CMS Custodian and Alternate Custodians

and alternates the responsibility for all overall management of the CMS account. CMS Custodian and Alternate Custodians The CMS custodian is the person designated in writing by the commanding officer to maintain the CMS account for the command. The alternate custodians are also designated in writing by the commanding officer and assist the CMS custodian. In the custodian’s absence, the alternates assume the duties of the custodian. Their duties include receiving, inventorying, destroying, and issuing COMSEC material and equipment to authorized users and local holders. They are also responsible for training all personnel involved in CMS and submitting required COMSEC reports to the proper authority in a timely manner. CMS 1 provides details on the responsibilities of the CMS custodian and alternates. CMS Local Holder A CMS local holder is a command or activity that receives its COMSEC material support from a CMS account command. The local holder command has a designated CMS custodian and alternates who are responsible to their commanding officer for the proper handling of COMSEC material and training of personnel involved. For example, if a ship drew all of its COMSEC material from a central account maintained by the squadron commander, the ship would have to be a local holder. Local holders must draw all of their material from only one CMS account and may not be local holders to two or more accounts. CMS User A CMS user is an individual who requires COMSEC material to accomplish an assigned duty or who needs COMSEC material for advancement study or training purposes. A CMS user must be properly cleared and authorized by the commanding officer to handle CMS material. As a Radioman, you will most likely become a user of COMSEC material. CMS Witness There may be times when you will be assigned as a CMS witness. You will be responsible for assisting a custodian or user in performing routine administrative tasks related to the handling of COMSEC material. As a witness, you must be familiar with applicable CMS procedures and command directives. CMS Responsibilities Whether you are a CMS user or a witness, you are responsible for the proper security, control, accountability, and destruction of CMS material in your workspace. Everyone involved with CMS material must comply with the procedures in CMS 1-related administrative and procedural publications. You must also comply with the CMS instructions of the command and higher authority. CMS Training Requirements The CMS custodian and alternates are responsible for training all personnel involved with COMSEC material in the proper handling, security, accounting, and destruction of COMSEC material. The CMS custodian may use the Personnel Qualifications Standards (PQS) for CMS as a training tool. All personnel who become involved with CMS should complete the PQS training course. CMS Storage Requirements COMSEC material must be stored separately from non-COMSEC material. This helps ensure separate control for COMSEC material and makes emergency destruction of COMSEC material easier. COMSEC material of different security classifications may be stored in the same security container drawer. COMSEC material, however, must be segregated according to classification so that it can be destroyed in a timely manner in an emergency. Storage requirements for COMSEC keying material are more stringent than for nonkeying material. All COMSEC keying material requiring two-person integrity (TPI) must be stored in such a manner that a single person, including the CMS custodian, cannot obtain access. CMS 1 lists the storage requirements for COMSEC keying material. 3-2