Results of the 2004 Marine Corps Climate Survey

1. THE MARINE CORPS CLIMATE SURVEY (MCCS)
IS A SURVEY CONDUCTED MARINE CORPS-WIDE THAT MEASURES
PERCEPTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND COMMAND CLIMATE. BY
PERIODICALLY CONDUCTING THIS TYPE OF SURVEY, WE ARE ABLE TO
GAIN INSIGHTS INTO TRENDS OCCURRING IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF
THE MARINE CORPS CLIMATE. THE SUCCESS OF OUR EFFORTS IN
EVALUATING THESE AREAS DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL MARINE.
THE MARINE CORPS HAS PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED THESE SURVEYS IN
1994, 1996, 1997, AND 1999.
2. THE 2004 MCCS WAS ADMINISTERED TO A RANDOM SAMPLE OF
MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL (10,951 ACTIVE DUTY, 8,962 RESERVISTS)
STRATIFIED BY RACIAL/ETHNIC GROUP AND GENDER WITHIN ENLISTED
AND OFFICER POPULATIONS.
3. THE FIRST SECTION OF MCCS CONTAINS GROUPS OF ITEMS RELATED
TO 10 ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE AREAS. THE CLIMATE MODULES ARE:
LEADERSHIP, UNIT COHESION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING,
CAREER PROGRESSION, SATISFACTION WITH THE MARINE CORPS,
ACCOUNTABILITY, INFORMAL RESOLUTION SYSTEM/REQUEST MAST,
DISCIPLINE, AND EXTREMIST GROUPS/GANGS. ITEMS ASSESSING
RACIAL/ETHNIC AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION, AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT
FOLLOWED THE CLIMATE MODULES.
4. THE RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL AREAS.
HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
A. THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE POSITIVE AREAS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
 (1) POSITIVE CLIMATE TRENDS FOR ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED
WITH FEWER RACIAL DISPARITIES THAN IN 1999.
 (2) INCREASE IN AGREEMENT THAT THE USMC PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION SYSTEM IS FAIR.
 (3) BOTTOMLINE INDICATORS, RETENTION INTENTIONS, AND
OVERALL SATISFACTION INCREASED FOR BOTH ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED
AND OFFICERS.
 (4) RACIAL DISCRIMINATION RATES HAVE DROPPED; CLEAR
DOWNWARD TREND SINCE 1994; RATES OF RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION
ARE LOW FOR BOTH ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVES.
 (5) RATES OF EXTREMIST GROUPS/GANGS ARE LOWER THAN
IN 1999.
 (6) ACTIVE DUTY FEMALE SEXUAL HARASSMENT RATES DECLINED
FOR BOTH OFFICERS AND ENLISTED.
 (7) MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED FORMS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
ARE THE MILDER FORMS (JOKES, TEASING, ETC.); SEVERE FORMS OF
SEXUAL HARASSMENT RARELY OCCURRED.
 (8) MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF ALL GROUPS REPORT THAT THEY
KNOW WHAT BEHAVIOR IS CONSIDERED SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
 (9) MAJORITY OF MARINES BELIEVE SEXUAL HARASSMENT
PREVENTION TRAINING IS USEFUL IN THEIR WORK ENVIRONMENT.
 (10) FEMALE OFFICER GENDER DISCRIMINATION RATE DECREASED
FROM 1999.
B. THE FOLLOWING AREAS INDICATE A NEED FOR INCREASED
VIGILANCE TO ENSURE A POSITIVE CLIMATE EXISTS WITHIN THE COMMAND
FOR MARINES' PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH.
 (1) DESPITE OVERALL POSITIVE TRENDS IN RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION,ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED
MINORITIES REPORT THAT THEY EXPERIENCED NEGATIVE RACIAL/ETHNIC
COMMENTS, REMARKS, OR OFFENSIVE JOKES DURING THE PAST YEAR.
 (2) A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF ENLISTED WOMEN CONTINUE TO
REPORT SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY A HIGHER LEVEL SUPERVISOR.
 (3) WHILE MOST WOMEN INDICATE THAT THEY WOULD FEEL
FREE TO REPORT SEXUAL HARASSMENT LESS THAN 20 PERCENT OF THOSE
WHO WERE SEXUALLY HARASSED FILED A COMPLAINT.
 (4) SEXUAL HARASSMENT/GENDER DISCRIMINATION EXPERIENCES
MAY INFLUENCE DECISIONS TO STAY OR LEAVE THE USMC.
5. THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, A GOOD
NEWS STORY FOR THE MARINE CORPS. WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT
THE ABOVE AREAS TO WATCH INDICATE THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WHILE THE COMMANDER IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMMAND
CLIMATE, EVERY MEMBER OF THAT COMMAND HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO
TREAT THEIR FELLOW MARINES WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. IN HIS
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT, THE COMMANDANT STATES THAT
"COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ENHANCES UNIT COHESION AND
OUR WARFIGHTING SUPERIORITY." THE MCCS IS A TOOL THAT CAN BE
USED TO EDUCATE ALL MARINES ON LINGERING PERCEPTIONS AND
INITIATING ACTIONS TO IMPROVE THE ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE.
6. THE MCCS RESULTS CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL UNDER THE "NEWS AND FEATURES" COLUMN.
EACH COMMAND WILL MAKE A WIDE DISTRIBUTION OF THE MARADMIN.
BY MAKING MARINES AWARE OF THESE PARTICULAR ISSUES, WE CAN CONTINUE
OUR PROGRESS TOWARD ELIMINATING THEM. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
DISCUSS THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY WITH THEIR MARINES.
7. THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE.