R 271500Z MAY 22
MARADMIN 275/22
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT OF REVISED GUIDANCE FOR PERSONNEL TRAVELING DURING THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 PANDEMIC//
REF/A/MEMO/OUSD(PR)/4APR22//
REF/B/MEMO/SECNAV/29APR22//
REF/C/MSG/MARADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/R201015ZMAY21//
REF/D/MEMO/ASN(MRA)/23APR21//
NARR/REF A IS USD(PR) MEMORANDUM, CONSOLIDATED DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION GUIDANCE. REF B IS SECNAV MEMORANDUM, IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSOLIDATED DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION GUIDANCE. REF C IS MARADMIN 277/21, UPDATE TO CONDITIONS-BASED APPROACH TO CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 PERSONNEL MOVEMENT AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ALONG WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION GUIDANCE (SUPPLEMENT 20). REF D IS ASN(MRA) MEMORANDUM, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY GUIDANCE FOR PERSONNEL TRAVELING DURING THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 PANDEMIC.//
POC/See paragraph 5.//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Purpose.  Reference (a), section 7 provides Department of Defense (DoD) pre- and post-travel guidance for purposes of force health protection (FHP) for Service members, DoD family members, DoD civilian employees, and DoD contractor personnel, and covers official and unofficial travel.  Reference (b) provides the categories of official travel that are designated as mission critical within the Department of the Navy (DON); official travel by unvaccinated personnel, or those who decline to provide information about their vaccination status, is limited to designated mission critical categories.  Pursuant to references (a) and (b), this MARADMIN cancels reference (c), and provides clarifying guidance.
2.  Context
2.a.  Reference (a), section 7 directs travel-related actions to protect the health of personnel and reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) within and outside the United States.  Pre- and post-travel requirements include risk assessments, screening, testing, and restriction of movement (ROM).  Reference (a), section 7 organizes these requirements by a traveler’s destination (i.e., within or outside the United States), type of travel (i.e., official or unofficial), and type of traveler (i.e., Service member, DoD family member, DoD civilian employee, or DoD contractor personnel).
2.b.  Per reference (b), minimizing the travel of unvaccinated individuals remains paramount.  Where reasonably feasible alternatives to travel are available to achieve Service objectives, travel is not mission critical.  The mission-critical designations listed in this MARADMIN do not create an entitlement to travel by unvaccinated individuals.  Commanders must determine whether an alternative to the travel of the unvaccinated member is available.
3.  Clarifying Guidance.  In cases when travel is authorized, all commanders, supervisors, and travelers must follow the requirements provided in reference (a), which is available at the DoD website, www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Coronavirus-DOD-Response/Latest-DOD- Guidance.  For clarification purposes:
3.a.  Fully Vaccinated Individuals.  Fully vaccinated individuals are not restricted from official travel, both domestic and international.  For fully vaccinated Marines and DoD civilian employees, all official (Government funded or reimbursed) and unofficial (i.e., non-Government funded or reimbursed) leave may be approved in accordance with current leave and liberty regulations. Commanders will continue to encourage members to use their leave during the year it is earned.
3.b.  Unvaccinated Individuals
3.b.1.  Official Travel.  Pursuant to references (a) and (b), Marines and civilian employees who are not fully vaccinated, or who decline to provide information about their vaccination status are limited to official travel, both domestic and international, that has been designated as mission-critical in reference (b).  Official travel by unvaccinated personnel (and their authorized dependents, regardless of vaccination status), or those who decline to provide information about their vaccination status, is authorized for the following mission critical purposes:
3.b.1.a.  Permanent change of station (PCS) travel is authorized for unvaccinated dependents accompanying Service members or civilian employees who are fully vaccinated or have a permanently approved exemption.  Overseas screening and medical approval is still required per current policies.
3.b.1.b.  Travel of dependents associated with an approved Early Return of Dependents authorization from an overseas post or station.
3.b.1.c.  Government funded emergency leave travel and emergency visitation travel.
3.b.1.d.  Travel of new accessions to recruit and officer candidate training.
3.b.1.e.  Travel by patients, as well as their authorized escorts and attendants, for purposes of medical treatment.  Travel by medical providers for the purposes of medical treatment for DoD personnel and their families.
3.b.1.f.  Travel by Service members and civilian personnel approved for retirement or separation.  For Service members, travel is authorized for purposes of taking transition leave.
3.b.1.g.  Travel by Service members under the authority of a Chief of Mission and authorized by that Chief of Mission.
3.b.1.h.  Travel by Service members and civilian personnel not under the authority of a Chief of Mission and ordered by the appropriate DoD official to evacuate an area threatened by unusual or emergency circumstances.
3.b.1.i.  Travel associated with new civilian hiring and management directed actions to include transfers, reassignments, management directed reassignments, and new civilian accessions including formal entry-level civilian accession programs such as government-funded internships and fellowships.
3.b.1.j.  Travel by civilian employees complying with overseas tour rotation agreement requirements.
3.b.1.k.  Travel in support of mission critical maintenance operations for DON assets as well as the critical assets of other services, agencies, and international partnerships that support the mission of the DON.  Mission critical maintenance operations are in direct support of DON ships, submarines, aircraft, information technology equipment and infrastructure as well as other critical equipment not otherwise listed.
3.b.1.l.  Travel by Service members from an overseas post or station that are not eligible for involuntary extensions or will surpass the 180-day limit for involuntary extension.
