The Memorandum for Record is the simplest document in your file, and probably the most important one you'll forget to write. If it's not written down, it didn't happen.
When to write them, how to format them, and what separates a useful MFR from one that creates more questions than it answers.
A Memorandum for Record is a written account of something that happened. A phone call, a meeting, a decision, a conversation in the hallway. Its purpose is to create a permanent record so that anyone who picks up your contract file can understand what happened, when, and why.
There is no FAR paragraph that says "you shall write an MFR when X happens." The FAR does require documentation of your contract file (FAR 4.801 and 4.803 lay out what belongs in the file), and MFRs are often the best way to meet that requirement. But the real reason to write them is simpler: your memory is not as reliable as you think it is.
Two months from now, you will not remember exactly what the vendor said on that phone call. Six months from now, someone else may be working your file. They need the story, and the story lives in your MFRs.
The short answer: write them liberally. There is no mandated time to write an MFR, but there is never a good time to keep documentation inside your head. You could deploy, get hit by a bus, or switch positions. Someone will take over your file, and they will need to know what happened.
At a minimum, write an MFR during turnover. When you hand a file to someone else, they need the story. But best practice goes well beyond that.
Especially during market research. What did they say about capability, pricing, delivery? If you called three vendors and only one could meet the timeline, write that down.
When the requirement changes, when the customer gives you verbal direction, when you discuss scope. If the customer says "we don't need that anymore," get it on paper.
Why did you pick that NAICS code? Why sole source instead of competitive? Why this contract type? Two years from now, the IG or GAO may ask. "I remember thinking..." is not an answer.
When your flight chief or squadron commander tells you to prioritize an action, change course, or deviate from the normal process. Document who said what and when.
Protests, disputes, contractor performance issues, delays, funding problems. If something goes sideways, start writing it down immediately. Your recollection at 4:30 on Friday is not as sharp as you think.
This one is non-negotiable. When you hand over a file, the next person needs a summary: where things stand, what's pending, what decisions have been made, and what's coming up.
Air Force MFRs follow the Tongue and Quill (AFH 33-337). The format is straightforward, but it matters. A properly formatted MFR looks professional and is immediately recognizable to anyone in DoD. A poorly formatted one looks like a personal note someone typed up in a hurry.
The basic structure of every MFR:
Header block: Department of the Air Force (or Department of the Space Force), your unit, and your base address. Centered at the top.
Office symbol and date: Left-aligned. Your office symbol tells the reader which office wrote this. The date tells them when.
MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD: This line replaces the "TO" line you'd see on a regular memorandum. It signals that this document is for the file, not for a specific person.
FROM: Your office. This tells the reader who is responsible for the content.
SUBJECT: Keep it specific. "MFR" is not a subject. "Vendor Phone Call, HVAC Maintenance Requirement, Building 1240" tells the reader exactly what this document covers without opening it.
Body: The substance. State what happened, who was involved, what was decided, and why. Use numbered paragraphs if you have multiple points.
Signature block: Your name, rank, and duty title. Sign it. An unsigned MFR is just a note.
An MFR does not need to be long. Most good ones are less than a page. The goal is to capture the facts clearly enough that someone reading it a year from now (with no other context) can understand what happened.
Date everything. This seems obvious, but undated MFRs turn up in contract files more often than you'd expect. The date matters because timelines matter in contracting.
Name everyone. "Spoke with the vendor" is useless. "Spoke with John Smith, Regional Sales Manager, ABC Mechanical Services, at (937) 555-0142" gives the next person something they can follow up on.
State what happened, what was decided, and why. Facts first, then the decision or outcome. If you're recording your own rationale for a decision, be clear that it's your reasoning and not a directive from someone else.
Keep opinion separate from fact. If the vendor said they can deliver in 30 days, that's a fact (they said it). If you think their timeline is unrealistic based on past performance, that's your assessment. Both are valuable, but they should be clearly distinguishable.
MFRs go in the contract file. FAR 4.803 lists the documentation requirements for contract files, and MFRs support many of those requirements. File them in the appropriate tab or section of your contract file, not in your personal email or desk drawer.
If you're using a contract writing system, upload it. If you're maintaining a physical file, print and file it. The point is that the MFR needs to be where the next person will look for it, which is in the official contract file.
The Air Force's official writing guide. Covers MFR format, memorandum structure, bullet writing, and all official correspondence standards. If you write anything with a DoD letterhead, this is the reference.
Open Tongue and Quill (PDF)The Air Force e-Publishing site hosts Tongue and Quill compliant templates under "Items of Interest" at the bottom of the page. Download the MFR template, fill in your unit header, and save it to your desktop. You will use it constantly.
Open e-PublishingEstablishes the requirement to maintain contract files and explains their purpose: providing a complete background for informed decisions, supporting actions taken, furnishing information for reviews and investigations, and providing essential facts for contract administration.
Open FAR 4.801Lists what belongs in your contract file at each phase: pre-award, award, and post-award. MFRs are your primary tool for satisfying many of these documentation requirements, especially for phone calls, meetings, and rationale that don't fit neatly into other documents.
Open FAR 4.803