communication instructions radio telegraph procedure

UNCLASSIFIED ACP124 (D)
118. SERVICE MESSAGE
a. A service message is one between communication personnel pertaining to any phase of
traffic handling, communication facilities or circuit conditions.
b. Service messages are identified by the abbreviation SVC immediately following the
security classification or the abbreviation UNCLAS, as appropriate.
c. Service messages are prepared and transmitted using PLAINDRESS, ABBREVIATED
PLAINDRESS or CODRESS procedure. They generally concern messages originated at, destined for, or
refiled by that station and normally will be assigned a precedence equal to that of the message to which
they refer.
119. ABBREVIATED SERVICE MESSAGE
An abbreviated service message is one in which the text contains only prosigns, operating
signals, address designators, identification of messages, parts of messages and amplifying data as
necessary. It may be originated by operators, and may contain any of the components shown in the Basic
Message Format except that:
a. The long break is used only if the data-time group/time group is used.
b. The date-time group/time group is to be employed only when it is necessary to indicate
the time at which the message was originated or when it is considered that further reference may be made
to the message.
120. CLASSIFICATION OF SERVICE MESSAGE
a. An unclassified service message may be used when referring to a classified message if
only operating signals, prosigns and message or transmission identifications from format lines 2, 3, and 4
are used.
b. An unclassified service message referring to a message received in CODRESS format or
using encrypted call signs or address groups shall use only those message or transmission identifications
which were contained in the external message heading as received.
UNCLASSIFIED 1-13