MS 832: Cables

Date: 07/15/98 (v. 2)
Office: Information Resources Management (M/IRM)
Supersedes: 8/24/87 v. 2

Table of Contents
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1.0	Purpose
2.0	Cable Policy
3.0	Preparation
	3.1	Classification
	3.2	Drafter
	3.3	Office Approval
	3.4	Clearances
	3.5	Action and Information Precedences
	3.6	Action and Information Addresses
		3.6.1	Individual Addresses
		3.6.2	Collective Addresses
	3.7	Captions
		3.7.1	Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU)
		3.7.2	Eyes only
		3.7.3	Med Eyes only
		3.7.4	Noforn
	3.8	End of Message
	3.9	Numbering System
	3.10	Joint Messages
4.0	Cable Transmission
	4.1	From Overseas Posts
	4.2	From Peace Corps/Washington
	4.3	Repeating Cables
		4.3.1	From Overseas Posts
		4.3.2	From Peace Corps/Washington
	4.4	Cables not Received at Overseas Posts
	4.5	Copies of Cables

1.0 Purpose

This Manual Section describes Peace Corps' policy and procedures governing the use of cables (telegrams) sent through the Department of State facilities.

2.0 Cable Policy

Cables are authorized for official business when letters, fax, and email aren't practical because of time or privacy concerns. Cables are sent through the Department of State and its overseas embassies.

3.0 Preparation

Peace Corps/Washington (PC/W) staff should use a computer template and cable paper available from the cable room (M/IRM/NM& C [Network Management and Communications]).

Overseas staff should follow the format dictated by the local embassy communications center.

This cable example references paragraphs 3.1 - 3.7 (it is not formatted to be used as a template):

UNCLASSIFIED (see paragraph 3.1)

<< DRAFTER>>( see paragraph 3.2)
<< DATE>> << TELEPHONE>>
<< OFFICE APPROVAL>> (see paragraph 3.3)

<< CLEARANCE 1>> (see paragraph 3.4) << CLEARANCE 3>>
<< CLEARANCE 6>> << CLEARANCE 5>> << CLEARANCE 5>>
<< CLEARANCE 7>> << CLEARANCE 8>> << CLEARANCE 9>>
<< CLEARANCE 10>> << CLEARANCE 11>> << CLEARANCE 12>>

<< DESIRED DISTRIBUTION>>

<< ACTION PRECEDENCE>> << ACTION ADDRESS>>
(see paragraph 3.5) (see paragraph 3.6)
<< INFO PRECEDENCE>> << INFO ADDRESS>>

TOPEC (see paragraph 3.7)

E. O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: N/A

SUBJECT: << SUBJECT>>

TO: << TO>>
FROM: << FROM>>

<< CABLE TEXT>>

3.1 Classification

Under Executive Order 12958, Peace Corps personnel are not authorized to classify cables. Therefore, the classification line on cables will ordinarily read UNCLASSIFIED. If a PC/W staff member needs to create and send a document as CLASSIFIED, he/she should contact the cable room, which will contact the appropriate State Department desk officer. The desk officer will draft the cable with Peace Corps as co-drafter. Overseas staff should contact the embassy communications center.

Responding to a CLASSIFIED cable is a little different. The drafter must repeat the E. O., TAGS, and SUBJECT LINE exactly as they appear on the original CLASSIFIED cable. This will create a CLASSIFIED cable. A CLASSIFIED document cannot be downgraded in classification without the approval of the originator.

Peace Corps security classification standards and principles are contained in MS 833, "National Security Classified and Agency-Designated Protected Information."

3.2 Drafter

Type the Agency and office symbols, and the first initial and surname of drafting officer.

