MIL-PRF-38804, Preparation of Time Compliance Technical Orders

MIL-PRF-38804 Revision C with Amendment 1 is titled “Time Compliance Technical Order, Preparation of.”  It’s one of the military’s TMSS specifications, on Technical Manual Specifications and Standards.  I used to write a column on changes to these documents for the Society for Technical Communication and find that folks still have questions about this particular military document.

The first thing people need to know is the definition of Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO).  The answer can be found in TO 00-5-15, “Air Force Time Compliance Technical Order Process.”

It states “TCTOs provide instructions to modify military systems or commodities within specified time limits, initiate special ‘onetime’ inspections, or impose temporary restrictions and track configuration on systems or equipment.”

TCTO’s are similar to Service Letters or Service Bulletins, a technical update that has a specific time value assigned to it.  Some examples are Immediate action, Urgent action and Routine action.  TCTO’s are frequently used for Air Force aircraft, for example.

The MIL-PRF-38804 covers the general style and format requirements for creating TCTO’s and TCTO supplements. These type of Technical Orders need to be developed according to this performance specification and also to those requirements specified by the acquiring activity. In addition to delivery in paper format, MIL-PRF-38804 provides for electronic delivery of data using the specified Document Type Definitions (DTD), if required.

This Mil Spec, and all publicly distributed DOD specifications and standards, are available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  We’ve been supplying industry with these documents since 1982.

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