R 031430Z SEP 02
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR(n)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 045/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/TECOM//
SUBJ/TRAINING ASSESSMENT//
REF/A/DOC/MCO 3501.1C/-//
REF/B/DOC/MCRP 3-0A/-//
REF/C/DOC/MCO 1553.3A/-//
REF/D/DOC/MCO P3000.13D/-//
NARR/REF A IS THE MARINE CORPS COMBAT READINESS EVALUATION SYSTEM
DIRECTIVE; REF B IS THE MARINE CORPS UNIT TRAINING MANAGEMENT GUIDE;
REF C IS THE UNIT TRAINING MANAGEMENT DIRECTIVE; REF D IS THE MARINE
CORPS STATUS OF TRAINING AND RESOURCES SOP.//
POC/C. A. TUCKER/LTCOL/AC/-/-/TEL:DSN 278-4004//
RMKS/1.  AS MARINES, WE ARE PROUD OF OUR COMMITMENT TO "FIGHT AS WE
TRAIN." HOWEVER, TODAY'S COMMANDERS MUST DEAL WITH NUMEROUS,
COMPETING REQUIREMENTS, AND SOMETIMES COMMANDERS HAVE NO CHOICE BUT
TO FOREGO CERTAIN DESIRED TRAINING ACTIVITIES IN DEFERENCE TO OTHER
DEMANDS.  DUE TO CURRENT LEVELS OF OPTEMPO AND PERSTEMPO, WE MUST
ORIENT ON MISSION ESSENTIAL TASKS (METS) THAT ENSURE COMBAT
READINESS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF CONFLICT.  MOREOVER, WE MUST
EMBRACE THOSE TOOLS THAT WILL ASSIST IN TRAINING AND TIME
MANAGEMENT, ENSURING THAT WE ACHIEVE THE STANDARD OF READINESS THAT
OUR NATION EXPECTS.
2.  I UNDERSTAND COMMANDERS' FRUSTRATIONS OVER THE LIMITED
AVAILABILITY OF TRAINING TIME.  THAT IS ONE REASON WHY WE STOOD UP
TRAINING AND EDUCATION COMAND (TECOM).  AMONG OTHER TASKS, I
DIRECTED TECOM TO BUILD AN APPARATUS TO ENSURE THAT WE TRAIN TO
STANDARDS THAT ENABLE US TO FIGHT AS WE TRAIN.  TO THAT END, TECOM
HAS BEEN BUILDING A STANDARDS-BASED SYSTEM TO PROVIDE COMMANDERS
WITH THE TOOLS TO PLAN AND CONDUCT TRAINING, TO ASSESS TRAINING
EFFECTIVNESS, AND TO EVALUATE UNIT READINESS.  AS IT WILL TAKE TIME
TO COMPLETE THIS EFFORT, WE WILL TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO ESTABLISH A
RESONSIVE UNIT ASSESSMENT CAPABILITY.
3. THE MCCRES HAS SERVED AS OUR PRIMARY TRAINING ASSESSMENT VEHICLE.
HOWEVER, THE MCCRES DOES NOT PROVIDE A COMMANDER WITH THE ABILITY TO
CONDUCT AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF A UNIT'S STRENGTH AND DEFICIENCIES;
NOR DOES THE MCCRES PROVIDE A COMMANDER WITH THE ABILITY TO
CONTINUOUSLY ASSESS THE PROGRESS OF HIS TRAINING PROGRAM.  AS THE
MARINE CORPS TRANSITIONS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAINING AND
READINESS MANUAL (T&R) AS THE FOUNDATION FOR UNIT TRAINING, THE
CURRENT MCCRES WILL TRANSITION FROM A DOCUMENT-BASED ASSESSMENT OF
TRAINING TO A CONTINUOUS MET-BASED ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING.  AS
STATED IN THE UNIT TRAINING MANAGEMENT GUIDE, REF B, TRAINING FOCUS
AND PRIORITY FOR MARINE CORPS UNITS WILL BE BASED ON UNIT MET.  AS
THE T&R MANUALS MATURE, A COMMANDER'S INITIAL AND ONGOING TRAINING
ASSESSMENT WILL BE FRAMED BY HIS ASSESSMENT OF UNIT PROFICIENCY IN
THOSE COLLECTIVE TASKS DERIVED FROM AN ANALYSIS OF THE UNIT MET AND
DEFINED BY THE TASKS, CONDITIONS, AND STANDARDS ARTICULATED IN THE
T&R MANUALS.
4. OUR INTENT IS TO BEGIN THE TRANSITION TO A CONTINUOUS MET-BASED
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING BY DEFINING A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT FOR
COMMANDER'S TO REVIEW AND DEFINE UNIT METLS, TO CONDUCT AN INITIAL
ASSESSMENT OF A UNIT'S MET PROFICIENCY, TO DEVELOP A TRAINING PLAN
TO ACHIEVE PROFICIENCY IN ALL METS, AND TO CONDUCT CONTINUOUS
ASSESSMENTS OF UNIT PROGRESS TOWARD MET PROFICIENCY.  IN
ACCOMPLISHING THAT GOAL, THE UNIT TRAINING MANAGEMENT GUIDE, REF B,
PROVIDES COMMANDERS WITH THE APPROPRIATE METHODOLOGY TO CONDUCT
ASSESSMENTS OF THE MISSION ESSENTIAL TASKS (METS) THEIR UNITS MUST
MASTER TO BE EFFECTIVE ACROSS THE OPERATIONAL CONTINUUM.  
SPECIFICALLY, CHAPTER 5 AND ANNEX B OF REF B PROVIDE APPROPRIATE
GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING A UNIT'S MISSION ESSENTIAL
TASK LIST (METL).
5.  GUIDANCE TO COMMANDERS.  THIS DIRECTIVE IS APPLICABLE T0 ALL
ECHELONS OF COMMAND.  EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE TAKE THE
FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
A. WITHIN 45 DAYS OF ASSUMING COMMAND, REVIEW, UPDATE AND
SUBMIT THE UNIT'S METL TO YOUR NEXT HHQ FOR APPROVAL.
B. WITHIN 90 DAYS, CONDUCT AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT OF YOUR
UNIT'S ABILITY TO EXECUTE EACH MET AND PREPARE A DEFINITIVE PLAN OF
ATTACK TO ACHIEVE MET PROFICIENCY.
C. AT YOUR DISCRETION, CONDUCT ONGOING TRAINING ASSESSMENTS AT
APPROPRIATE POINTS IN YOUR UNIT'S TRAINING LIFECYCLE.  MET
ASSESSMENTS SHALL BE CONTINUOUS.
D. COMMANDERS MUST STRIVE TO PROVIDE SUBORDINATE UNITS THE
TRAINING TIME AND RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH THE ACTIONS LISTED ABOVE.
6.  OUR TRAINING ASSESSMENT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND
IMPROVE.  AS IT EVOLVES, APPROPRIATE TRAINING AND READINESS
DIRECTIVES, SUCH AS REFERENCES C AND D, WILL BE UPDATED TO
INCORPORATE THE METHODOLOGIES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE OUR CURRENT AND
FUTURE TRAINING READINESS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS.
7.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//