UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 099/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/MCBUL 1754, PRIMARY DUTY FAMILY READINESS OFFICERS (FROS)// REF/A/MSGID:DOC/34TH CMC PG/-//
REF/B/MSGID: DOC/MROC DECISION MEMO 05-2008/-//
REF/C/MSGID: DOC/DIR  MR E-MAIL OF 14 NOV 07/-//
AMPN/REF A IS 34TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS PLANNING GUIDANCE./REF B IS THE  MARINE CORPS RESOURCE OVERSIGHT COUNCIL DECISION MEMORANDUM./REF C IS AN EMAIL FROM T. R. LARSEN, MAJGEN, USMC (RET), DIRECTOR, HQMC, M&RA, MR, ON CONTINUED SERVICE OPPORTUNITY.// POC/J. M. KRAUSE/MAJ/UNIT:HQMC MRR/-/TEL: DSN 278-9592
/EMAIL: JOHN.KRAUSE@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  TO ISSUE GUIDANCE OUTLINING PROTOCOLS FOR MANNING/STAFFING FROS UTILIZING THE RETIRE RETAIN OR RETIRE RECALL OPTION.
2.  BACKGROUND.  REF (A) DIRECTED THE TRANSITION OF FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO A WARTIME FOOTING.  REF (B) DIRECTS ALL BATTALION/SQUADRON COMMANDS AND ABOVE TO STAFF PRIMARY DUTY FROS.
REF (C) IS AN EMAIL PROMULGATED FROM DIRECTOR, MR DIVISION, M&RA, HQMC REGARDING FRO OPPORTUNITY.
A.  THE MARINE CORPS FAMILY TEAM BUILDING (MCFTB) FUNCTIONALITY ASSESSMENT (FA), CONDUCTED IN MAY 2007, DETERMINED OUR CURRENT FAMILY READINESS PROGRAMS DO NOT ADEQUATELY SUPPORT THE INCREASED DEMANDS OF MULTIPLE, SUSTAINED DEPLOYMENTS AND MUST BE ADAPTED TO MEET THE COMMANDANT'S WARTIME FOOTING MANDATE.  ONE OF THE MCFTB FA FINDINGS IS THAT TODAY'S FAMILY READINESS PROGRAMS ARE STRUCTURED TO A PEACETIME MODEL WITH THE BATTALION/SQUADRON FAMILY READINESS PROGRAMS LARGELY SUPPORTED BY VOLUNTEERS AND THE UNIT'S ACTIVE DUTY SNCOS AND OFFICERS FULFILLING THESE RESPONSIBILITIES AS A COLLATERAL DUTY. 
B.  CMC HAS MANDATED THAT PRIMARY DUTY FROS SHALL BE ASSIGNED AT THE BATTALION/SQUADRON LEVEL AND ABOVE.  THESE FROS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OFFICIAL COMMAND FAMILY READINESS COMMUNICATION WITH MARINES AND FAMILIES AND ACT AS THE COMMANDER'S FAMILY READINESS REPRESENTATIVE. 
C.  THE FRO BILLET SHALL BE STRICTLY A NON-DEPLOYING BILLET.  THIS IS A PRIMARY DUTY; HENCE, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES SHALL BE FOCUSED ON FRO RELATED ACTIVITIES.  ANCILLARY OR OTHER COLLATERAL TYPE DUTIES SHALL BE MINIMIZED TO ALLOW THE FRO TO FOCUS ON THE UNIT'S FAMILY READINESS PROGRAM.
3.  ACTION.  IMMEDIATE MANNING/STAFFING OF FROS. 
A.  TO ASSIST UNITS TO RAPIDLY STAFF THIS UNCOMPENSATED STRUCTURE, HQMC HAS SOLICITED INTEREST FROM ACTIVE DUTY AND RETIRED SNCOS (E-6 TO E-9) TO REMAIN ON OR BE RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN A RETIRE RETAIN OR RETIRE RECALL STATUS TO SERVE AS UNIT FROS IN ONE OF MORE THAN 300 OPERATING FORCES, RESERVE AND SUPPORTING ESTABLISHMENT BATTALION/SQUADRON LEVEL COMMANDS.
B.  DC, M&RA SHALL SOLICIT NAMES OF POTENTIAL FRO CANDIDATES AND SHALL CONDUCT AN INITIAL OMPF SCREENING TO FIND THE MOST SUITABLE CANDIDATES TO BE INTERVIEWED AND SELECTED BY BATTALION/SQUADRON COMMANDERS.
