13.1 Written Communication

Why Format Matters

AFH 1 states that the Air Force "has adopted common, basic formats of written communication for official and personal correspondence and memorandums," and that "understanding the purpose of these formats will best serve your superiors, yourself, and your subordinates." Detailed instructions live in DAFH 33-337 (The Tongue and Quill), though various organizations may have adopted internally preferred styles.

The governing principle: "One key aspect for choosing the appropriate format to use for written communication is consistency in your approach." And the reason it matters: "Attention to detail, proper format, and pertinent information will ensure written communication serves as a professional representation of your organization."

The Official Memorandum

Official memorandums are used to communicate throughout the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. They are also used to conduct official business outside the government with vendors or contractors when the personal letter is not appropriate.

Addressing options: to specific officials, single offices, multiple offices, multiple offices IN TURN, or to DISTRIBUTION lists. The IN TURN convention — routing sequentially through offices — is the detail most often asked about.

Details on heading, text, and closing sections are in DAFH 33-337, Chapter 14.

The Personal Letter

"Use the personal letter when communication needs a personal touch or when warmth or sincerity is preferred."

AFH 1 names three uses: writing to an individual on a private matter, such as for praise, condolence, or sponsorship.

Two format rules are directly testable: keep the personal letter brief, preferably no longer than one page, and avoid using acronyms. The acronym prohibition is the discriminator between the personal letter and every other Air Force written product.

Details are in DAFH 33-337, Chapter 15.

The Six Types of Air Force Papers

AFH 1 lists them together: the point paper, talking paper, bullet background paper, background paper, position paper, and the staff study. Learn them by length, format, and function.

How to Tell Them Apart Under Exam Pressure

Three discriminators cover nearly every item:

1. Bullets versus full sentences. Point, talking, and bullet background papers use bullets; background, position, and staff study papers use full sentences with numbered paragraphs.
2. Extemporaneous versus planned. The point paper is for speaking with little or no notice; the talking paper is for a planned, scheduled presentation. That single word — planned — separates them.
3. Describes versus advocates. The background paper describes conditions and chronology; the position paper advocates a position on a proposal.

AFH 1 also emphasizes the obvious but tested instruction: "Be sure that the type of format used is appropriate for the task." Samples are in DAFH 33-337, Chapter 16.

The Staff Study

Because it is both a paper type and a thought process, AFH 1 gives the staff study its own paragraph.

Purpose: "to analyze a problem, draw conclusions, and make recommendations." Format varies depending on the need or complexity of information required. Staff studies assist decision-makers and leaders in initiating research, inform and recommend change, and serve as a problem-solving thought process in written form.

AFH 1 adds a note that is itself testable: "Not all organizations routinely use the staff study, but it is an accepted format for a problem-solution report for both the USAF and Joint Staff. The value of using a staff study as a thought process often outweighs the particular format used to communicate findings."

That last clause connects Section 15D back to Chapter 13's practical problem-solving method — both are structured ways of moving from a problem statement to a validated recommendation.

The Staff Package and the Staff Summary Sheet

The staff package is "a writing format commonly used in the USAF for routing or coordinating correspondence through a staffing process."

Its most recognized element is the AF Form 1768, Staff Summary Sheet, known as "the SSS," "the Triple-S," or "the e-SSS." It is the cover page — the first page — of a staff package, and provides a condensed summary of:

• Purpose
• Background
• Discussion
• View of others (when applicable)
• Recommendation
• Signature blocks
• Overall contents of the staff package

Memorize the form number: AF Form 1768. It is the single most likely recall item from this section, and "cover page of a staff package" is the definition the exam pairs with it.

Putting the Formats to Work

A practical way to hold the whole section: imagine the same issue moving up a chain.

That progression — short and reactive → planned and spoken → historical → advocacy → research → routing — is the logic AFH 1 is teaching, and it makes the format questions answerable even when the wording is unfamiliar.