R 161351Z JUL 10
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 026/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/COMMAND-SPONSORED CORPORALS COURSE//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  OUR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS HAVE LONG BEEN KNOWN AS THE BACKBONE OF THE MARINE CORPS.  IT IS OUR DUTY TO ENSURE WE PROVIDE THESE MARINES EVERY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, YET THERE IS A GAP IN THE PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION CONTINUUM FOR OUR CORPORALS.
2.  THE MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY'S ENLISTED PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION BRANCH CREATED THE COMMAND-SPONSORED CORPORALS COURSE (CSCC) IN JUNE 2009; A 3-WEEK PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION TO BE GIVEN LOCALLY.  COMMANDERS MAY ADD SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS TO THE CURRICULA TO TAILOR THE INSTRUCTION TO MEET UNIT REQUIREMENTS.  THE COURSE PROVIDES CORPORALS THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO BE SUCCESSFUL SMALL UNIT LEADERS.  HOWEVER, OUR HIGH OPERATIONAL TEMPO MAKES ATTENDANCE DIFFICULT.
3.  TRAINING AND EDUCATION COMMAND IS CREATING A DISTANCE EDUCATION (I.E., NON-RESIDENT) VERSION OF THE CORPORALS COURSE, BUT IT WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE FIRST QUARTER OF FY2012.  ONCE AVAILABLE AND IMPLEMENTED, COMPLETION OF EITHER A COMMAND-SPONSORED OR NON-RESIDENT CORPORALS COURSE WILL BECOME A REQUIREMENT FOR PROMOTION TO SERGEANT.  AT THAT TIME, COMPOSITE SCORE BONUS POINTS WILL ALSO BE AWARDED FOR COMPLETION OF EITHER THE COMMAND-SPONSORED OR NON-RESIDENT COURSE - BUT NOT BOTH.
4.  THE NON-RESIDENT CORPORALS COURSE GIVES US AN ADDITIONAL TOOL TO EDUCATE THESE YOUNG LEADERS.  HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT REMOVE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE THEM FOR SUCCESS IN LEADING THEIR MARINES TODAY.  COMMANDERS MUST SEEK EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT THE COMMAND-SPONSORED CORPORALS COURSE.  LESSON PLANS, STUDENT HANDOUTS AND GUIDANCE TO CONDUCT A COURSE ARE LOCATED AT HTTPS:(SLASH SLASH)WWW.INTRANET.TECOM.USMC.MIL/SITES/EPME/CORPORALS/DEFAULT.ASPX.  A COMMON ACCESS CARD IS REQUIRED TO VIEW THE SITE.
5.  CORPORALS COURSE CADRES ARE BEING ESTABLISHED AT THE STAFF NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS ACADEMIES TO ASSIST COMMANDS IN THE EXECUTION OF THE COURSE.  BECAUSE OF THE SMALL SIZE OF THE CADRES, HOWEVER, THEY ARE ONLY ABLE TO SUPPORT COMMAND-SPONSORED COURSES CONDUCTED AT THE REGIMENT/GROUP LEVEL FOR ACTIVE DUTY UNITS, AND AT THE BATTALION/SQUADRON LEVEL FOR RESERVE UNITS.
6.  SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//