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Z-Gram #52; dated 23 October 1970

Personal for All Flag Officers, Commanders, Commanding Officers, Officers-In-Charge Dissemination of CNO Policy

R 232239Z OCT 70
FM CNO (Z-52)

TO NAVOP

CONFIDENTIAL //N00000//
PERSONAL FOR ALL FLAG OFFICERS, COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS, OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE
DISSEMINATION OF CNO POLICY (U)

1. (C) IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISSEMINATE MY POLICIES AND PHILSOPHY AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE I HAVE BEEN USING Z-NUMBERED NAVOPS. TWO OF THESE, NAVOPS Z-36 AND Z-45 WERE ADDRESSED AS PERSONALS TO FLAG OFFICERS AND OFFICERS IN COMMAND OF SHIPS AND/OR BASES, AND STATIONS. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE NEED WILL CONTINUE FOR ME TO ADDRESS YOU WHO ARE IN COMMAND PERSONALLY ABOUT CERTAIN POLICIES PRIOR TO THEIR DISSEMINATION AND/OR IMPLEMENTATION. ACCORDINGLY I WILL CONTINUE TO ISSUE OCCASIONAL NAVOPS WHICH WILL BE PERSONALS TO ALL OR PART OF YOU AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH BY YOUR COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL. IN HANDLING THE PERSONAL NAVOPS THE MEANS OF DISSEMINATION OF ANY POLICY CONTAINED THEREIN IS LEFT UP TO YOU. PORTIONS OF THIE MESSAGES WILL BE OF PRIMARY INTEREST TO YOU, THE COMMANDER, BUT THOSE PORTIONS THAT DICTATE POLICY FOR WHICH THE CREWS SHOULD BE AWARE SHOULD RECEIVE, IN WHATEVER MEANS YOU DESIRE, THE WIDEST POSSIBLE DISSEMANATION.

2. (C) THROUGH MY VISITS TO VARIOUS FLEET UNITS AND BASES AND THROUGH LITERATURE AND PERSONAL LETTERS, I AM AWARE OF SYSTEMS IN USE BY SOME OF YOU TO WIDELY DISTRIBUTE THE POLICY SET FORTH IN THE STANDARD Z-NUMBERED NAVOPS. HOWEVER, FROM ALMOST EVERY SOURCE POSSIBLE I HAVE ALSO RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT THE Z-NUMBERED NAVOPS HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE WIDE DISSEMINATION THAT IS SO NECESSARY IF WE ARE TO IMPLEMENT THESE POLICIES AND KEEP OUR PEOPLE INFORMED. SINCE I HAVE CHOSEN THESE AS A VEHICLE FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MANY NEW INITIATIVES AND OF SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHANGES, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISSEMINATE THESE NAVOPS AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE. WHETHER THEY ARE READ AT QUARTERS, PLACED ON THE PLAN OF THE DAY, POSTED ON A CEFTRALLY LOCATED BULLETIN BOARD, OR PUBLISHED BY ANY OTHER SCHEME IS OF COURSE A MATTER TO BE TREATED ACCORDING TO THE STYLE AND DESIRE OF YOU IN COMMAND. THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THOSE ALREADY ISSUED AND THOSE YET TO COME BE DISTRIBUTED SO THAT ALL HANDS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THEM.

3. (U) IN SUMMARY THEN, PERSONAL Z-NUMBERED NAVOPS ARE FOR YOU WHO ARE IN COMMAND BUT MAY CONTAIN POLICY INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE EXTRACTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN ANY MANNER IN WHICH YOU SEE FIT. STANDARD Z-NUMBERED NAVOPS ARE POLICY CHANGES THAT I WISH TO ANNOUNCE TO ALL HANDS IN THE NAVY AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME. MOST OF THE DIRECTIVES THAT I HAVE ISSUED ARE THE RESULTS OF IDEAS RECEIVED IN ONE MANNER OR ANOTHER FROM MANY OF YOU. THEY ADD UP A DIRECTION THAT I AM CONFIDENT THAT OUR NAVY MUST TAKE, AND I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT FROM ALL OF YOU IN BOTH THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PUBLICATION OF THESE POLICIES.

4. (U) WARM REGARDS. E. R. ZUMWALT, JR., ADMIRAL, U.S. NAVY, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.

GP-4

______________

Transcription note: The original Z-52 message was classified confidential. Portion marks here indicate original classification.

[END]
Published: Tue Sep 20 14:28:10 EDT 2016