Free Online Tool for SECNAV M-5216.5 Compliant Military Correspondence
The Naval Letter Generator is a free, browser-based tool that creates properly formatted naval correspondence for the United States Marine Corps. It generates publication-ready documents that comply with SECNAV M-5216.5 (Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual) and MCO 5216.20 (Marine Corps supplement).
| ✅ No software installation | ✅ No account required | ✅ No Overleaf needed |
Just open the link, fill in your information, and download your PDF.
- Three visual themes to match your preference and environment
- Dark Mode 🌙 — USMC red accent on dark background (default)
- Light Mode ☀️ — Clean light background with dark red accents
- Night Mode ⭐ — Red-on-black for low-light conditions
- Theme syncs with OSMEAC Generator and other USMC tools via shared localStorage
- New red/gold color scheme matching USMC branding
- Updated header gradients and accent colors
- Improved button and card styling
- Better visual hierarchy throughout
- Removed debug logging from production
- Added accessibility attributes to mobile preview
- Improved error handling and null checks
- Moved inline styles to proper CSS classes
- Bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough now render correctly in PDF preview and exports
- Format text in the editor and see it in your final document
- All libraries now bundled locally — works fully offline after initial page load
- No CDN dependencies required
- Sub-paragraph labels now properly align with parent paragraph text
This is the biggest update yet. We've added user profiles, a massive reference library, 37 total templates, smart validation, and polished every corner of the UI.
- Session-only storage — Profile clears when browser closes (no PII on shared computers)
- Import/Export profiles — Save your settings to JSON, load on any computer
- Auto-populate forms — Your name, unit, office code auto-fill every time
- Capture from Form — One click saves current form values to your profile
- Searchable database of MCOs, SECNAVINSTs, DoD Directives, Navy Regs
- 12 categories: Personnel, Training, Safety, Operations, Supply, Admin, Legal, Medical, Awards, Intel, Comms
- One-click insert — Click any reference to add it to your letter
- Keyword search — Find references by topic, not just number
Expanded from 20 to 37 Marine-centric templates including:
- NEW: Appointment as Investigating Officer, Collateral Duty, Board/Committee
- NEW: Meritorious Mast, TAD Request, Duty Status Change, Safety Officer
- NEW: Personal Award Recommendation, Statement Under Oath, Extension Endorsement
- NEW: 6105 Counseling, Meritorious Promotion, Humanitarian Transfer, LOI, Legal Hold
- PII/PHI Detection — Warns before generating if SSN, EDIPI, DOB, or medical info detected
- CUI Classification Reminder — Confirms you've properly marked CUI/FOUO documents
- Subject length warning — Alerts when subject exceeds 100 characters
- Required field validation — Blocks generation if critical fields missing
- Inline editable table — Enter data directly, no Excel/CSV required
- Two signature modes: "Keep my signature" (awards/counseling) vs "Name = Signature" (leave requests)
- Built-in help — "?" button with detailed examples and use cases
- Placeholder system —
{{name}},{{rank}},{{reason}},{{period}}in paragraphs
- Welcome modal — Highlights key features for new users
- Feature cards — Quick overview of Templates, References, Batch, Security
- "Show Tips" link — Access welcome screen anytime from footer
- Preview before applying — See full template content before loading
- Split-pane layout — Browse templates on left, preview on right
- Header Information redesigned — Clean 4-column grid with expandable "More options"
- Font customization — Choose font family (Times, Arial, Courier, Georgia) and size (6-18pt)
- Always-on features — Spell check and character count enabled by default
- Tooltips everywhere — Hover for help instead of cluttered help text
- Dark mode improvements — Better contrast throughout
See your letter formatted in real-time as you type. Split-screen layout with form on left, PDF preview on right. Toggle on/off with one click.
Pre-built templates for common correspondence types:
- Personnel: Leave Request, Special Liberty, Request Mast, Page 11 Entry, PFT/CFT Waiver, Orders Modification, Checkout Letter, SGLI Update, Fitness Report Cover
- Awards: NAM Recommendation, Letter of Appreciation
- Leadership: Positive Counseling, Corrective Counseling, Command Interest
- Endorsements: Recommend Approval, Recommend Disapproval, For Information
- Training: Training Request
- Administrative: Government Travel Card Request
- Investigations: Report of Findings
Full edit history with up to 50 states. Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+Z (undo), Ctrl+Y (redo).
