R 211030Z JUL 05
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL ALMAR(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 035/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/POLICY ON PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) REQUIREMENTS FOR
/FY06 USMC AND USMCR SNCO SELECTION BOARDS AND MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS//
REF/A/MSG/CMC/142020ZMAY2004//
REF/B/MSG/CMC/291500ZJUN2004//
REF/C/DOC/MCCDC/20DEC1999//
REF/D/DOC/CMC/YMD:19990310//
REF/E/DOC/CMC/YMD:20001030//
NARR/REF A IS ALMAR026/04, POLICY ON PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION
(PME)  FOR  PROMOTION SELECTION BOARDS DURING PERIOD OF INCREASED
DEPLOYMENT TEMPO.  REF B IS ALMAR 053-04, POLICY ON PROFESSIONAL
MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) FOR FY05 USMC AND USMCR SNCO SELECTION
BOARDS AND MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS.  REF C IS MCO P1553.4A,
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME).  REF D IS MCO P1610.7E,
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEM (PES).  REF E IS MCO P1400.32C,
ENLISTED PROMOTION MANUAL//
POC/J. A. MCLAUGHLIN/MAJ/HD MMPR-2/-/TEL:DSN 278-9710
/EMAIL:JAMES.MCLAUGHLIN@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  BACKGROUND.  REF A ANNOUNCED THE DECISION TO
WAIVE THE PME REQUIREMENT FOR SELECTION TO GYSGT AND SSGT BY THE
FY04 GYSGT SELECTION BOARD AND FY04 SSGT SELECTION BOARD.  REF B
ANNOUNCED THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH THE PME WAIVER FOR ALL FY05
USMC AND USMCR SNCO SELECTION BOARDS.  THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE
BASED ON THE IMPACT OF THE MARINE CORPS' CURRENT HIGH DEPLOYMENT
TEMPO ON THE ABILITY OF MARINES TO COMPLETE THEIR REQUIRED PME.
2.  PME REQUIREMENT POLICY ON SNCO PROMOTIONS.
A.  USMC AND USMCR SNCO SELECTION BOARDS.  BECAUSE THE CURRENT HIGH
DEPLOYMENT TEMPO FOR MARINE UNITS AND INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEES WILL
LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THE WAIVER OF THE PME
REQUIREMENT FOR SELECTION TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE IS EXTENDED FOR
ALL FY06 USMC AND USMCR SNCO SELECTION BOARDS.  WHILE THESE
SELECTION BOARDS WILL STILL CONSIDER PME AS ONE OF THE MANY FACTORS
IN A MARINE'S RECORD TO DETERMINE THE BEST QUALIFIED FOR PROMOTION,
COMPLETION OF PME WILL NOT BE A REQUIREMENT FOR SELECTION.
(1) THIS TEMPORARY WAIVER OF PME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FY06 USMC AND
USMCR SNCO SELECTION BOARDS DOES NOT CHANGE EITHER THE PME BY GRADE
REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN REF C OR THE PME REPORTING REQUIREMENT SET
FORTH IN REF D.  ALL MARINES ELIGIBLE FOR PROMOTION CONSIDERATION
SHOULD CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY TO COMPLETE
THE PME REQUIREMENTS FOR THEIR GRADE.  HQMC INTENDS TO REINSTATE THE
PME REQUIREMENTS FOR SNCO SELECTION WHEN THE DEPLOYMENT TEMPO FOR
THE MARINE CORPS RETURNS TO A MORE NORMAL LEVEL.
(2) THIS WAIVER OF PME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FY06 USMC AND USMCR SNCO
SELECTION BOARDS IS NOT RETROACTIVE FOR PREVIOUS SNCO PROMOTION
SELECTION BOARDS AND CANNOT BE USED AS A BASIS FOR REQUESTING
REMEDIAL CONSIDERATION FOR PROMOTION FOR PREVIOUS BOARDS.
(3) ENLISTED MARINES SELECTED FOR PROMOTION WHO ARE NOT PME COMPLETE
AT THE TIME OF THEIR SELECTION WILL STILL BE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE
THE REQUIRED PME FOR BOTH THEIR PRIOR GRADE AND THEIR NEW SELECT
GRADE PRIOR TO THEIR NEXT PROMOTION SELECTION BOARD.  FAILURE TO DO
SO MAY ADVERSELY IMPACT FUTURE PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES.  THE
EXCEPTION IS THAT A GYSGT SELECTED FOR FIRST SERGEANT WHO HAD NOT
ATTENDED THE SNCO ADVANCED RESIDENT COURSE WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO
ATTEND THAT COURSE AS A FIRST SERGEANT.
(4) ENLISTED MARINES ELIGIBLE FOR PROMOTION CONSIDERATION ARE
REMINDED THAT THEY MAY SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THEIR
RESPECTIVE SELECTION BOARD TO CLARIFY ANY PORTIONS OF THEIR MILITARY
RECORD TO INCLUDE THE IMPACT OF INCREASED OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS ON
PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETING THEIR PME.
B.  MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS.  THIS PME WAIVER IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL
MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS DURING FY06 UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF PARA 4100
OF REF E.
3.  ACTION.  COMMANDERS ARE DIRECTED TO DISSEMINATE THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THIS ALMAR TO ALL MARINES UNDER THEIR COGNIZANCE.
4.  A DECISION ON PME POLICY FOR FY07 USMC AND USMCR SNCO SELECTION
BOARDS WILL BE MADE DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF FY06.
5.  SEMPER FIDELIS.  M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//