R 161928Z DEC 97 ZYB
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS //1000//
ALMAR 423/97
MSGID/GENADMIN/RAP//
SUBJ/FY98-FY03 RESERVE FORCE STRUCTURE-MANNING-REDUCTION
/REALIGNMENT//
REF/A/MSG/CMC/201330ZMAY97//
REF/B/DOC/-/01JUL95//
REF/C/DOC/-/01OCT97/NOTAL//
REF/D/DOC/-/15DEC97/NOTAL//
NARR/REF A IS ALMAR 169-97, QDR IMPLEMENTATION.  REF B IS CPG OF 01
JULY 1995.  REF C IS DMCS LTR ON CMC'S FORCE STRUCTURE IMPLEMENTATION
GUIDANCE.  REF D IS CMC DECISION PAPER ON RESERVE FORCE
STRUCTURE-MANNING REDUCTIONS-REALIGNMENT.//
RMKS/1.  PURPOSE.  TO SUMMARIZE FY98-FY03 RESERVE COMPONENT (RC)
FORCE STRUCTURE-MANNING REDUCTIONS-REALIGNMENT.
2.  BACKGROUND.  SUBSEQUENT TO THE QUADRENNIAL DEFENSE REVIEW (QDR)
DECISIONS ON FORCE STRUCTURE, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFS A AND B,
CMC
CHARTERED BOTH AN ACTIVE FORCE STRUCTURE REVIEW (AFSR) AND RESERVE
FORCE STRUCTURE REVIEW (RFSR).
   A.  THEIR MANDATE WAS TO DEFINE THE MOST EFFECTIVE, CAPABLE,
RELEVANT, AND REALISTICALLY ATTAINABLE FORCE STRUCTURE FOR THE TOTAL
FORCE MARINE CORPS.
   B.  REVIEWS WERE LINKED TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE TOTAL FORCE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE MARINE CORPS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.
   C.  THE COMPOSITION OF THE RFSR ENSURED A TOTAL FORCE PRODUCT.
CO-CHAIRED BY A RESERVE MAJGEN AND AN ACTIVE BGEN, THE GROUP WAS
COMPRISED OF 23 RC-AC EXPERTS FROM HQMC, MCCDC, MARFORPAC,
MARFORLANT, AND MARFORRES.  THE GROUP'S EXECUTIVE STEERING COUNCIL
(ESC) CONSISTED OF BOTH ACTIVE AND RESERVE GENERAL OFFICERS WHO
PROVIDED OVERSIGHT THROUGHOUT THE STUDY.
   D.  SUBSEQUENT REVIEW OF THE RFSR PROVIDED ADDITIONAL
RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROVIDE REQUIRED QDR SAVINGS.
   E.  AT THE MOST RECENT GENERAL OFFICER SYMPOSIUM (GOS) THE CORPS'
SENIOR LEADERSHIP ASSESSED AND VALIDATED THE RFSR'S RECOMMENDATIONS
(REF C).
   F.  THE TOUGH DECISIONS ON SPECIFIC RESERVE STRUCTURE-MANNING
REDUCTIONS, REALIGNMENTS, AND DEACTIVATIONS (REF D) REFLECT THE
RESULTANT EFFORT TO EXECUTE REQUIRED FORCE REDUCTION AND MAXIMIZE
THE WARFIGHTING "TOOTH" AND APPROPRIATE CUTS TO THE SUPPORTING
"TAIL."
3.  ACTION.  PER REF D, RESERVE FORCE STRUCTURE-MANNING REDUCTIONS,
REALIGNMENTS, AND DEACTIVATIONS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AS FOLLOWS:
   A.  INDIVIDUAL MOBILIZATION AUGMENTEES (IMA'S).
       (1) MARFORS AND CINCS WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT IMA MANNING
LEVELS.
       (2) IMA MANNING AT OTHER CMDS-STAFFS WILL BE REDUCED BY 695
MARINES NLT 30 SEP 99.  TO MEET THIS GOAL, 423 MANNED IMA BILLETS
WILL BE REDUCED TO ATTAIN AN IMA END STRENGTH OF 2057 NLT 30 SEP 98.
