Submission of Applications for Special Duty Assignment (SDA)
This MARADMIN announces that effective immediately, all Special Duty Assignment (SDA) applications must be submitted through the Total Force Retention System (TFRS) instead of Administrative Action forms or naval messages. Beginning May 1, 2004, no further packages will be accepted via the old methods, with exceptions only for contingency operations where TFRS access is unavailable.
Issued: April 26, 2004
1. THIS MARADMIN MESSAGE PROVIDES UPDATED GUIDANCE ON THE SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS. 2. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT (SDA) PACKAGES WILL BE SUBMITTED USING THE TOTAL FORCE RETENTION SYSTEM (TFRS). 3. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SDA APPLICATIONS REMAIN THE SAME PER REF B, HOWEVER, THE UNIT CAREER RETENTION SPECIALIST IS NOW THE COMMAND'S PRIMARY CONDUIT TO COMMUNICATE A MARINE'S DESIRE FOR SDA. 4. MARINES REQUESTING AN SDA WILL NO LONGER SUBMIT VIA ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION (AA) FORM OR NAVAL MESSAGE. BEGINNING 1 MAY 2004, NO FURTHER PACKAGES WILL BE ACCEPTED AS AA FORM OR NAVAL MESSAGE. FOR EXCEPTIONS REFER TO PARAGRAPH 5. REQUESTS SUBMITTED BY AA FORM OR NAVAL MESSAGE PRIOR TO 1 MAY 2004 WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROCESSED UNTIL COMPLETED. 5. IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE CAREER RETENTION SPECIALIST DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TFRS DUE TO CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS, APPLICATIONS FOR SDA MAY BE SUBMITTED VIA AA FORM OR NAVAL MESSAGE AS A BACK-UP METHOD. 6. TFRS SIGN ON MESSAGE 708 GIVES DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPER SUBMISSION OF SDA REQUESTS. ALL OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN REFERENCES A AND B WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY. 7. POC IS SSGT J. F. STEADMAN AT DSN 278-9236, COMMERCIAL (703) 784-9236 OR EMAIL AT STEADMANJF@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL.