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Operational Archives Branch Naval Historical Center 805 Kidder Breese Street SE Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5060

Post 1990 Command File,
1990-

Scope and Content Note

The materials held for each originating command are filed under five subgroups: Command Histories; Serial materials; Chronological materials (miscellaneous documents filed in chronological order); Reports; and Plans.

The bulk of the Post 1990 Command File consists of command history submissions received annually from U.S. Navy commands and shore establishments. These histories are indexed by originating command. Biographies of commanding officers included with command histories are filed in the Biographical Collection and photos are transferred to the Curator Branch, Photographic Section.

Series Materials: Other documentation contained in the file includes series materials. Examples of series materials include: NAVADMIN NAVNEWS and NAVOP messages; catalogs of Naval Shore Activities; Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet Indian Ocean Fact Book; Chief of Naval Operations Annual Reports; Department of the Navy Reports to Congress; Defense Intelligence Agency Publications; Mine Warfare Summaries; Naval Intelligence Command Publications; Naval Sea Systems Monthly Progress Reports; Naval Warfare Publications; OPNAV Instructions and Notices; Organization Charts and Manuals; Rosters of Officers; Standard Navy Distribution Lists; State Department Background Notes.

Chronological Materials: Individual documents of historical value are held in this subgroup. Studies make up a large part of this material.

Reports: Many of the documents are letter or narrative reports. Most are after action, deployment, exercise, or lessons learned reports removed from Command History appendices or forwarded in lieu of Command Histories.

Plans: It documents Navy planning for programs, training, and operations to maintain readiness for crisis or war situations. The bulk of the file was received as appendices to Command Histories. A few Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, foreign-originated, and unified command documents are included in the collection.

Although most of the Command File is U.S. Navy originated, some documentation was prepared by other services, by foreign navies, by research organizations under government contract, or by private individuals.

Note: Command histories of all naval aviation squadrons and some senior aviation commands and shore establishments (including Naval Air Stations) after 1985 are held in the Aviation History Branch. Command histories of individual ships are held in the Ships History Branch.

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as Post 1990 Command File, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.

3 July 2003