R 291635Z OCT 01 ZYW
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS //N05312//
ALMAR 052/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/MP//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS DEPLOYMENT TEMPO (DEPTEMPO) POLICY GUIDANCE
AMPLIFICATION//
POC/MR KERRY CERNY/MPO/TEL/(703)784-9388/EMAIL/CERNYKA@MANPOWER.
USMC.MIL//
REF/A/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC/MP/111635Z JUN 2001//
AMPN/REF A IS ALMAR 026/01, MARINE CORPS DEPLOYMENT TEMPO
(DEPTEMPO) POLICY GUIDANCE.
RMKS/1. REF A PROVIDES INITIAL GUIDANCE ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT AND
MANAGE DEPTEMPO.
2. WHEN DEPTEMPO LEGISLATION WAS ENACTED, WE ALL REALIZED
THAT IT WOULD CAUSE SOME CHANGES TO THE WAY WE ORGANIZED, TRAINED
AND DEPLOYED MARINES. HOWEVER, IT HAS BECOME APPARENT THAT DEPTEMPO
MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES CONTAINED IN REF A HAVE CAUSED
COMMANDERS, IN SOME CASES, TO INITIATE ACTIONS TO AVOID PAYMENT OF
HIGH DEPLOYMENT PER DIEM (HDPD). THESE ACTIONS HAVE HAD TWO
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES:
A. THEY HAVE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED ORGANIZATIONAL STABILITY, UNIT AND
TEAM COHESION, MISSION ESSENTIAL TRAINING, AND NORMAL INDIVIDUAL
CAREER PROGRESSION.
B. THEY HAVE LIMITED DETERMINATION OF TRUE DEPTEMPO COSTS - IN TERMS
OF DEPTEMPO TIME AND FISCAL RESOURCES - BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT LET THE
TRUE COSTS PLAY OUT. IN TIME, THESE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES WILL
ADVERSELY INFLUENCE READINESS, WHICH WAS NOT THE INTENT OF CONGRESS.
3. THE FOLLOWING AMPLIFIES THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED IN ALMAR 026/01:
A. MISSION REQUIREMENTS TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER HDPD. READINESS,
STABILITY, AND UNIT COHESION SHOULD NOT BE SACRIFICED TO AVOID
PAYMENT OF HDPD. WHEN MARINES RATE TO BE PAID HDPD, HEADQUARTERS
MARINE CORPS - NOT COMMANDERS - WILL PROVIDE THE RESOURCES TO PAY THE
PER DIEM.
B. DEPTEMPO MANAGEMENT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO INTERFERE WITH A
MARINE'S CAREER. WHILE A MARINE'S DEPTEMPO COUNT WILL REMAIN ONE
OF MANY CONSIDERATIONS IN MAKING HIS/HER ASSIGNMENT, THE MARINE'S
CAREER PATH WILL NOT BE ALTERED IN ORDER TO AVOID PAYMENT OF HDPD.
ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE MADE BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE CORPS AND IN THE
BEST INTERESTS OF THE MARINE.
C. COMMANDERS WILL CONTINUE TO COMPLY WITH THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF
CONGRESS AND FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE IN ALMAR 026/01 AS IT PERTAINS TO
THE TRACKING AND MANAGEMENT OF DEPTEMPO. WHERE DEPTEMPO IS
EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY FOR MARINES, I EXPECT THAT COMMANDERS
WILL CONTINUE TO USE INITIATIVE, COMMON SENSE, AND LEADERSHIP
TO ELIMINATE IT.
D. COMMANDERS MAY REVIEW AND RESCIND THEIR PREVIOUS DECISIONS
DISAPPROVING MARINES TO EXCEED THE 400-DAY DEPTEMPO PENALTY LIMIT,
SUBJECT TO THE GUIDANCE ABOVE.
E. COMMANDERS ARE NOT TO APPROVE MARINES TO EXCEED THE MANAGEMENT
THRESHOLDS, OR ALLOW THEM TO CLOSELY APPROACH THE PENALTY THRESHOLD,
AND THEN DELIBERATELY PREVENT THE MARINES FROM EXCEEDING THE
PENALTY THRESHOLD SOLELY TO AVOID HDPD PAYMENTS. THIS WOULD BE
CONTRARY TO UNIT COHESION AND STABILITY AS WELL AS DETRIMENTAL TO
MORALE.
F. ENSURE THAT THE DEPTEMPO DATA ACCUMULATED BY OUR MARINES, EVEN
THOSE ASSIGNED EXTERNAL TO THE MARINE CORPS, IS ACCURATELY RECORDED.
COLLECTED DATA MUST ALSO BE ASSESSED AND ANALYZED TO ELIMINATE
UNNECESSARY DEPTEMPO AND TO ASSIST FUTURE HQMC JUSTIFICATION FOR
DEPTEMPO FUNDING OR LEGISLATIVE RELIEF.
4. AS A RESULT OF THE CURRENT CRISIS FACING OUR NATION, THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAS SUSPENDED THE FOLLOWING UNTIL FURTHER
NOTICE: (1) THE ACCUMULATION OF DEPTEMPO DAYS FOR PURPOSES OF
DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR HDPD, AND (2) THE REQUIREMENT FOR FLAG
AND GENERAL OFFICERS TO MANAGE THE DEPTEMPO OF CERTAIN MEMBERS.
HOWEVER, THE REQUIREMENT TO TRACK AND REPORT DEPTEMPO REMAINS IN
EFFECT TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE DATA FOR ANALYSIS AND FUTURE
DECISIONS. THIS SUSPENSION IS EFFECTIVE AS OF 8 OCT 01.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE SUSPENSION OF THE DEPTEMPO
REQUIREMENTS WILL BE PROMULGATED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE. THIS
SUSPENSION PROVIDES SOME DEPTEMPO RELIEF, BUT IT IS NOT A SIGNAL TO
ABANDON THE CONGRESSIONAL INTENT THAT WE KNOW, AND MANAGE, DEPTEMPO
FOR MARINES.
5. TO REITERATE, COMMANDERS WILL ENSURE THAT THEIR MARINES' DEPTEMPO
DATA IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE, AND UP-TO-DATE; WILL COMPLY NOT ONLY
WITH THE DEPTEMPO POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS, BUT ALSO THE INTENT,
TO REDUCE THE UNNECESSARY DEPTEMPO OF MARINES AND THEREBY INCREASE
THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND RETENTION; AND WILL NOT BREAK FAITH WITH
OUR MARINES TO AVOID HDPD PAYMENTS.
6. SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//
BT