R 272000Z FEB 23
MARADMIN 109/23
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA//
SUBJ/UPDATE TO MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT OF MARINE CORPS ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS//
REF/A/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 181130Z JAN 23//
REF/B/MSGID: DOC/SECDEF/YMD: 20230110//
REF/C/MSGID: DOC/SECNAV/YMD: 20230224//
REF/D/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 011400Z SEP 21//
REF/E/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 061806Z OCT 21//
REF/F/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 222100Z OCT 21//
REF/G/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 222015Z DEC 21//
REF/H/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 132100Z SEP 22//
REF/I/MSGID: DOC/SECDEF/YMD: 20210824//
REF/J/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20140614//
REF/K/MSGID: DOC/SECNAV/YMD: 20190328//
REF/L/MSGID: DOC/SECNAV/YMD: 20190415//
REF/M/MSGID: DOC/SECNAV/YMD: 20190627//
REF/N/MSGID: DOC/SECNAV/YMD: 19971119//
REF/O/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20210826//
REF/P/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20190215//
NARR/REF A IS MARADMIN 025/23, RESCISSION OF COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT. REF B IS OSD MEMO, RESCISSION OF 24 AUG 2021 CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT. REF C IS SECNAV MEMO, DEPARTMENT OF NAVY ACTIONS TO IMPLEMENT CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 VACCINE RESCISSION. REF D IS MARADMIN 462/21, MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION OF MARINE CORPS ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS. REF E IS MARDADMIN 533/21, SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE TO MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION OF MARINE CORPS ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS. REF F IS MARADMIN 612/21, SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE (2) TO MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION OF MARINE CORPS ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS. REF G IS MARADMIN 733/21, CHANGE 1 TO SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE (2) TO MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION OF MARINE CORPS ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS. REF H IS MARADMIN 464/21, INTERIM GUIDANCE REGARDING MARINES REQUESTING RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION FROM COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS. REF I IS OSD MEMO, MANDATORY CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 VACCINATION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SERVICE MEMBERS. REF J IS MCO P1400.32D W/CH 1-2, MARINE CORPS PROMOTION MANUAL, VOLUME 2, ENLISTED PROMOTIONS. REF K IS SECNAVINST 1420.3, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY COMMISSIONED OFFICER PROMOTION PROGRAM. REF L IS SECNAVINST 1412.6M, PROMOTION OF OFFICERS TO THE GRADE OF LIEUTENANT (JUNIOR GRADE) IN THE NAVY AND TO THE GRADE OF FIRST LIEUTENANT IN THE MARINE CORPS. REF M IS SECNAVINST 1412.11, MARINE CORPS WARRANT OFFICER PROMOTION AND CONTINUATION AND LIMITED DUTY OFFICER CONTINUATION PROCEDURES. REF N IS SECNAVINST 5420.193, BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF NAVAL RECORDS. REF O IS MCO 5800.16, LEGAL SUPPORT AND ADMINISTRATION MANUAL. REF P IS MCO 1900.16 W/CH 2, MARINE CORPS SEPARATIONS MANUAL.//
POC/MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS/HQMC/M&RA/SECRETARIAT/-/EMAIL: DC.MRA.SECRETARIAT.OFFICE@USMC.MIL//
POC/MARINE CORPS COVID-19 CELL/HQMC/PP&O/MCCC/TEL: 703-571-1054/EMAIL: SMB_HQMC_MCCAT@USMC.MIL//
POC/JUDGE ADVOCATE DIVISION/HQMC/MILITARY PERSONNEL LAW BRANCH/TEL: 703-693-8404/EMAIL: JPL@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This MARADMIN supplements reference (a) and provides implementing guidance related to rescission of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
2. Background. On 10 January 2023, the Secretary of Defense rescinded the requirement that members of the armed forces be vaccinated against COVID-19. Per ref (c), SECNAV issued additional guidance with required administrative actions.
3. Execution. Pursuant to references (a), (b), and (c), the Marine Corps will no longer require Marines to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a matter of service policy.
3.a. Religious Accommodation Requests
3.a.1. All pending requests for religious accommodation solely for the COVID-19 vaccine, or appeals of denials of such requests, will be closed without action.
3.a.2. All pending requests for religious accommodation for the COVID-19 vaccine and another mandatory vaccine, or appeals of denials of such requests, will be returned to the requestor with the option to (1) withdraw the request or appeal, (2) provide additional information for consideration, or (3) continue processing as originally submitted.
