DLMSO June 1, 1998

MEMORANDUM FOR: DISTRIBUTION

SUBJECT: Approved Defense Logistics Standard System(DLMS) Change

9A, Validation of Force or Activity Designator (F/AD) I

Activities

The attachment is forwarded as an approved DLSS/DLMS change

to the DoD 4000.25-1-M, Military Standard Requisitioning and

Issue Procedures (MILSTRIP) and to the DoD 4000.25-M, DLMS,

Volume 2, Supply, Chapter 5, Requisitioning.

This change is effective on September 1, 1998 and is based

upon the direction of the Under Secretary of Defense (L/MDM) by

the memorandum of January 21, 1997, Validation of F/AD I

Activities. The revised procedures contained in this document

were approved by the DoD Component at the November 17-21, 1997,

Supply Process Review Committee meeting. Minor revisions to

avoid classification of correspondence and reports resulting from

this process have been incorporated.

Service representatives must provide to the Defense

Automatic Addressing System Center (DAASC/DSDC-SSL) their current

Service’s priority designator validation contact points.

Addressees may direct their questions to Ms. Ellen Hilert,

DSN, 235-5271 or 703-275-5271 or e-mail: ellen_hilert@hq.dla.mil

or Ms. Vermella Saváge, DSN 235-5272 or 703-275-5272, e-mail:

vermella_savage@hq.dla.mil. Others may direct questions/comments

to their Service’s/Agency’s designated representative.

/s/

JAMES A. JOHNSON

Director

Defense Logistics Management

Standards Office

Attachment

DISTRIBUTION:

DLMS Supply PRCs

USA AMCLG-SM/ATCL SAL

USN NAVSUP 4113A/NAVICP 101.01/SPCC-031B

USAF AFMC/LGIM
2

CMC LPS-1/LPP-2

USCG G-SL

NIMA ST D 101

DLA DLSC-LS

GSA FSS FCSD/FCSP

DAASC DSDC SSL

DSWA FCPNM

FAA AFZ-500

US TRANSCOM TCJ3/J4

NSA S711

DSAA MEAN-AP

ADUSD(L)MDM

cc:

ARMY LOGSA SATPV L 

NAVSUP 73/73

Joint Staff LRC: J4
1 Attachment 1

Approved DLMS Change 9A 

Validation of Force or Activity Designator (F/AD) I Activities

1. ORIGINATOR:

a. Service/Agency: DLMSO

b. Originator: Ellen Hilert, Supply PRC Co-chair, DSN 

235-5271 or 703-275-5271, or e-mail: ellen_hilert@hq.dla.mil and

Vermella Savage, DoD MILSTRIP System Administrator, DLMSO, DSN

235-5272 or 703-275-5272 or e-mail: vermella_savage@hq.dla.mil

2. FUNCTIONAL AREA: Supply

REFERENCES:

a. Joint Staff memorandum dated April 21, 1998, subject:

Parity in the Use of Force Activity Designators (FADs)

(enclosed). 

b. DUSD(L/MDM) memorandum dated March 26 1998, subject:

Parity in the Use of Force Activity Designators (FADs).

c. DUSD(L/MDM) memorandum dated January 21, 1997, subject:

Validation of Force Activity Designator (FAD) I Activities. 

d. DUSD(L/MDM) memorandum dated October 2, 1996, subject: 

Validation of Force Activity Designator (FAD) I Activities.

4. REQUESTED CHANGE: 

a. Title: Validation of Force or Activity Designator (F/AD)

I Activities

b. Description of Change: 

