27th Enlisted Retention Task Force (ERTF) Conference

1. THE 27TH ENLISTED RETENTION TASK FORCE (ERTF)
CONFERENCE WAS HELD ON 25 MAR 04. THIS MESSAGE REVIEWS TOPICS
DISCUSSED AND ANNOUNCES THE DATE FOR THE NEXT CONFERENCE.
2. TOPICS DISCUSSED:
 A. FY04 RETENTION UPDATE: AS OF 25 MAR 04, 87.6% OF THE FIRST
TERM ALIGNMENT PLAN (FTAP) HAS BEEN EXECUTED OUT OF A REENLISTMENT
GOAL OF 5,975. THERE ARE 740 BOATSPACES REMAINING OPEN FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR. 119 MOS'S ARE CLOSED AND 76 MOS'S REMAIN OPEN. 
MARINES EXTENDED ACROSS THE FISCAL YEAR TO FY05 IN SUPPORT OF OIF
MAY CONTINUE TO REENLIST IN FY04 TO RECEIVE THE TAX-FREE BONUS. 
79.5% OF THE SUBSEQUENT TERM ALIGNMENT PLAN (STAP) HAS BEEN EXECUTED
OUT OF THE FY04 GOAL OF 5,628. STAP IS CURRENTLY WELL AHEAD OF THE
PREVIOUS TWO FISCAL YEARS.
 B. FY04 CAREER RETENTION SPECIALIST (CRS) CONFERENCE. THE FY04
CRS CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT MCRD SAN DIEGO 17-28 MAY 04. THE
FIRST WEEK IS FOR THE CONFERENCE ITSELF. THE SECOND WEEK WILL
CONSIST OF ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL SELLING SKILLS (PSS) TRAINING FOR
SENIOR CRS'S. POC FOR THE CRS CONFERENCE IS GYSGT TODD JAMES AT
DSN: 524-8818 OR COMM: (619)524-8818
 C. SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS (SDA)/TOTAL FORCE RETENTION SYSTEM
(TFRS) UPDATE: NEW ROUTING PROCEDURES HAS SDA REQUESTS ROUTED 
THROUGH TFRS ON A REENLISTMENT, EXTENSION, LATERAL MOVE (RELM) 
REQUEST AS OPPOSED TO SUBMITTING AA FORMS. THIS WILL GREATLY
INCREASE THE ROUTING EFFICIENCY WHILE REDUCING THE TIME NECESSARY
FOR PROCESSING. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED VIA
MARADMIN MESSAGE. POC IS MGYSGT WARREN WOODDALL AT DSN: 278-9076 OR
COMM: (703)784-9076.
 D. CRS INFORMATION: THE CRS OF THE YEAR BOARD WILL GO IN AUG
04. PER REF A, COMMANDS MUST ENSURE THE PREREQUISITES ARE MET PRIOR
TO NOMINATING MARINES FOR THE BOARD. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE
PROVIDED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE. THE SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT
BONUS PROGRAM (SRBP) CUTOFF DATE IS 1 MAY 04. RELMS MUST BE
SUBMITTED BY 23 APR 04 IN ORDER TO BE PROCESSED BY THE CMC (MMEA) BY
THE END OF THE MONTH. AN EXTENSION OF THE SRB HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED
AT THIS TIME. MMEA HAS SEEN AN INCREASED NUMBER OF ERRONEOUS SRB'S.
IF A MARINE DOES NOT RATE AN SRB PER REF B AND THE UNIT CRS WRITES
ONE INTO A MARINE'S REENLISTMENT CONTRACT, THE CMC (MMEA) WILL NOT
HONOR THE SRB BECAUSE IT IS ERRONEOUS. 
 E. RETENTION ASSIST VISITS (RAV): THE CMC (MMEA) IS
INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A RAV TO I MEF. THE
PROPOSAL FOR THE FY05 COMMAND VISIT SCHEDULE WAS BRIEFED DURING THE
CONFERENCE. A FINAL SCHEDULE WILL BE PUBLISHED VIA MARADMIN MESSAGE
IN JUN.
3. THE NEXT ERTF CONFERENCE WILL BE 12 MAY 04 AT 1530.
4. A DETAILED AGENDA FOR THE 28TH ERTF CONFERENCE WILL BE
FORWARDED TO CONFERENCE ATTENDEES BY SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE.
5. POC IS CAPT A. H. SNOWDEN AT DSN 278-9238 OR COMMERCIAL (703)
784-9238.