3.b. Separations
3.b.1. Separation authorities for enlisted administrative separations will terminate cases for Marines who submitted a request for an administrative exemption, medical exemption, or religious accommodation with a memorandum for the record added to the Command Legal Action (CLA) module in Marine Online (MOL), citing this MARADMIN as authority. Adverse material related to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement shall not be included in the Marine’s official military personnel file (OMPF). Adverse material includes, but is not limited to, formal counseling entries for refusing the vaccine, entries related to administrative processing, promotion restriction or delay for refusing the vaccine, adverse fitness report remarks related to vaccine refusal, and memorandum terminating administrative separation proceedings. A copy of the memorandum shall be provided to the Marine.
3.b.2. For officers who submitted a request for an administrative exemption, medical exemption, or religious accommodation, HQMC (JPL) will close the Officer Disciplinary Notebook (ODN) cases and notify the officers the cases are closed. Adverse material will not be placed in officers’ OMPFs.
3.b.2.a. Manpower Management (MM), in coordination with HQMC (JPL), will identify officers who have been held past their end of active service (EAS) date and establish new EAS dates as soon as practicable, if no other reason for personnel hold exists (i.e., other misconduct or substandard performance).
3.b.3. Marines who are otherwise eligible may request voluntary retirement or resignation. Active Component Marines may also request transition into the Reserve Component.
3.c. Promotion
3.c.1. For enlisted Marines (sergeants and below) placed in promotion restriction and who submitted a request for an administrative exemption, medical exemption, or religious accommodation, commanders shall remove the “not recommended” for promotion from the MOL Junior Enlisted Performance Evaluation System (JEPES) module and/or Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS). If the Marine is otherwise qualified for promotion, commanders shall submit a remedial promotion request to CMC (MMPR-2). Send requests to enlistedpromotions@usmc.mil with the subject line “remedial promotion request due to cancellation COVID-19 vaccine requirement.”
3.c.2. Staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) whose promotion has been delayed may be eligible for delivery of promotion by following the procedures in reference (j). Commands will submit requests for delivery of promotion and include endorsements through the first general officer in the Marine’s chain of command stating (1) whether the sole reason for the promotion delay was because the Marine refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, (2) whether the Marine submitted a request for an administrative exemption, medical exemption, or religious accommodation, and (3) whether the Marine remains fully qualified for promotion.
3.c.3. Officers whose promotions were delayed or withheld related to the COVID-19 vaccine will be notified by HQMC (JPL) of their opportunity to submit matters through the chain of command stating (1) whether the sole reason for the promotion delay was because the Marine refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, (2) whether the Marine submitted a request for an administrative exemption, medical exemption, or religious accommodation, and (3) whether the Marine remains fully qualified for promotion. References (k) through (m) govern officer promotion processes.
3.d. Retention
3.d.1. Enlisted Marines who submitted a request for an administrative exemption, medical exemption, or religious accommodation are no longer restricted to a 12-month extension.
3.d.2. Officers who have not had the opportunity to screen for career designation may request to have a new EAS date established to provide the officer the opportunity to screen on the next officer retention board.
3.e. Assignments
3.e.1. Marines may execute permanent change of station (PCS) and permanent change of assignment (PCA) orders, other official travel, and transfer between Reserve Component categories.
3.e.2. Marines screened by a Marine Corps non-statutory assignment board (i.e., command screening, education selection, etc.) and selected for assignment but not able to execute PCS or PCA orders, may screen on future assignment boards as long as the Marine meets all eligibility requirements for the board.
3.f. Record Administration
3.f.1. DC M&RA will direct an audit to search for adverse information in the OMPFs of all currently serving members who requested religious accommodations to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Adverse matters will be removed as necessary.
3.f.2. Marines who submitted requests for a medical or administrative exemption may submit written requests to DC M&RA, through their chain of command, requesting removal of adverse material from their OMPF.
3.f.3. Separated Marines may petition the Board for Corrections of Naval Records to request removal of adverse matters.
3.f.4. Command Individual Risk and Resiliency Assessment System (CIRRAS). Commands shall remove CIRRAS entries for Marines if related solely to the COVID-19 vaccine.
3.g. Reaccessions
3.g.1. Separated Marines who meet all other eligibility requirements may submit a request through a Prior Service Recruiter (PSR) to affiliate with the Reserve Component or an Active Component recruiter to access with the Active Component in accordance with the references.
3.g.2. Prior service applicants who were separated with a reenlistment (RE) code preventing reaccession due to COVID-19 vaccine refusal, and requesting reaccession into the Reserve or Active Component, must provide documentation that the RE code was issued solely for COVID-19.
4. This MARADMIN is applicable to the Marine Corps Total Force.
5. This MARADMIN remains in effect until canceled.
6. Release authorized by Lieutenant General J. F. Glynn, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.//