R 100411Z FEB 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 0087/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CDI//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS URGENT NEEDS PROCESS (UNP)AND THE URGENT UNIVERSAL NEED STATEMENT (URGENT UNS)//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/MCBUL 3901/-//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/MCO 3900.15B/-//
POC/A. L. NEELY/MAJ/UNIT:CPB MID QUANTICO VA/-/TEL:703-784-6287 DSN 278/EMAIL: URGENTUNS@USMC.MIL//
POC/R. E. WEBSTER/GS-14/UNIT:CPB MID QUANTICO VA/-/TEL:703 432-8252 DSN 278/EMAIL: URGENTUNS@USMC.MIL//
NARR/REF A DEFINES THE MARINE CORPS URGENT NEEDS PROCESS AND THE URGENT UNIVERSAL NEED STATEMENT. REF B OUTLINES THE MARINE CORPS EXPEDITIONARY FORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM (EFDS)//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/ 1. PURPOSE. TO ANNOUNCE PUBLICATION OF MCO 3900.17, MARINE CORPS URGENT NEEDS PROCESS (UNP) AND THE URGENT UNIVERSAL NEED STATEMENT (URGENT UNS). THE UNP RESPONDS TO URGENT WARFIGHTING CAPABILITY NEEDS BY PROVIDING THE BEST AVAILABLE SOLUTIONS TO MISSION-CRITICAL CAPABILITY GAPS IN A TIMEFRAME ACCEPTABLE TO OPERATING FORCE COMMANDERS.
2.  BACKGROUND. REF A WAS SUPERSEDED BY MCO 3900.17 ON 17 OCTOBER
2008 AND FUNDAMENTALLY DEFINED THE MARINE CORPS URGENT NEEDS PROCESS
(UNP) AND REFINED THE GUIDANCE FOR THE SUBMISSION AND PROCESSING OF
AN URGENT UNIVERSAL NEED STATEMENT (URGENT UNS). 
3.  AN URGENT UNS IS USED TO INITIATE THE UNP.  IT IS AN EXCEPTIONAL
REQUEST FROM A COMBATANT COMMAND-LEVEL MARINE COMPONENT COMMANDER FOR AN ADDITIONAL WARFIGHTING CAPABILITY THAT IS CRITICALLY NEEDED BY OPERATING FORCES CONDUCTING COMBAT OR CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS. FAILURE TO DELIVER THE CAPABILITY REQUESTED BY THE URGENT UNS IS LIKELY TO RESULT IN THE INABILITY OF UNITS TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR MISSIONS OR RISKS INCREASED PROBABILITY OF CASUALTIES AND LOSS OF LIFE.
4.  WITHIN THE UNP, CAPABILITY GAPS ARE DOCUMENTED AND INTERIM SOLUTIONS ARE DELIVERED MORE RAPIDLY THAN THROUGH THE DELIBERATE
PROCESSES OF REF B. SUBSEQUENTLY, BOTH CAPABILITY GAPS AND INTERIM SOLUTIONS ARE DELIBERATELY CONSIDERED FOR COMPREHENSIVE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINMENT.
5.  SUBMISSION METHODS. MARINES AT ANY LEVEL MAY INITIATE AN URGENT
UNS. THE SUPPORTED COMMARFOR WILL ENSURE THAT ENDORSEMENTS INCLUDE THE
PERSONAL AND CERTIFIED APPROVAL OF AT LEAST ONE GENERAL OFFICER, EITHER AT THE COMMARFOR COMMAND ELEMENT, OR AT A SUBORDINATE HEADQUARTERS. 
6.  URGENT UNS REQUEST SHALL BE SUBMITTED USING THE SECURE, WEB-BASED VIRTUAL URGENT UNS (VUUNS) SYSTEM AVAILABLE AT WWW.MCCDC.USMC.MIL. UNITS BELOW THE MEF-LEVEL SHOULD DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE THE URGENT UNS FORM FOUND AT WWW.MCCDC.USMC.MIL. SUBMIT COMPLETED FORM TO THE SUPPORTED MEF VIA THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AS APPROPRIATE. THE MEF WILL THEN ENTER APPROVED URGENT UNS INTO THE VUUNS SYSTEM.
7. ACCESS TO MCO3900.17 IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE HQMC PUBLICATIONS
WEBSITE.
A FACSIMILE OF THE ORDER IS AVAILABLE AT THE MARINE CORPS COMBAT DEVELOPMENT COMMAND (MCCDC) WEBSITE, WWW.MCCDC.USMC.MIL.
8.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
9.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN GEORGE J. FLYNN, DEPUTY COMMANDANT
FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION.//