Reserve SNCO Retention Policy Update

1. BACKGROUND: MARADMIN 177/04 PROVIDED UPDATED CHANGES TO
RETENTION POLICIES, SPECIFICLLY SERGEANTS AND ABOVE WHO HAVE BEEN
TWICE PASSED FOR PROMOTION SELECTION. THE RETENTION OF TWICE PASSED
MARINES STAGNATES PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUNIOR MARINES IN
SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE (SMCR) UNITS AND THE INDIVIDUAL
MOBILIZATION AUGMENTEE (IMA) PROGRAM. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
MARADMIN 177/04 IS CANCELED AND THE FOLLOWING UPDATED POLICY IS IN
EFFECT:
 A. MARINES IN THE GRADES OF SERGEANT THROUGH MASTER SERGEANT
WHO HAVE TWICE FAILED SELECTION IN THE RESERVE COMPONENT WILL BE
TRANSFERRED FROM THEIR PRESENT BILLETS TO THE INDIVIDIUAL READY
RESERVE (IRR) BY THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH FOLLOWING THE
RELEASE OF SELECTION BOARD RESULTS. THIS IS A NON-PUNITIVE
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION REQUIRING A PAGE 11 ENTRY IN THE MARINE'S
SERVICE RECORD. 
 B. MARINES IN THE GRADES OF SERGEANT THROUGH MASTER SERGEANT
WHO HAVE FAILED SELECTION MORE THAN TWICE WILL ALSO BE TRANSFERRED
TO THE IRR. 
 C. MARINES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR
REENLISTMENT IN THE IRR PROVIDED THEY ARE NOT AT SERVICE
LIMITATIONS. 
 D. SMCR AND IMA MARINES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY ARE NOT
AUTHORIZED TO TRANSFER BETWEEN THE SMCR, THE IMA PROGRAM, OR LIKE
BILLETS. MARINES MUST TRANSFER TO THE IRR. 
 E. MARINES WHO ARE ACTIVATED WILL COMPLETE THEIR CURRENT
ACTIVATION ORDERS. ONCE DEACTIVATED, MARINES WILL IMMEDIATELY
TRANSFER TO THE IRR. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSION OF ACTIVATION ORDERS
WILL BE SUBMITTED TO COMMANDER MARINE FORCES RESERVE VIA THE MAJOR
SUBORDINATE COMMANDS. 
 F. COMMANDING GENERALS OF THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION, 4TH MARINE
LOGISITICS GROUP, 4TH MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, AND MOBILIZATION COMMAND
WILL CONSIDER ONE TIME, 1-YEAR WAIVERS TO THE ABOVE POLICY ON AN
INDIVIDUAL BASIS. 1-YEAR WAIVERS ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE UNIT
COMMANDERS WITH IMMEDIATE ASSETS FOR MOBILIZATION PURPOSES ONLY. 
THE FOLLOWING STIPULATIONS APPLY TO ALL WAIVER REQUESTS:
 (1) WAIVER JUSTIFICATIONS SHOULD REASONABLY DEMONSTRATE THAT
THE MARINE IN QUESTION SINGULARLY FILLS A CRITICAL NEED FOR THE
IMMEDIATE AND CONTINUED MANNING OF HIS OR HER BILLET; CANNOT BE
REPLACED BY ANOTHER QUALIFIED MARINE DUE TO A GEOGRAPHIC HARDSHIP IN
RECRUITING OR RETENTION; THAT BY LOSS OF THE SPECIFIC MARINE
REQUESTING A WAIVER, UNIT OPERATIONAL READINESS WILL BE DEGRADED AND
WARTIME MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT IS COMPROMISED. 
 (2) RECOMMENDED 1-YEAR WAIVERS WILL BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE
MARINE'S CHAIN OF COMMAND TO MARINE FORCES RESERVE (MFR) G-1 FOR
VALIDATION. MFR G-1 WILL FORWARD A COPY OF APPROVED WAIVERS TO CMC
(RAP). 
 G. MARINES WITH A MINIMUM OF 20 SATISFACTORY CREDITABLE
YEARS OR AT OR ABOVE SERVICE LIMITATIONS WHO HAVE TWICE FAILED
SELECTION WILL BE GIVEN THE OPTION TO RETIRE OR TRANSFER TO THE IRR.
 
2. ACTIONS: 
 A. CMC (RAP) WILL PROVIDE MFR G-1 WITH SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON
MARINES WHO NEED TO BE TRANSFERRED PER THIS POLICY. 
 B. MFR WILL ENSURE POLICY COMPLIANCE VIA SUBORDINATE COMMANDS. 
 C. CAREER RETENTION SPECIALISTS WILL INFORM TWICE PASSED MARINES
OF CONTINUED IRR PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES, I.E. EARNING
SATISFACTORY YEARS TOWARD RETIREMENT BY COMPLETING PROFESSIONAL
MILITARY EDUCATION, ACTIVE DUTY SPECIAL WORK, APPROPRIATE/ASSOCIATE
DUTY, AND RESERVE COUNTERPART TRAINING. THESE OPPORTUNITIES ALLOW
MARINES TO REMAIN COMPETETIVE FOR PROMOTION/RETIREMENT IN THE IRR. 
 D. MARINE CORPS RECRUITING COMMAND WILL INFORM PRIOR SERVICE
RECRUITERS OF THIS POLICY. MARINES WITH TWO OR MORE PASSES IN
CURRENT GRADE WHO RESIDE IN THE IRR WILL NOT BE RECRUITED FOR ANY
SMCR/IMA BILLET VACANCY. 
3. THE POLICY UPDATE AND COMMAND ACTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE
ARE INTENDED TO BEST SUPPORT THE LONG TERM MANPOWER NEEDS OF THE
SMCR.
4. POINT OF CONTACT IS CAPTAIN H. J. PARRISH, CMC(RAP), AT
(703)784-9136.