Per-paragraph classification marking per DoDM 5200.01. Portion marks (U), (CUI), (FOUO) appear before paragraph labels.
- Quick toolbar with Templates and Live Preview at the top
- Cleaner action panel: Download PDF, Print, Download .tex, Download ZIP, Save/Load Draft
- Visual toggle cards for memorandum style (Plain Paper / Letterhead)
- Service/Organization pre-filled with "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS"
See CHANGELOG.md for complete version history.
Toggle real-time preview to see your formatted letter as you type. Debounced updates for smooth performance.
Click "Download PDF" and get your formatted letter instantly. No external tools, no accounts, no waiting.
Start from common letter types instead of blank. Search by name or filter by category. Categories include Personnel, Awards, Leadership, Endorsements, Training, Administrative, Investigations, and Legal.
Complete database from SECNAV M-5210.2 (August 2018). Type a subject and get matching codes:
- 1000s — Personnel (promotions, leave, assignments, awards, fitness reports, NJP)
- 3000s — Operations (OPSEC, training, PFT/CFT, marksmanship)
- 4000s — Logistics (supply, maintenance, transportation)
- 5000s — Admin (records, FOIA, security clearances, urinalysis, EO)
- 6000s — Medical (LIMDU, dental readiness, mental health)
- 7000s — Financial (travel, PCS, TAD, pay)
- 10000+ — Weapons, Communications, Intelligence, Aviation
Search and auto-fill your letterhead:
- HQMC, MCCDC, TECOM, MCICOM, LOGCOM, MARFORRES
- I/II/III MEF, 1st/2nd/3rd MarDiv, 1st/2nd/3rd MAW, 1st/2nd/3rd MLG
- All infantry regiments (1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Marines)
- Bases (Pendleton, Lejeune, Quantico, 29 Palms, MCBH)
- Air stations (Miramar, Cherry Point, Yuma, Beaufort)
- Schools (TBS, OCS, IOC, SOI, EWS, C&S, War College)
- Special units (MSG Bn, SECFOR, CBIRF, MCD DLI)
- Basic Letter — Standard correspondence format
- Endorsement — Forward with comments (First through Fifth)
- Memorandum — Internal correspondence (plain paper or letterhead)
Auto-saves every 2 seconds. Export/import JSON files. Restore on page reload.
Automatic hierarchical numbering with proper indentation:
- Main paragraphs: 1., 2., 3.
- Sub-paragraphs: a., b., c.
- Sub-sub-paragraphs: (1), (2), (3)
- Sub-sub-sub-paragraphs: (a), (b), (c)
Drag-and-drop reordering with automatic renumbering. Undo/redo support.
- Via addressees auto-number as (1), (2), (3) only when multiple
- References auto-letter as (a), (b), (c), (d)
- Enclosures auto-number as (1), (2), (3)
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Margins | 1 inch on all sides |
| First page top margin | 0.625 inches to letterhead |
| Service name | 10pt Bold, centered |
| Unit address | 8pt Regular, centered |
| Seal placement | 0.5" from left and top edges, 1" diameter |
| Date format | DD Mon YY (e.g., 02 Dec 24) |
| Label tab width | 0.625 inches (From:, To:, Via:, Subj:, Ref:, Encl:) |
| Paragraph spacing | One blank line between all levels |
| Paragraph text wrap | Subsequent lines return to page margin |
| Sentence spacing | Two spaces after periods (auto-enforced) |
| Signature block | 4 lines below text, starts at page center, name only |
| Continuation pages | Full subject line in header, page number centered |
Theme toggle with system preference detection. Saved to localStorage.
Adjust document font and size in the "More options" panel:
- Font families: Times New Roman (default), Arial, Courier New, Georgia
- Font sizes: 6pt through 18pt (default: 12pt)
Note: SECNAV M-5216.5 specifies Times New Roman 12pt. Other options provided for command-specific preferences.