(1) This change provides procedures for validation of

F/AD I usage by requisitioning activities. The DAASC will build

and maintain a table of authorized activities. During routine

processing, requisitions reflecting F/AD I priorities (Priority

Designator (PD) 01, 04, 11) will be edited against the authorized

activity table for appropriate F/AD I assignment. Comparison to

the requisition will be based upon activities identified in both

the document number and supplemental address fields. Suspected

abuses will be output to the report described below. 
2 Attachment 1

(2) Implementation will begin with a four month

evaluation period to run September 1, 1998 through December 31,

1998 and will apply to requisitions dated September 1, 1998 or

later. Reports will be evaluated by the DoD Components to

determine (1) whether the validation process is working as

intended, (2) to determine the extent of the abuse of the F/AD I

priorities, (3) whether automatic downgrading should be

implemented, and (4) whether corrective action other than

automatic downgrading would be sufficient to remedy any abuses

identified through the validation process. Additionally, the

following actions will occur: Steps will be taken to ensure

adequate mechanisms are in place to update the DAASC edit table

on short notice. Components must identify any procedural/system

changes necessary to accomplish requisitioning in support of F/AD

I authorized activities regardless of the requisition point of

entry (off-station requisitioning). This is necessary to

preclude adverse impact should the validation process be expanded

to include automatic downgrading of unauthorized F/AD I

priorities to F/AD III priorities. Components will report

findings during quarterly Supply Process Review meetings to

determine appropriate future action.

(3) MILSTRIP/DLMS will be updated to include an

appendix listing of PD validation contact points responsible for

identification of DoDAACs authorized use of PD 01, 04, or 11.

c. Procedures: 

(1) Revise MILSTRIP Appendix B14, sections A and D as

follows:

AA. The priority designator (PD) is based upon a combination of

factors that relate the relative importance of the

requisitioner's mission, expressed by its Force or Activity

Designator (F/AD), and the urgency of need of the end use

expressed by the Urgency of Need Designator (UND). The F/AD (a

roman numeral) is assigned by the Secretary of Defense, the

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), or a DoD Component

authorized by the CJCS to assign F/ADs for their respective

forces, activities, programs or projects. The criteria for

assignment of an appropriate F/AD is in DoD 4140.1-R, Appendix I

(reference e). Reference paragraph D, below, for the validation

procedures for F/AD I activities. The UND (an alphabetic

character) is determined by the requisitioning activity. The

criteria for assignment of the UND is in paragraph C below.
3 Attachment 1

D. This section describes the assignment process for determining

the appropriate PD based on the assigned F/AD and the validation

process for those activities using the F/AD I assignment

inappropriately.

a. Derivation of Priority Designators. The requisitioning

activity determines the appropriate PD to enter in the

requisition based on the assigned F/AD and the UND determined by

the requisitioning activity. Table 1 indicates the appropriate

Arabic number PD derived from a combination of a given roman

numeral F/AD with one of the alphabetical UNDs. It should be

noted that each force or activity normally can choose from only

three priority designators. 

TABLE 1

DERIVATION OF PRIORITY DESIGNATORS

(Relating F/AD to UND)

FORCE OR ACTIVITY

DESIGNATOR

URGENCY OF NEED DESIGNATOR

A B C

I 01 04 11

II 02 05 12

III 03 06 13

IV 07 09 14

V 08 10 15

b. Validation of F/AD I Activities. By direction of the

Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Automatic

Addressing System Center (DAASC/DSDC-SSL) will validate F/AD I

usage through the requisitioning process. DAASC will maintain an

edit table consisting of activities authorized use of F/AD I. PD

01, 04, and 11 requisitions (DI Code A0_, AM_, AT_, A3_, A4_)

which do not identify an authorized activity in the document

number (rp 30-43) or supplemental address field (rp 45-50) will

be identified for investigation without interruption of normal

requisition processing. In addition, the DAASC will assess the

validity of transactions which bypass the F/AD I validation

process as a result of alternative requisition submission, e.g.,

Defense Supply Expert System (DESEX) input, using the requisition

image transaction. Suspected abuse will be output to the
4

Unauthorized Priority Designator Assignment Report (Appendix

A35). All Services, the Defense Logistics Agency (if needed),

and the General Services Administration, must provide the DAASC

with their PD validation contact points (minimum of 1 primary and

1 alternate) who will ensure that the authorized activity edit

table remains current based on annual review and validation. The

GSA will maintain oversight of authorized non-DoD activities. 

The Service/Agency contact points will also have the

responsibility for notifying the DAASC of urgently needed changes

for immediate update of the edit table outside the annual review.