3.b.2.  Official Travel – Outside of Mission Critical Travel. Requests for official travel by unvaccinated personnel outside of the parameters provided in reference (b) and paragraph 3.b.1., above, must be approved by the Under Secretary of the Navy (UNSECNAV).  Case-by-case requests will be routed to the UNSECNAV via the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASN(M&RA)), the Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (Marines: Attention MPO; DoD civilian employees: Attention MPC), and the respective member’s General Court-Martial Convening Authority (GCMCA).  Requestors should not anticipate a favorable endorsement from the Service except in extreme circumstances that must be clearly explained by the requestor’s chain of command.  The requestor’s chain-of-command must clearly recommend approval or denial of the requestor’s request; requests will not be accepted that are simply forwarded for consideration (or words to that effect).
3.b.3.  Leave
3.b.3.a.  Unvaccinated Marines may conduct unofficial leave travel only when the leave travel has been reviewed and approved by the member’s unit commander (normally O-5 level) or equivalent.  This approval authority cannot be delegated further.  Pre- and post-travel requirements provided in reference (a) must be followed.
3.b.3.b.  Unvaccinated DoD civilian employees may conduct unofficial leave travel in accordance with current leave policies and reference (a).
3.c.  In the case of PCS travel when the gaining command directs a Marine (and dependents if applicable) into any ROM, the Marine (and dependents if applicable) will remain in a travel status (awaiting transportation) and will continue to be entitled to travel allowances incident to executing official travel.  Remaining in a travel status during ROM performed at the destination is applicable to those members required to occupy commercial or government temporary lodging with a cost incurred.  The Marine (and dependents, if applicable) will not be considered as having been joined to the command until the day following the last entire inclusive day where the ordered ROM facility was occupied.  Upon completion of the required ROM period or effective date permanent type quarters become occupied, the local Installation Personnel Administration Center (IPAC)/reporting unit will join the member in order to start appropriate station allowances.
3.c.1.  Gaining commands are authorized to modify the basic PCS order via the reporting endorsement when the ROM completion date exceeds the report not later than (NLT) date.  Gaining commands will provide a reporting endorsement that includes the directed ROM period to the local IPAC/reporting unit.
3.c.2.  Marines will be required to submit the following items to their Disbursing Officer/Finance Officer (DO/FO) for reimbursement:
3.c.2.a.  DD Form 1351-2 travel claim;
3.c.2.b.  All authorization letters to travel as applicable, and receipts for lodging incurred while in a ROM or Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) status; and
3.c.2.c.  The command endorsement directing ROM in the vicinity of the gaining Permanent Duty Station (PDS).  This endorsement will include a modified report date that includes the completion of ROM, if applicable.
3.d.  In the case that a Marine (and family members) is required to complete a risk assessment and travel attestation in accordance with reference (a), section 7, commands will ensure the attestation is completed and signed within 14 days of travel.
3.d.1.  A sample attestation memo is located on the DC M&RA portal, www.manpower.usmc.mil/webcenter/portal/Secretariat.
3.d.2.  Commands will provide the local IPAC a copy to incorporate into the travel orders issued to the Marine, and ensure the Marine retains a copy of the attestation in order to facilitate reimbursement of travel expenses.
4.  Coordinating Instructions
4.a.  DC M&RA (MPP) will notify the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) prior to reducing or suspending recruiting, accessions, basic training, or advanced individual training as a result of COVID-19 impacts.
4.b.  Per reference (d), the first General Officer or Senior Executive Service (GO/SES) in a member's chain of command may:
4.b.1.  Implement more restrictive guidance and additional FHP measures based on mission requirements and local risk assessments, in consultation with their medical staffs and public health authorities.
4.b.2.  Choose to exempt assigned aircrew and aircraft maintenance recovery team members on commercial, military contracted, and organic military aircraft from the guidance provided in reference (a), section 7, to the extent permissible, consistent with applicable legal requirements.
4.b.3.  After an appropriate risk assessment, may decrease a required ROM period in accordance with reference (a), section 7.
4.c.  Per reference (d), in the case that ROM is required, only one ROM is required, either before travel or after arrival.
4.d.  Per reference (d), SECNAV may waive ROM requirements for Marines, conducting official travel from or through a foreign country to the United States, on a case-by-case basis, with an appropriate risk assessment and mitigation measures.  Requests will be routed to SECNAV via DC PP&O (Marine Corps COVID Cell (MCCC)).
5.  Points of Contact.  Contact the POCs only after your command has been unable to assist you.
5.a.  DC MRA, Manpower Military Personnel Policy:  mpo@usmc.mil.
5.b.  DC MRA, Active Duty Military Manpower Management:  smb.manpower.mmib1@usmc.mil.
5.c.  DC MRA, Active Reserve and Selected Reserve Marines:  rap@usmc.mil and joinar@usmc.mil.
5.d.  DC MRA, Secretariat/Manpower Information:  dc.mra.secretariat.office@usmc.mil.
5.e.  DC MRA, Civilian Employees:  michelle.delmedico@usmc.mil; frances.burt@usmc.mil.
5.f.  DC IL:  frederick.hyden@usmc.mil; mark.a.edwards5@usmc.mil.
5.g.  DC PPO, Marine Corps COVID Cell (MCCC):  smb_hqmc_mccat@usmc.mil; mc.cat.ja.fct@usmc.mil.
6.  This MARADMIN applies to the Total Force.
7.  Release authorized by BGen A. T. Williamson, Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division.//