Enlisted Career Counseling Service

1. THIS MARADMIN IS PUBLISHED TO PRESENT
INFORMATION TO SERGEANTS, STAFF NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS, AND
OFFICERS CONCERNING THE ENLISTED CAREER COUNSELING SERVICE. 
2. THE MISSION OF THE ENLISTED CAREER COUNSELING SERVICE IS TO
SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF OUR CORPS BY ASSISTING ENLISTED CAREER
MARINES, REGULAR AND RESERVE, BY ENHANCING THEIR PERFORMANCE FOR
RETENTION AND COMPETITIVENESS FOR PROMOTION THROUGH PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION CAREER COUNSELING.
3. LATELY, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE OF CALLS COMING FROM MARINES
AFTER PROMOTION BOARDS PRIMARILY FROM THOSE THAT HAVE FAILED
SELECTION. MOST OF THESE MARINES HAVE NEVER SPOKEN WITH A COUNSELOR
BEFORE. WHILE THE CAREER COUNSELORS PROVIDE AN EVALUATION OF
PERFORMANCE, THEY CANNOT PROVIDE SPECIFIC REASONS FOR FAILURE OF
SELECTION TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE. REQUESTING A CAREER COUNSELING
SESSION AFTER THE FACT IS NOT THE PREFERRED TIME TO RECEIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS.
4. MARINES NEED TO BE MORE AWARE OF THE BENEFITS OF OBTAINING
CAREER COUNSELING. MANY MARINES HAVE A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE
VALUE AND PURPOSE OF A CAREER COUNSELING SESSION AND ARE NOT TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE AVAILABLE THAT MAY HELP THEM
ENHANCE THEIR COMPETITIVENESS. 
5. ENLISTED CAREER COUNSELORS ARE A RESOURCE FOR OUR ENLISTED
MARINES IN MAKING THEMSELVES MORE COMPETITIVE FOR PROMOTION. IN
THIS REGARD, SENIOR LEADERSHIP SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEIR MARINES TO
CONTACT THE CAREER COUNSELORS AT LEAST TWO YEARS BEFORE THEY
ANTICIPATE COMING INTO THE PROMOTION ZONE. THIS WILL PROVIDE THE
MARINE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR COMPLETE RECORD, INSIGHT
INTO HIS/HER STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACT IN
A TIMELY MANNER ON ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THE COUNSELOR MAY PROVIDE. 
6. THE ENLISTED CAREER COUNSELING SERVICE IS AVAILABLE FROM
0730-1630, EST, MON-FRI EXCLUDING FEDERAL HOLIDAYS. ACTIVE DUTY
MARINES SHOULD CALL DSN 278-9241, COMM 703-784-9241 OR TOLL FREE AT
800-833-2320 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR COUNSELING. RESERVE
COMPONENTS SHOULD CALL 1-877-415-9275.
7. CAREER COUNSELORS CONDUCT INTERVIEWS IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
 A. TELEPHONIC INTERVIEWS
 B. WALK-IN SESSIONS AT HQMC
 C. INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING DURING ANNUAL MMEA COMMAND VISITS. 
(NOTE: ORDER YOUR OMPFS AND MBS AHEAD OF TIME.)
 D. INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING DURING EVERY ENLISTED PME ACADEMY 
 E. COMMAND REQUESTED VISIT (UNIT FUNDED)
8. THE OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILE (OMPF) AND THE MASTER BRIEF
SHEET (MBS) ARE THE PRINCIPAL TOOLS USED BY A PROMOTION SELECTION
BOARD TO SELECT MARINES FOR THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE. EACH MARINE HAS
THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OF HIS OR HER RECORD. 
MISSING INFORMATION IS NOT NECESSARILY GROUNDS FOR REQUESTING
CONSIDERATION BY A REMEDIAL PROMOTION BOARD. 
9. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED BY REFERRING TO THE
QUARTERLY CAREER COUNSELING "NEWSFLASH" OR BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.USMC.MIL. SELECT "CAREER" THEN "MARINES" AND "ENLISTED CAREER
COUNSELING".
10. LEADERS ARE ASKED TO ENSURE ALL ENLISTED CAREER MARINES READ
AND UNDERSTAND THE CONTENTS OF THIS MARADMIN.