Field Manual Fm 6-99 U.S. Army Report and Message Formats August 2013

Book excerpt: Field Manual (FM) 6-99 provides a standardized readily available reference for Army forces to extract common reports and message templates. This manual is a collection of reports used by units of all sizes and forms the base of Army information exchange in a degraded network environment. FM 6-99 facilitates a common understanding of reporting and communicating throughout U.S. Army elements and it is the keystone manual for report and message formats. The principal audience for FM 6-99 is all members of the profession of arms. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this manual. Commanders, staffs, and subordinates ensure their decisions and actions comply with applicable U.S., international, and, in some cases, host-nation laws and regulations. Commanders at all levels ensure their Soldiers operate in accordance with the law of war and the rules of engagement. (See FM 27-10). FM 6-99 uses joint terms where applicable. Selected joint and Army terms and definitions appear in both the glossary and the text. Terms for which FM 6-99 is the proponent publication (the authority) are marked with an asterik (*) in the glossary. Definitions for which FM 6-99 is the proponent publication are boldfaced in the text. For other definitions shown in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent publication follows the definition. FM 6-99 applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated. The proponent of FM 6-99 is the United States Army Combined Arms Center.