Hostile Fire Areas (HFA's) Identified for Overseas Control Date (OCD) Updates
This MARADMIN designates Afghanistan and Iraq as Hostile Fire Areas (HFAs) for the purpose of updating Marines' Overseas Control Dates (OCDs). Marines who complete at least 180 continuous days of deployment in these HFAs will have their OCDs manually updated by their commands, which affects future assignment management and provides greater consideration for personnel exposed to hostile action.
Issued: December 29, 2004
1. PURPOSE. TO IDENTIFY WHICH LOCATIONS CONSTITUTE "HOSTILE FIRE AREAS" FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING OCD'S FOR EXISTING CONTINGENCIES. 2. DISCUSSION A. ON 01 OCT 2000, CONCURRENT WITH THE SERVICES BEGINNING TO TRACK AND REPORT DEPLOYMENT TEMPO (DEPTEMPO), THE MARINE CORPS BEGAN USING DEPTEMPO TO ADJUST AND UPDATE MARINES' OCD'S. THE USE OF DEPTEMPO RESULTED IN CHANGES TO THE OCD POLICY. OCD'S ARE USED TO ADMINISTRATIVELY MANAGE THE PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT OF MARINES. REF A CONTAINS PREVIOUS POLICY ON OCD'S. REF B PROVIDES EXISTING DEPTEMPO AND OCD POLICY. REF C PROVIDES DEPTEMPO AND OCD REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS. B. AN OCD MAY BE CHANGED IN ONE OF TWO WAYS, BY AN "ADJUSTMENT" OR BY AN "UPDATE". AN ADJUSTMENT OF AN OCD IS ADDING THE NUMBER OF DAYS A MARINE WAS IN AN OCD CREDITABLE STATUS TO A PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED OCD. A MARINE'S OCD MAY ALSO BE CHANGED BY AN UPDATE TO IT. AN UPDATE GIVES A MARINE A NEW DATE EQUAL TO THE DATE OF COMPLETION OF A SPECIFIED EVENT. C. REF B DIRECTS A MARINE'S COMMAND TO MANUALLY UPDATE A MARINE'S OCD WHEN ANY ONE OF FOUR EVENTS OCCURS. ONE OF THESE EVENTS IS WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES AT LEAST SIX CONTINUOUS MONTHS (180 DAYS) DEPLOYMENT IN A HOSTILE FIRE AREA. THE OTHER THREE EVENTS ARE: WHEN THE MARINE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES AN OVERSEAS PERMANENT ASSIGNMENT; WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES AN OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT OF NINE CONTINUOUS MONTHS (270 DAYS); OR WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES TWO MAJOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS OF AT LEAST FIVE MONTHS (150-DAYS) DURATION EACH, DURING THE SAME OR CONTINUOUS OPERATING FORCE TOUR. D. HOSTILE FIRE AREAS ARE UNIQUE TO THE MARINE CORPS; ARE GOVERNED SOLELY BY MARINE CORPS POLICY; ARE USED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING OCD'S; AND ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM AN IMMINENT DANGER PAY (IDP) AREA, A HOSTILE FIRE PAY (HFP) AREA, OR AN AREA DESIGNATED A "COMBAT ZONE" FOR COMBAT ZONE TAX EXCLUSION (CZTE) PURPOSES. E. IAW REF B, THE MARINE CORPS DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THOSE PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO IDP, HFP OR CZTE AREAS AND THOSE ASSIGNED TO HOSTILE FIRE AREAS. THE MARINE CORPS GIVES GREATER CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS TO THOSE PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO HOSTILE FIRE AREAS DUE TO THEIR CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO HOSTILE ACTION. 3. HFA'S IDENTIFIED. FOR THE EXISTING CONTINGENCIES, THE MARINE CORPS CONSIDERS WITHIN THE BORDERS OF AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ AS BEING HOSTILE FIRE AREAS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING AN OCD WHEN A MARINE COMPLETES AT LEAST SIX CONTINUOUS MONTHS (180 DAYS) DEPLOYMENT IN A HOSTILE FIRE AREA. 4. ACTION. COMMANDERS WILL ENSURE THAT, PER THIS GUIDANCE, THE OCD'S OF THEIR ASSIGNED MARINES ARE PROPERLY UPDATED UPON COMPLETION OF AN EVENT THAT QUALIFIES A MARINE FOR AN UPDATED OCD.