Essentially, Milistary orders need the following sections:
TO: Usually addressed to the unit commander, who then cuts the orders for his subordinates. Sometimes addressed to the unit; this is more likely in a Traveller Wartime setting, due to lack of direct knowledge of unit commander.
FROM: Who is giving the orders, including rank and office symbol. Sometimes, name of issuer is NOT included.
EG: Headquarters, Solomani Rim Sector Army, Adjutant to the Commander's office.
EG of office symbols: "James Hostman, Command Environmental, 11AF/DEPV" No rank, since he's a civil servant, verbose office title, and then office symbol, including "Eleventh Air Force, Civil Engineering (DE) PV (Programs, environmental)"
Date of Issue: When the orders were signed.
Date Effective sometimes a header, sometimes in the body, but always present, this says when the actions specified will be begun.
Clearance: clearance level required to read the orders. If non listed, assume "Sensitive", but not classified; IE, don't tell anybody wihtout need to know.
Action Required: details what action or actions are required. Can be as simple as "Hold until relieved", or as detailed as any operation you care to name.
Acknowledgement: What you have to do to indicate you recieved the orders. Often omitted, if orders are to be hand delivered or direct radioed.
Command Authority: Not always present, but assume normal chain of command if not. Tell you who is now your immediate commander. They are supposed to keep you inside your extant orders if they are not the issuer. If the action is simply a transfer, and is essentially permanent, they and their chain of command are now your chain of command. Transfers ARE different from Attachements.
EG: "You are hereby attached to the 1234th LIR, Regina, while on station at Wypoc." This means that the order put the recipient in the charge of the commander of the 1234th infantry so long as both are at wypoc. Anyplace else, and it gets dicey.
EG: "Command Authority: Commander, 123rd Marches CruRon" as a header...
means that the orders put you directly under the commander of said unit, and interpretation issues are his to decide..., even if the orders were cut by a wholly different authority.
Rules of Engagement are optional, but common for deployment orders. They delineate, clearly, often in excessive detail, when you are allowed to shott, when you may run, and when you are expected to simply take it, or even when you need to find non-combat solutions to combat threats. Nature, wording, and details vary so widely that any examples would be effectively single-case examples.
Distribution List: Who gets copies, besides the listed parties in the to and from lines.
Order ID Number is used by some forces, not by others... but it is a sequential numbering with some from of issuerID (usually a prefix) of issued orders. Used to prevent confusion of which set of orders takes precedence, since the precedence of the issuer is often more clear from the prefix than from the issuer's office data.
Signature Block includes signature, namme and rank of issuer OR THEIR AUTHORIZED SIGNATOR. Many orders out of higher commands are signed by functionaries.
Transmittal Date: date orders sent. Filled in by transmitting clerk. Not always present.
Reciept date: Date orders recieved, added by recipient, often by time-date stamp
Hope this helps somewhat.