The Joint Staff will identify contact points to DAASC as an

alternative source of emergency updates. Telephonic or

electronic communication, to include on-line update, with the

DAASC is authorized for time sensitive updates, however formal

correspondence with the DAASC is required to support inclusion of

all F/AD I authorized activities on the edit table. In order to

maintain unclassified communication, contact points are advised

to identify authorized activities for PD validation by DoDAAC

only (no clear text activity names) and make no reference to the

associated F/AD. 

(2) Revise Table of Contents at page xvi and MILSTRIP

Appendix A, page A-iii, to add:

Appendix A35 - Unauthorized Priority Designator Assignment

Report

(3) Add new MILSTRIP Appendix A35 as shown in

Attachment 2.

(4) Revise DLMS, Volume 2, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.1.1

(top section of page 5-4) as follows:

The requisitioning activity determines the appropriate PD to use

in the requisition based on the assigned F/AD and the UND. Table

5-1 indicates the appropriate Arabic number PD derived from a

combination of a given roman numeral F/AD with one of the

alphabetical UNDs. Note that each force or activity normally can

choose from only three PDs. 
5

DERIVATION OF PRIORITY DESIGNATORS

(Relating F/AD to UND)

FORCE OR ACTIVITY

DESIGNATOR

URGENCY OF NEED DESIGNATOR

A B C

I 01 04 11

II 02 05 12

III 03 06 13

IV 07 09 14

V 08 10 15

TABLE 5-1

VALIDATION OF F/AD I ACTIVITIES

The Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Automatic

Addressing System Center (DAASC/DSDC-SSL) will validate F/AD I

usage through the requisitioning process. DAASC will maintain an

edit table consisting of authorized F/AD I activities. F/AD I

requisitions (TS 511R/M – Requisition/Modification, Transaction

Type Codes A0, BM, BN, AM) which do not identify an authorized

activity in the transaction reference number, ship-to, bill-to,

or mark-for fields will be identified for investigation without

interruption on normal requisition processing. In addition, the

DAASC will assess the validity of transactions which bypass the

F/AD I validation process as a result of alternative requisition

submission, e.g., Defense Supply Expert System (DESEX) input,

using the requisition image transaction. Suspected abuse will be

output to the Unauthorized Priority Designator Assignment Report

(Appendix 5H). All Services, the Defense Logistics Agency (if

needed), and the General Services Administration, must provide

the DAASC with their PD validation contact points (minimum of 1

primary and 1 alternate) who will ensure that the authorized

activity edit table remains current based on annual review and

validation. The GSA will maintain oversight of authorized nonDoD activities. The Service/Agency contact points will also have

the responsibility for notifying the DAASC of urgently needed

changes for immediate update of the edit table outside the annual
6

review. The Joint Staff will identify contact points to DAASC as

an alternative source of emergency updates. Telephonic or

electronic communication, to include on-line update, with the

DAASC is authorized for time sensitive updates, however formal

correspondence with the DAASC is required to support inclusion of

all F/AD I authorized activities on the edit table. In order to

maintain unclassified communication, contact points are advised

to identify authorized activities for PD validation by DoDAAC

only (no clear text activity names) and make no reference to the

associated F/AD.

(5) Revise Table of Contents DLMS Volume 1, page vi,

and Volume 2, page 2-iv, to add:

Appendix 5H Unauthorized Priority Designator 5H-1

Assignment Report 

(6) Add new DLMS Volume 2, Appendix 5H, as shown in

Attachment 2 (converted to DLMS format).

4. REASON FOR CHANGE: F/AD I is reserved for the highest

national priorities, and the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff is

responsible for recommending and validating all F/AD I

assignments. The Joint Staff audit F/AD I usage on an annual

basis to ensure continued validity of those assignments and

require the Services to validate F/AD I usage by activity based

on the requisitioning data captured over the review period. The

audits continue to reveal unauthorized use of F/AD I priorities.

Unauthorized use of F/AD I allocates potentially scarce resources

to activities that would otherwise have a lesser priority.

5. ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES: This change provides a means to

identify and measure F/AD I abuse without detrimental impact on

military operations. There are no known disadvantages.

