Voluntary Extensions for Marines on Recruiting Duty

1. THIS IS A JOINT MCRC/MMEA MSG APPROVED BY DC
M&RA.

2. MARINE CORPS RECRUITING HAS ENJOYED ALMOST A DECADE OF 
UNPARALLED SUCCESS. THE BIGGEST GUARANTORS OF THAT SUCCESS HAVE BEEN
THE STELLAR EFFORTS OF ALL THOSE MARINES ASSIGNED TO THE RECRUITING
FORCE AS WELL AS THE CORPS WILLINGNESS TO COMMIT THE REQUISITE
RESOURCES. BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTFUL PRIORITY OF OUR OPERATING FORCES
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THE SIZE OF OUR RECRUITING FORCE HAS
DECLINED. THE SMALL CLASS SIZES AT RECRUITERS SCHOOL IN FY03 AND
FY04 HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH THE NUMBER OF MARINES LEAVING
RECRUITING DUTY. CLASS SIZES WILL NOT INCREASE UNTIL AFTER
COMPLETION OF HEADQUARTERS RECRUITER SCREENING TEAM (HRST) VISITS IN
SEP 04, MARINES SCREENED BY THE HRST WILL NOT BEGIN TO RECRUIT UNTIL
MAR 05 AT THE EARLIEST. 

3. MCRC IS IMPLEMENTING A VOLUNTARY EXTENSION POLICY TO HELP
ALLEVIATE THE CURRENT SHORTAGE OF RECRUITERS. MARINES CURRENTLY
SERVING AS 8411S WHOSE ROTATION DATES ARE BETWEEN SEP 04 AND FEB 05
ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR EXTENSIONS TO REMAIN ON RECRUITING DUTY
FOR AN ADDITIONAL 3 TO 12 MONTHS. MCRC REQUIRES APPROXIMATELY 99
EXTENSIONS IN ERR AND 87 IN WRR. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS SHOULD BE
SUBMITTED USING AN AA FORM AND EXPEDITED VIA THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. 
REQUESTS WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS TAKING INTO
CONSIDERATION THE NEEDS OF THE MARINES CORPS, THE NEEDS OF THE
RECRUITING FORCE AND THE DESIRES OF THE MARINE.

4. MCRC AND MMEA-85 WILL MAINTAIN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE
MONITORS WHEN CONSIDERING EXTENSION REQUESTS. EXTENSIONS WILL NOT
BE GRANTED TO THOSE MARINES WHO SERVE IN A HIGH DEMAND MOS AND WHOSE
SKILLS ARE IMMEDIATELY NEEDED ELSEWHERE IN THE MARINE CORPS.

5. THIS VOLUNTARY EXTENSION POLICY IS DESIGNED TO HELP ALLEVIATE A
TEMPORARY SHORTAGE. OUR CORPS REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENSURING PROPER
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND MOS AND PROMOTION PROGRESSION FOR ALL
MARINES. WE REMAIN EQUALLY COMMITTED TO THOSE MARINES WHO HAVE LEFT
THE OPERATIONAL FORCES AND THEIR 
PRIMARY MOS TO SERVE IN THAT CRITICAL BILLET OF "MARINE RECRUITER." 
TOGETHER, THE REINTRODUCTION OF HRST AND THIS VOLUNTARY EXTENSION
POLICY WILL HELP TO ENSURE OUR CONTINUED SUCCESS ON THE STREETS OF
AMERICA, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY ON FOREIGN SHORES IN SUPPORT OF OUR
NATION.