarizes the memo in one short phrase. It should tell the reader what the memo covers without them needing to read further. Keep it specific: “Request for TDY Approval, SGT Smith, 12-16 Feb 26” beats “TDY Request.”
Write the Body Bottom Line Up Front
Army writing runs on the Bottom Line Up Front principle. Your main point, request, or recommendation goes in the first or second paragraph. Senior readers expect to know within seconds what you want and why, and burying the ask in paragraph four is the surest way to get skimmed past.
Use active voice. “The battalion commander approved the request” reads faster than “The request was approved by the battalion commander,” and active voice tends to be shorter, which matters when the recipient is reading their twentieth memo of the day. Cut unnecessary words, and avoid jargon the recipient may not share. A memo going to a finance office should not assume the reader knows infantry acronyms.
A single-paragraph memo takes no paragraph number. Once you have more than one paragraph, number them, and use this hierarchy for subdivisions:5Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence
- 1. Major paragraph
- a. First-level subparagraph, indented
- (1) Second-level subparagraph, further indented
- (a) Third-level subparagraph, further indented
Each level indents further from the left margin, per Figure 2-1 of the regulation. Paragraphs are single-spaced with one blank line between them.
Signature Block and Authority Lines
If the commander or head of an agency personally signs the memo, no authority line is needed. When someone else signs on the commander’s behalf for policy matters, command decisions, recommendations, or tasking actions, an authority line is required. The most common one is “FOR THE COMMANDER:” typed in uppercase at the left margin, two lines below the last line of the body.2Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence The signature block then starts at the center of the page, five lines below the authority line, leaving space for the actual signature.
Do not use “FOR THE COMMANDER” on technical channel correspondence.2Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence Where a staff or agency head has delegated signature authority within their own area, the authority line uses that person’s title instead.
Routine administrative correspondence such as supply requests and training schedules can be signed by designated personnel, like the training NCO or supply sergeant, without an authority line, provided the delegation is documented. Policy matters, command decisions, and official recommendations do not qualify as routine for this purpose.
Enclosures, Distribution, and Copy Furnished
List attachments as enclosures starting at the left margin on the same line as the signature block.3Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence Number each one and describe it briefly so the reader knows what to expect.
The “CF:” (copy furnished) line goes two lines below the last line of the signature block, enclosure listing, or distribution listing, whichever comes last. Use it to keep informed parties in the loop who are not the primary recipient. Do not spell out “CF.”3Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence If copy-furnished recipients will not receive the attachments, add “(w/o encls)” after CF:.
Font, Margins, and Spacing
The current AR 25-50 does not require a specific font. Army senior leaders decide the font for their organization, as long as correspondence stays easy to read. A 12-point size is recommended, and unusual type styles such as Script are prohibited.3Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence Many units still default to Arial 12 or Times New Roman 12, so check for any local policy before you commit.
Set margins at one inch from the left, right, and bottom edges. Leave the right margin ragged, not justified.3Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence
Multi-Page Memorandums
When the memo runs longer than one page, each continuation page needs the office symbol at the left margin, one inch from the top edge, and the subject line on the next line below it. The body resumes on the third line below the subject.5Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence
Page numbers are centered about one inch from the bottom of each page. The regulation also blocks awkward breaks: do not split a paragraph of three lines or fewer between pages, keep at least two lines of any divided paragraph on each page, and never hyphenate a word across a page break. The signature block cannot land alone on a continuation page unless at least two lines of the final paragraph come with it.5Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence
Check It Against the Regulation Before You Sign
Proofread the memo for grammar, spelling, and consistency. Verify the office symbol, the recipient information, and the subject line. A memo sent to the wrong office symbol creates confusion that costs more time than the original drafting.
Compare your formatting against AR 25-50’s figure examples. Figures 2-1 through 2-19 cover most standard formats and are more reliable than templates that circulate informally within units. Once content and format check out, route the memo for signature from the appropriate authority. The date is added at signing, not during drafting. After it is signed and dated, produce copies for CF recipients, distribute, and file the original for record-keeping.
A Note on Memo Type
This walkthrough covers the standard memorandum, which is what most first-time drafters need. AR 25-50 also recognizes the memorandum for record, the decision memorandum, the memorandum of agreement, and the memorandum of understanding, each with its own use and additional elements. If you are documenting a meeting or phone call, seeking a formal decision from higher headquarters, or setting terms between parties, confirm you have picked the right type before you start formatting.5Headquarters Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-50 – Preparing and Managing Correspondence