6. IMPACT: This change is a procedural interface between

requisitioning activities and the DAASC. This change also

requires procedural amendment to requisitioning procedures. No

system reprogramming outside the DAASC is required. DAASC will

prepare the necessary reports and maintain the authorized

activity edit table.
7

APPENDIX A35

(or APPENDIX 5H)

Unauthorized Priority Designator Assignment Report

A. The Unauthorized Priority Designator Assignment Report is

produced monthly by DAASC to identify suspected abuse of F/AD

priority assignment. Summary reports, parts I, II, IV, and V are

also available quarterly and annually. The report is in six

parts:

1. Part I - Service/Agency Summary

2. Part II - DoDAAC Summary by Service/Agency

3. Part III - Requisition Detail by DoDAAC

4. Part IV - Alternative Requisition Submission

Service/Agency Summary

5. Part V - Alternative Requisition Submission DoDAAC

Summary by Service/Agency

6. Part VI - Alternative Requisition Submission Detail by

DoDAAC 

B. The report is available for review or downloading through

Internet access to the DAASC Home Page at www.daas.dla.mil after

the 5th of the month. Capability to review or download by

Service/Agency is available.

C. The format of the report and the explanation of the contents

are as follows: 
 

1

UNAUTHORIZED PRIORITY DESIGNATOR ASSIGNMENT

REPORT PERIOD: JANUARY 1, 1998 - JANUARY 31, 1998

PART I - SERVICE/AGENCY SUMMARY

MILITARY SERVICE NO. OF 

DODAACS

NO. OF 

REQUISITIONS

IDENTIFIED

PRIOR

QUARTER 

TOTAL

ARMY 100 2,505 X,XXX

NAVY 400 8,009 XX,XXX

AIR FORCE XXX XX,XXX XX,XXX

MARINE CORPS XX XXX XXX

AGENCY/OTHER

GENERAL SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION

XX XX XX

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY X X X

FEDERAL AVIATION

ADMINISTRATION

X X X

COAST GUARD X X X

GRAND TOTAL: XX,XXX XXX,XXX XXX,XXX
 

2

UNAUTHORIZED PRIORITY DESIGNATOR ASSIGNMENT

REPORT PERIOD: JANUARY 1, 1998 - JANUARY 31, 1998

PART II - DODAAC SUMMARY BY SERVICE/AGENCY 

ARMY

DODAAC

NUMBER OF

REQUISITIONS

IDENTIFIED

PD 01 PD 04 PD 11

PRIOR QUARTER

PD 01 PD 04 PD 11

TOTAL 

 500 

2,555 55 2,000 500 XX X,XXX XX

W12345 XXX X XXX XX X XX XX

WXXXX XX X XX X X XXX X

Continues displaying all Army activities.

UNAUTHORIZED PRIORITY DESIGNATOR ASSIGNMENT

REPORT PERIOD: JANUARY 1, 1998 - JANUARY 31, 1998

PART III - REQUISITION DETAIL BY DODAAC

ARMY 

 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

8

123 456 7 890123456789012 34 56789 01234567890123 4 567890 1 23 4 56 789 01 234 56 789 01234567890

DODAAC: W12345

 (In-The-Clear Activity

Name Here)

NO. OF REQUISITIONS

IDENTIFIED: 

 150

PD 01 10

(transactions displayed here)

PD 04 120

(transactions displayed here)

PD 11 20

 (transactions displayed here)
3
4

D. Explanation of data in report.

1. Requisition data displayed in this report is selected in

accordance with the validation process described under appendix

B14, section D. Parts IV/V/VI repeat the earlier display format,

however, the source of data is the requisition image transaction

provided to DAASC where an alternative means of requisition

submission has been used bypassing DAASC validation, e.g., DESEX

input. 

2. Report data is sorted in descending order by number of

requisitions. Summaries and transaction display are grouped

using the DoDAAC identified in the requisition document number. 

Contractor and Security Assistance customers are grouped with the

sponsoring Service/Agency. The annual report is prepared without

prior quarter totals.