3.3 Office Approval

On the approval line, type the Agency and office symbols, and the first initial and surname of the officer authorized to approve cables. The following people may approve transmission of unclassified cables (including SBU, see paragraph 3.7.1):

Director and Deputy Director of the Peace Corps
Chief of Staff
Associate Directors
Executive Secretariat
Regional Directors
Country Directors
General Counsel
Duty Officers
Inspector General
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Information Officer
Director of Special Services (concerning emergency leave requests and deaths of Volunteers and Trainees)
Director of Contracts -also known as Contracts Officer (concerning routineprocurement authorization and routine information exchange concerning overseas procurement actions; delegations to Country Directors from the Contracts Officer pursuant to specific contract and lease review and routine reporting)
Director of Accounting Operations (covering routine information exchange and review of travel and other voucher requirements; designations of cashier )
Director of Volunteer & Staff Payroll Services (concerning routine exchange of information and approvals)
Director and Deputy Director of the Office of Medical Services (covering routine matters on Volunteer/staff health care only)
Medical Advisor (covering routine matters on Volunteer/staff health care only)
Medical Duty Officer (covering emergency care and/or medically confidential information only)
Medical Officers (covering medically confidential information only)

3.4 Clearances

Type the Agency and clearing office symbols, and the first initial and surname of each clearing officer in the "Clearances" field.

3.5 Action and Information Precedences

Precedence designators are used to show the relative order in which cables are to be processed. It is therefore important that each addressee be carefully evaluated to insure assignment of the appropriate precedence designator. There are four authorized precedence designators for telegraphic traffic between the Department of State and overseas missions. These designators are as follows:

FLASH: FLASH is the highest precedence that may be assigned to a cable. The transmission of all other cables will be interrupted so that FLASH cables can be transmitted. FLASH designators should be used only for the most urgent action cables containing information affecting the conduct of foreign relations and/or requiring instant action by the addressee. FLASH should be used extremely sparingly. Brevity is mandatory. The use of FLASH precedence designator must be approved by the Director of the Peace Corps for PC/W operations and the Chief of Mission at overseas Posts.
IMMEDIATE: The IMMEDIATE designator is limited to important matters that require immediate attention or action. The transmission of all but FLASH cables will be interrupted so that IMMEDIATE cables can be transmitted. IMMEDIATE cables should be as brief as possible.

Cables that require immediate delivery to the addressee without regard to the time of day or night, must contain the precedence designator, NIACT IMMEDIATE. IMMEDIATE cables that do not bear the NIACT symbol will be delivered to the addressee only when the addressee's communications facility is open for business.

At PC/W, the drafting officer must clear all NIACT IMMEDIATE cables through the Department of State Operations Branch (202-647-1512). The name of the State Department clearing officer and "S/OS" (the office symbol) must be typed in the clearance field of the cable. All NIACT IMMEDIATE cables are hand carried to the Department of State for transmission. Failure to adhere to this regulation will delay the transmission of the cable.

PRIORITY: Messages requiring rapid action and prompt delivery have precedence over routine telegraphic traffic. Each post establishes its own policies and procedures for the processing and delivery of priority cables received during non-working hours.
ROUTINE: Cables that are not of sufficient urgency to justify a higher precedence (a majority of all cables) fall into this category.

An individual precedence designator may be assigned to each action address. An information address may not be assigned a higher precedence designator than the action designator (see paragraph 3.6).

Neither FLASH nor NIACT IMMEDIATE is permitted for information addresses.

3.6 Action and Information Addresses

An action address directs the cable to a Post or office from which some direct response or action is required. An information address informs interested parties of a cable's contents. Each address type follows its precedence designator on the cable (see paragraph 3.5).

3.6.1 Individual Addresses

Cables to Posts are always addressed to the city where the embassy is located, usually the capital.

3.6.2 Collective Addresses

Peace Corps has five collective address lists stored in the Department of State computer. Each collective is assigned a given name which must be used for collective addressing. There are currently five Peace Corps collectives:

PEACE -Peace Corps collective (all Peace Corps posts)
IAPC -Inter-America and the Pacific collective
AFRPC -Africa collective
EMAPC-Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia collective

Note: The State Department transmits cables only to American Embassies. Therefore, the PC/W cable room will fax cables addressed to the following Posts: Honiara, Solomon Islands; Apia, Western Samoa; Nuku Alofa, Kingdom of Tonga; Tarawa, Kiribati; Castries, St. Lucia; and Port Villa, Vanuatu. This includes collective cables.