ANOTHER 272 MANNED BILLETS WILL BE REDUCED TO ATTAIN AN IMA END
STRENGTH OF 1795 NLT 30 SEP 99.
       (3) IMA MANNING WILL BE PROGRAMMED AT 1795 MARINES FROM
FY00-FY03.
       (4) CG, MCCDC, WORKING WITH COMMARFORRES AND DIR RA, WILL
CONDUCT A THOROUGH ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE APPROPRIATE IMA STRUCTURE
REDUCTION FOR IMPLEMENTATION NLT FY99.
       (5) TO ATTAIN THE IMA REDUCTIONS NOTED ABOVE, NEW IMA JOINS
AND TOUR EXTENSIONS WILL BE CAREFULLY CONTROLLED UNTIL DIRECTED IMA
DETACHMENT MANNING LEVELS ARE ACHIEVED.  FY98-99 IMA REDUCTIONS WILL
BE MET THROUGH END OF TOUR ATTRITION.
   B.  ACTIVE RESERVES (AR'S).
       (1) AR MANNING LEVELS WILL BE REDUCED BY 553 TO A TARGET
LEVEL OF 2006 NLT FY03.
       (2) SUPPORTING ESTABLISHMENT ACTIVITIES AND STAFFS WILL
ABSORB THE MAJORITY OF THESE REDUCTIONS.
   C.  SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE (SMCR) UNITS.
       (1) SMCR MANNING LEVELS WILL BE REDUCED BY 1434 TO A TARGET
LEVEL OF 32182 NLT FY03.
       (2) SMCR STRUCTURE (PRIMARILY UNMANNED) WILL BE REDUCED BY
5538 TO A TARGET LEVEL OF 34,325 NLT FY03.  WHEN REQUESTED,
COMMARFORRES WILL PROVIDE TABLE OF ORGANIZATION LEVEL DETAIL ON CMC
APPROVED STRUCTURE REDUCTIONS TO CG, MCCDC.
   D.  ACTIVE COMPONENT (AC) ASSIGNED TO MARFORRES.  MARFORRES AC
MANNING WILL BE REDUCED BY 169.
   E.  CIVILIANS (RESERVE FUNDED) ASSIGNED TO MARFORRES, HQMC
(RA), MCRSC, AND MCSA.  CIVILIAN LETTER OF ALLOWANCE WILL BE
REDUCED AS FOLLOWS:
       (1) MARFORRES:  8
       (2) HQMC (RA):  1
       (3) MCRSC:  11
       (4) MCSA:  2
   F.  CG, MCCDC WILL IMPLEMENT STRUCTURE AND AUTHORIZED MANNING
REDUCTIONS.
4.  COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS.
   A.  PROCESSES TO IMPLEMENT THESE ACTIONS WILL BE GUIDED BY THE
OVERARCHING THEME TO REGULATE ALL ACTIONS SO THEY DO NOT HURT OUR
MARINES.
   B.  SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON OUR
MARINES:
       (1) PURSUE UTILIZATION OF APPROPRIATE TRANSITION BENEFITS AS
REQUIRED, E.G., VSI, SSB, TERA, RISP, RSSP, ETC.
       (2) PROVIDE DISPLACED MARINES WHO DESIRE TO CONTINUE RESERVE
AFFILIATION WITH INFORMATION ON ALTERNATE OPPORTUNITIES, E.G., OTHER
SMCR UNITS, IMA, OR MTU DETS WITH BILLET VACANCIES, ASSOCIATE DUTY
PROVISIONS, MCI COURSES, ETC.
   C.  SPECIFIC COMMANDS AFFECTED BY IMA AND AR STAFFING REDUCTIONS
WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE BY DIR RA NLT 16 JAN 98.
5.  CONCLUSION.  WE'VE MADE SOME INITIAL, HARD DECISIONS TO BEGIN
SHAPING OUR TOTAL FORCE MARINE CORPS FOR THE NEXT CENTURY.  OUR
SUCCESS NOW REQUIRES YOUR FULL AND ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT
THESE ACTIONS AS WE ENGAGE THE CHALLENGES AHEAD.
6.  SEMPER FIDELIS,  C. C. KRULAK, GENERAL, U. S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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