C.  THIS VETTED LIST SHALL BE PASSED DOWN TO THE MEF COMMANDING GENERALS FOR DISTRIBUTION.  THE LIST SHALL CONTAIN PERTINENT CONTACT INFORMATION FOR COMMANDERS TO INTERVIEW AND SELECT A SUITABLE CANDIDATE.  COMMANDERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SELECT A PRIMARY DUTY FRO FROM THIS LIST.  COMMANDERS SHOULD ALSO SEARCH FOR A SUITABLE FRO FROM WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMANDS.
D.  ONCE THE BATTALION/SQUADRON SELECTS A FRO CANDIDATE, THE FRO CANDIDATE SHALL SUBMIT AN ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION (AA) FORM WITH JUSTIFICATION AND ENDORSEMENTS VIA THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND.  THE AA FORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A LETTER, AS AN ENCLOSURE, FROM THE GAINING COMMAND WITH THE REQUESTED REPORT DATE AND AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE FIRST GENERAL OFFICER IN THE MARINE'S CHAIN OF COMMAND.
E.  THE AA FORM AND ENDORSEMENTS CAN BE FAXED, BUT THE ORIGINALS MUST BE MAILED TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS FOR STAFFING AND ENDORSEMENT:
HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS
ATTN:  MMSR-7
3280 RUSSELL ROAD
QUANTICO, VA  22134
FAX:  (703)784-9834 DSN: 278-9834
PH:  (703)784-9317/18
F.  AFTER RECEIVING ENDORSEMENT FROM DC, M&RA, THE MARINE WILL RECEIVE TWO-YEAR ORDERS.
4.  COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS.
A.  MARINES WHO ARE CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY, HAVE A HQMC APPROVED FLEET MARINE CORPS RESERVE (FMCR) DATE, AND DESIRE TO SERVE AS A FRO AT THEIR CURRENT DUTY STATION UPON RETIREMENT, MAY REQUEST TO BE RETIRED AND RETAINED ON STATION.  HOWEVER, A MARINE REQUESTING TO BE RETIRED AND RETAINED MAY REQUEST PCS ORDERS IF A COMMAND AT ANOTHER DUTY STATION REQUESTS THEM BY NAME TO BE THEIR FRO.
B.  A MARINE MAY REQUEST EARLY RELEASE FROM THEIR CURRENT COMMAND IN ORDER TO BEGIN FRO DUTIES AT THE GAINING COMMAND.  AA FORM MUST INCLUDE REQUESTED RELEASE DATE, FMCR DATE AND A LETTER FROM THE GAINING COMMAND WITH REQUESTED REPORT DATE.
C.  MARINES WHO HAVE ALREADY TRANSFERRED TO THE FMCR MAY REQUEST TO BE RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN A RECALL STATUS.  RETIRE RECALL CANDIDATES WILL RECEIVE TWO-YEAR PCS ORDERS FROM THEIR HOME OF SELECTION.
D.  BATTALION/SQUADRON COMMANDERS MAY CONDUCT FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS WITH INTERESTED CANDIDATES FROM OUTSIDE THEIR IMMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC AREA; HOWEVER, THE BATTALION/SQUADRON SHALL PAY ALL TAD COSTS.
E.  RETIRED CANDIDATES WHO ARE REQUESTED TO BE INTERVIEWED BY A COMMAND OUTSIDE THEIR IMMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC AREA SHALL REQUEST AN INVITATIONAL TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION (ITA) FROM THE INTERVIEWING COMMAND, SOLELY FOR INTERVIEW RELATED TAD. 
F.  CANDIDATES CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY SHALL REQUEST TAD ORDERS FROM THEIR COMMAND WITH APPROPRIATION DATA FROM THE COMMAND REQUESTING THE INTERVIEW.
G.  RETIRING OR RETIRED SNCOS INTERESTED IN BECOMING A PRIMARY DUTY FRO SHOULD SEND THEIR NAME, RANK (IF APPLICABLE), CURRENT COMMAND (IF APPLICABLE), MAILING ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND FMCR DATE TO THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS:  FAMILY.READINESS@USMC.MIL.  APPLICANTS MUST HAVE AN APPROVED FMCR DATE IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE.
5.  THIS BULLETIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
6.  THIS BULLETIN IS CANCELLED 30 JAN 2009.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN R. S. COLEMAN, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS.//