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Classification & Markings

Documents that contain classified or controlled information must be marked. The usaf_memo Quill renders a header-and-footer classification banner driven by two frontmatter fields.

Authority

The classification of a document is owned by the originator, an Original Classification Authority, or derivative-classification guidance — not by the rendering engine. TongueToQuill applies the markings you specify; it does not classify content. Follow DAFI 16-1404 (DoDM 5200.48 for CUI) and applicable DoD guidance.

The fields

classification: CUI
dissemination: NF
Field Values
classification "" (no banner), UNCLASSIFIED, CUI, CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET, TOP SECRET
dissemination Free-form string appended after a double slash (e.g., NF with CUI renders as CUI//NF). Blank shows the classification alone.

The dropdown in the metadata widget is constrained to the values above — custom classification strings are not supported.

Your deployment may allow fewer

A deployment declares the classification ceiling it is accredited for, and the app enforces it on both surfaces: the metadata widget omits the disallowed values from the dropdown, and the MCP tools reject content that carries one. A public low-side instance typically stops at CUI. The values your instance permits are the values in your dropdown — the list above is the Quill's full range, not a statement that your instance carries classified material.

What the renderer does

Stamps a banner at the top and bottom of every page with DoD / CAPCO-aligned colors:

classification Banner color
"" (blank) No banner
UNCLASSIFIED Green
CUI Black
CONFIDENTIAL Black
SECRET Red
TOP SECRET Orange

When dissemination is set, it is appended after a // on the banner line.

What the renderer does not do

  • Apply portion markings to individual paragraphs.
  • Derive the document classification from content.
  • Validate that your dissemination value is a real CAPCO marking.
  • Enforce handling caveats.

Portion markings, derivative classification statements, declassification instructions, and other content-level markings remain the author's responsibility. Add them in the body.

CUI guidance

For Controlled Unclassified Information per DoDM 5200.48, the usaf_memo Quill provides dedicated frontmatter fields:

  • Set classification: CUI.
  • cui_controlled_by — the CUI Designating Office (e.g., SAF/AA). Required by DoDM 5200.48 when classification is CUI.
  • cui_poc — point of contact for CUI questions. Required by DoDM 5200.48 when classification is CUI.
  • cui_category — the CUI category from the DoD CUI Registry (e.g., PRVCY, Privacy/MED, CTI). Optional; blank omits it.
  • cui_limited_dissemination — limited-dissemination control for the indicator block (e.g., FEDONLY, NOFORN). Optional.
  • dissemination — optional banner suffix appended after // (e.g., CUI//NF); independent of cui_limited_dissemination.

These fields populate the CUI designation indicator block, so the designating office and category belong in the frontmatter rather than the body. Still add any portion markings and handling text the CUI marking handbook requires — the banner alone is not a complete CUI marking.

The Quill declares these as ordinary optional fields: nothing stops a CUI document from rendering with cui_controlled_by blank. Meeting DoDM 5200.48 is yours.