Ctrl+S/Cmd+S— Export draft to fileCtrl+P/Cmd+P— Print PDFCtrl+D/Cmd+D— Download PDFCtrl+Z— Undo paragraph changesCtrl+Y/Ctrl+Shift+Z— Redo paragraph changesEscape— Close modals
Install to home screen on mobile/desktop. Works offline via service worker.
ARIA labels, keyboard navigation, skip links, focus styles, reduced motion support.
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Open the tool: https://jeranaias.github.io/navalletterformat/
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Optional: Start from a template — Click "Templates" and choose a starting point
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Fill in your letter:
- SSIC, date, classification
- From, To, Via (if applicable), Subject
- References and enclosures
- Body paragraphs
- Signature block
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Click "Download PDF"
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Done. Print or email your properly formatted letter.
- Live Preview — Toggle on to see formatting as you type
- Templates — Start from common letter types instead of blank
- Two spaces after periods — Added automatically
- Subject line — Automatically capitalized
- Drag to reorder — Grab the handle to rearrange paragraphs
- Undo/Redo — Use Ctrl+Z/Ctrl+Y or the buttons in the paragraph header
Here's what the tool generates:
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
MARINE CORPS DETACHMENT
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, CA 93944
1500
S-3
12 Dec 24
From: Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Detachment
To: Commandant of the Marine Corps (MMEA-25)
Via: Commanding General, Training and Education Command
Subj: REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTOR BILLETS
Ref: (a) MCO 1500.52A
(b) TECOM ltr 1500 S-3 dtd 15 Nov 24
Encl: (1) Manning Document
(2) Student Throughput Analysis
1. Per reference (a), this command requests three additional instructor
billets to support increased student throughput beginning FY25.
2. Background. Current manning supports 45 students per class cycle.
Projected requirements indicate 60 students per cycle beginning
October 2025.
a. Current instructor-to-student ratio is 1:9.
b. Proposed ratio maintains quality at 1:10.
3. Recommendation. Approve the addition of three 0211 billets to T/O
01234.
4. Point of contact is the undersigned at DSN 555-1234.
J. M. SMITH
Copy to:
CG, TECOM (C 469)
Found something off?
- Spacing look wrong?
- Alignment not matching your command's standard?
- Missing a feature you need?
Open an issue on GitHub — Screenshots are incredibly helpful!
- PDF Import — Parse existing PDF correspondence documents (in development)
- Collaboration/sharing — Share drafts with others (requires backend)
- Navy letterhead support — Additional unit databases for USN commands
Want to influence priorities? Vote on issues or open a new one.
Q: Is this an official Marine Corps tool? A: No. This is a personal project to help Marines format correspondence correctly. Always verify your command's specific requirements.
Q: Does this work on NMCI computers? A: Yes. It's a standard webpage that works in any browser. No installation required.
Q: Is my data saved anywhere? A: Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is transmitted to any server. Your work auto-saves to localStorage and you can export drafts as JSON files.
Q: Can I use this for classified correspondence? A: No. This is for UNCLASSIFIED use only. Never enter classified information into any web-based tool.
Q: Something looks wrong / doesn't match my command's format. A: Please report it! Include a screenshot and description.
- SECNAV M-5216.5 — Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual
- MCO 5216.20B — Marine Corps Supplement
- DoDM 5200.01 — Information Security Program (for portion markings)
- Pure HTML/CSS/JavaScript (no framework)
- jsPDF for PDF generation
- JSZip for ZIP file creation
- Service worker for offline support
- Chrome (recommended)
- Firefox
- Edge
- Safari
- Mobile browsers
Thanks to the Marines who've provided feedback:
- u/BorderlineSatisfied (r/USMC) — Detailed formatting corrections
- u/christian_austin85 (r/USMC) — Architecture recommendations
- Use the tool and report issues — GitHub Issues
- Suggest features — What would make your admin life easier?
- Share with your shop — More users = more feedback = better tool
- Submit code improvements — Pull requests welcome
| Created by | Jesse Morgan |
| Version | 3.2 |
| Status | Active development |
Personal project, not officially endorsed by any military branch.
- SECNAV M-5216.5 — Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual
- MCO 5216.20 — Marine Corps Correspondence Manual
- DoDM 5200.01 — Information Security Program
MIT License — Free to use, modify, and distribute.
Found this useful? Star the repo and share with your shop.
Semper Fidelis