3.7 Captions

All captions must be on a single line following the word TOPEC. The communications center processor only recognizes one single line of captions.

The captions EXDIS, LIMDIS, NODIS, MED CHANNEL, and PER CHANNEL are reserved for State Department use, therefore they may not be used by Peace Corps.

3.7.1 Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU)

The Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) caption identifies an unclassified document requiring administrative control and positive protection. This caption replaces LIMITED OFFICIAL USE. SBU cables must be handled in accordance with 12 FAM (Foreign Affairs Manual) 540. SBU is reserved for cables containing sensitive information (rape, assault, alleged drug abuse, etc.) about Volunteers, Trainees, or staff overseas. To maintain individual confidentiality as required by the Privacy Act, the drafter should use only the social security number, not the name of the individual.

SBU cables are designated with UNCLASSIFIED on the classification line and SENSITIVE on the caption line, following any higher level captions (e. g., MED EYES ONLY).

For example: TOPEC MED EYES ONLY, SENSITIVE

Individual paragraphs designated as SBU are each to be marked "( SBU)" at the beginning of the paragraph.

3.7.2 Eyes only

This designation is reserved for messages dealing with unusually sensitive policy or matters requiring the closest possible restriction in number of copies distributed but not appropriate for classification.

For example: TOPEC EYES ONLY

3.7.3 Med Eyes Only

MED EYES ONLY is reserved for medically confidential cables. No copies of this type of cable are distributed outside of the medical office. This caption must go before the SENSITIVE notice.

For example: TOPEC MED EYES ONLY, SENSITIVE

3.7.4 NOFORN

If the text of a cable may not be released to foreign nationals, the drafter must insert NOFORN as a caption after the SENSITIVE notice.

For example: TOPEC SENSITIVE, NOFORN

3.8 End of Message

To signal the end of the message, type "YY" 2 spaces after the last punctuation mark in the message.

3.9 Numbering System

Outgoing/incoming Peace Corps cables are numbered consecutively by the Department of State or the embassy communications center. The message reference number (MRN), located on the top line after the word STATE or the city name, is the official number used to refer to a cable.

3.10 Joint Messages

Cables that are joint messages with the Department of State or embassy must receive final approval by an appropriate official in the Department or embassy. PC/W staff should contact the cable room and overseas Posts should contact the local embassy communication center to send joint messages.

4.0 Cable Transmission

4.1 From Overseas Posts

Cables are transmitted in accordance with procedures prescribed by the embassy.

4.2 From Peace Corps/Washington

Drafters submit their cables to the cable room. Daily, cable room staff sends cables electronically to the Department of State for transmission.

4.3 Repeating Cables

4.3.1 From Overseas Posts

Posts should contact the embassy communications center to ascertain the correct procedure to follow when requesting to repeat a cable.

4.3.2 From Peace Corps/Washington

The cable room, upon request, will prepare a Department of State Optional Form 187 (Telegram Repeat Request) to repeat a previously transmitted cable to an additional Post, provided that the cable to be retransmitted is no older than 10 days from the original transmission date. If it is more than 10 days old, a new cable must be drafted.

Staff must provide the cable room with:

The name of the Post the cable should be repeated to.
A copy of the cable to be repeated.
A written note on the cable indicating whether the additional Post should be for action or for information (see paragraph 3.6).

4.4 Cables not Received at Overseas Posts

Overseas staff who are aware of a missing cable, should:

Ask the country desk unit (CDU) for the message reference number (MRN).
Ask the local embassy communications center to check its files for the missing cable.
If the cable is not in the communications center files, request that the center send a service message to State Department to retransmit the cable.

4.5 Copies of Cables

Copies of incoming and outgoing cables from PC/W may be obtained from the cable room, which retains cables for one year. Older cables must be requested from the State Department. Because of the paperwork involved in providing offices with copies of classified cables, copies of these cables are provided only on a limited basis.