Amplification on Records Management Responsibilities for Text Messages

1. Purpose.  Previous guidance in reference (a) and recent DoD updates listed in reference (b) govern the use of official DoD messaging and records retention.  This MARADMIN is released to amplify and clarify previous guidance for the user base.
2. Messages as Official Records.
2.a. Official records, as defined in reference (c), encompasses all information received or sent by an agent of the federal government conducting official business and will be maintained, disposed, and preserved to document business transactions in both wartime and peacetime.  Records serve as evidence and documentation of an agency's operations, decisions, policies, procedures, functions, and other activities and will be maintained in accordance with guidance issued by National Archives and Records Administration.  Other DoD records include operational logistics, analysis, support, and other materials created or received by the DoD components in training, contingency, and wartime operations as well as in all routine and peacetime business.  Consult reference (c) for additional information.
2.b. Examples of official messaging records:
2.b.1. Any contact with a media outlet by any member of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) acting in an official capacity.
2.b.2. Any business contact with a business on behalf of the US Government.
2.b.3. Any contact between a member of the US Government and a foreign official or military member.
2.b.4. Any interagency coordination between members of the US Government.
2.c. Examples of non-official messaging records:
2.c.1. Personal contact between family, friends, and coworkers unrelated to official government business.
2.c.2. Contact with foreign officials or members of the military for personal reasons.
2.c.3. Basic non-operational coordination communications, such as standard daily accountability or morning meeting locations.
2.c.4. Personal medical, legal, therapeutic, religious, or other such protected communication between an individual and their provider, attorney, victim advocate, clergy, or therapist.
3. Approved messaging systems.
3.a. Reference (b) establishes the enterprise-managed Microsoft (MS) Teams as the official messaging application for the DoD.  Internal and external meetings and messaging can be accomplished using this platform via desktop, laptop, and properly configured government furnished equipment (GFE) mobile computing (Android/iOS) devices.
3.b. If MS Teams is not accessible as a method to communicate official business, direct individuals to connect using their official US Government email accounts.
3.c. Currently the USMC does not support an official bring your own device (BYOD) program on personal mobile devices.  MS teams on Impact Level 5 (IL5) is the only environment officially supported on GFE.
3.d.  If an official record is transmitted via an unauthorized messaging platform (e.g., SMS, RTS, iMessage, Mattermost, Signal, WhatsApp, etc.) the originating user will report to appropriate leadership or their local records management official.  Users shall immediately take screenshots and email them to their US Government email account with the subject line: official record of text messages.  Once that action is complete, a record will have been created and collected by the email system.  Do not delete these emails, users may store them in any folder in their account.
3.e. Neither personal nor GFE text messaging applications are authorized for retention or transmission of controlled unclassified data (CUI) data.  The USMC does not currently support any 3d party messaging application outside of IL5 MS teams.  This includes point-to-point encrypted messaging apps (iMessage, Google Hangouts, Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, Marco polo, etc.).
4.  Official Records Management policy for electronic messaging records will be included in the new issuance of Marine Corps Bulletin (MCBul) 5210 and will be released in early 2024.
5.  For additional information contact the above POCs or by organizational e-mail, emco@usmc.mil.
6.  Released authorized by LtGen Matthew G. Glavy, Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information.