DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY 2800 DEFENSE PENTAGON WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-2800	6/30/1999

MEMORANDUM FOR :

Deputy Under Secretary of the Army
(International Affairs)
Department of the Army
Director, Navy International Programs Office
Department of the Navy
Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force
(International Affairs)
Department of the Air Force
Director, Defense Logistics Agency
National Imaging and Mapping Agency -- Geospatial Information Services (GIOS)

SUBJECT :

Use of Military Articles and Services List (MASL) Lines on Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs), Amendments, and Modifications

1. The official MASL database is maintained by DSCA in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) 1200 System. Each MASL line record includes the following information: a 13-character string (usually the national stock number, if applicable), an official clear text description, a Major Defense Equipment (MDE) indicator, a Logistics Support Charge (LSC) applicability code, and various other data elements. Before a MASL line can be used on an LOA, it must be entered into the 1200 System MASL database.
2. Each individual line item on an LOA must include a MASL line to identify what is being sold.
   1. Both the 13-character MASL line and its official clear text description must be included. All amendments and modifications must also include the MASL line and official description on any line being changed on the document. The official clear text description on all LOA documents must match exactly the description found in the 1200 System. The only exception to this is discussed in paragraph c. below. Since the DSAMS MASL listing
      1. is loaded from the 1200 System data and
      2. is table-driven, the official clear text description field should automatically include the correct description when the user enters the 13-character MASL line string. A system change has been requested to ensure the official description field cannot be edited.
   2. If there is no existing MASL line for a proposed sale item, a new line may be requested. All such requests should be submitted through the military department focal point to DSCA/COMPT-FM for action. DSCA/COMPT-FM will review each request and input approved MASL lines into the 1200 System.
3. Many official MASL line descriptions include Federal Supply Group (FSG) information which causes the description to be several lines long. The FSG data does not need to appear on the LOA documents and some users have been using the edit capability to delete this information on a line-by-line basis. This will not be possible once edits to the description field are not allowed. To assist in this effort, DSCA will review the entire MASL line listing and determine the part of the official description that should print on LOA documents. This "LOA worthy MASL line" information will be loaded into DSAMS for use on all future documents. Users will no longer need to make these adjustments on a line-by-line basis. Until this information has been included in DSAMS, users should leave the FSG information on the document. It has been suggested that each military department should review the MASL line listing and recommend "Service-unique" descriptions. Since elimination of the FSG information is the only acceptable change, the "LOA worthy" listing created by DSCA should be used by all document preparing organizations.
4. There may be times when the official MASL description does not provide sufficient information to adequately describe the particular item(s) being sold. In these instances, additional information may be included. DSAMS includes a free-form text field for this purpose. Information included in this field will print just below the official description. This field should be used to provide information such as the weapon system being supported, type of spare parts (concurrent versus initial support), etc. Any additional text included must be consistent with the official description. For example, if the official description limits the line to contractor support only, the additional descriptive text cannot indicate the line is for USG-provided support.

It is very important that items be identified clearly and completely on all LOA documents to avoid confusion about what items/services are being provided and to ensure reporting is accurate. Your diligence in enforcing the appropriate use of MASL lines on your documents will help greatly in this effort. We have been receiving documents for countersignature which do not meet these policy requirements. For example, some documents do not include a clear text description for each LOA line item while other documents include a clear text description that does not match the official description in the 1200 system database. Any document received which does not include a valid MASL line and description will be rejected to the military department for correction.

If you have any questions regarding this or any other LOA-writing policies, please contact Beth Baker, DSCA/PSD-PMD, (703) 604-6612, or e-mail: beth.baker@osd.pentagon.mil. The SAMM will be reviewed and updated as required to ensure this policy is clearly stated.

A. R. Keltz
Acting Director