The accounting system for an activity should provide readily available information on what classified material it has received, what classified material it has produced, and who has custody of the material. The control of classified material is necessary for several purposes. It must be controlled (1) to limit dissemination and to prevent excessive production or reproduction; (2) so that when the material is regraded or declassified, the holder or recipients can be determined and notified; and (3) so that the office or person normally responsible for its security can be determined. Top Secret Material The command TSCO is responsible for receiving, maintaining, distributing, and destroying Top Secret documents. All Top Secret material received by a command will be entered into the command's accountability register. This register will identify each Top Secret document, including the changes, show the number of copies, and give the disposition of each copy. The register will be retained for 5 years after the documents are transferred, downgraded, or destroyed. All Top Secret documents and equipment will be serially numbered at the time of origination. Additionally, each document will be marked to indicate its copy number as follows: Copy No. o f copies Top Secret documents must contain a list of effective pages and include a record of page checks. When that is impracticable, as in correspondence or messages, the pages shall be numbered as follows: Page of pages Retention of Top Secret documents will be kept to a minimum. Nonrecord documents will be destroyed as soon as their intended purpose has been served. When Top Secret documents are destroyed, a record of destruction will be prepared identifying the material destroyed and the two officials who witnessed the destruction. Top Secret documents that cannot be destroyed will be reevaluated and, when appropriate, downgraded, declassified, or retired to designated records centers. Top Secret material may not be reproduced without the permission of the issuing office or higher authority; and when copies are made, each will be annotated to show its copy number. A disclosure record, which shows the document title, the names of all individuals who have been afforded access to the document, and the date of access, must be maintained for each Top Secret document. Those in the command who may have access to containers in which Top Secret information is stored or who regularly handle large volumes of Top Secret information need not be included in the disclosure records. Disclosure records will be maintained for 5 years after the information has been downgraded, the document has been destroyed, or custody has been transferred. The control of Top Secret information is maintained by the TSCO, if one is designated, or the classified material control officer. You may be required to assist either of them. Secret Material As a minimum requirement, commands must establish administrative procedures for recording all Secret material originated by, received and distributed or routed to components of or activities within the command, or disposed of by the command by transfer of custody or destruction. Records will be retained for at least 2 years. Confidential Material There is no requirement to maintain records of receipt, distribution, or disposition of Confidential material. Administrative provisions are required, however, to protect Confidential information from unauthorized disclosure by access control and by compliance with the regulations on marking, storage, transmission, and destruction. DISPOSITION OF CLASSIFIED MATERIAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE: List procedures for the disposition of classified material when an individual is separated, dies, deserts, is relieved, or is missing in action. When military or civilian personnel are separated from the DON, all classified material held by them is turned in to the source from which it was received, to their commanding officer, or to the nearest naval command, as appropriate, prior to delivery of final orders or separation papers. 11-15