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FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
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UNCLAS//N01040//
ALMAR 034/00
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC//
SUBJ/FY01 ENLISTED RETENTION CAMPAIGN PLAN//
REF/A/ALMAR 23/99/REF B/MARADMIN/329/00/REF C/MARADMIN/262/00//
NARR/REF A IS THE COMMANDANT'S PLANNING GUIDANCE.  REF B PROVIDES
EXECUTION GUIDELINES FOR THE FY01 FTAP.  REF C DETAILS THE
LIKELIHOOD OF FY01 A ZONE SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUSES.//
RMKS/1.  MARINES, THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES AS WE ENTER FISCAL YEAR
2001 (FY01).  NONE ARE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN THE RETENTION OF OUR
ENLISTED MARINES.  WE MUST BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN EVERY MEASURE IS
TAKEN TO KEEP OUR FINEST.  ALTHOUGH WE HAVE ENJOYED RECENT SUCCESS
IN MEETING END STRENGTH, THE BATTLE TO ACCOMPLISH RETENTION GOALS
CONTINUES.  IN FY01, EVERY LEADER MUST BECOME PERSONALLY INVOLVED
WITH NURTURING THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS OF JUNIOR
MARINES.
2.  THE FY01 FIRST TERM ALLIGNMENT PLAN (FTAP) REQUIRES THE MARINE
CORPS TO REENLIST 6,056 MARINES FROM A FY01 FTAP POPULATION OF
APPROXIMATELY 27,000.  THIS TARGET IS COMPARABLE TO THE FY00 FTAP
GOAL AND ONE WE WILL ACHIEVE THROUGH CONSCIENTIOUS EFFORT.  AT THE
SAME TIME, WE MUST ALSO BE MINDFUL OF RETAINING OUR CAREER MARINES.
AS AMPLIFIED IN REF A, KEEPING TRAINED AND QUALIFIED MARINES ON
ACTIVE DUTY STRENGTHENS THE CORPS AND ULTIMATELY PREVENTS ADDITIONAL
INCREASES IN OUT-YEAR FTAP GOALS.
3.  TO KICK OFF FY01, REF B PERMITTED FY01 FIRST TERM MARINES TO
SUBMIT FOR REENLISTMENT AS OF 1 JULY 2000 TO RECEIVE APPROVAL FOR
REENLISTMENT ON 1 OCTOBER 2000.  EACH MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMAND (MSC)
(MARFORPAC, MARFORLANT, MCCDC, MCRC, MATCOM, T&E AND MARFORRES) WILL
BE GIVEN A SPECIFIC MISSION.  RECOMMENDED MISSIONS DOWN TO THE
DIVISION, WING, FSSG, AND BASE LEVEL MAY BE USED AT THE MSC
COMMANDING GENERAL'S DISCRETION.  TO HELP FACILITATE THIS RETENTION
PURSUIT, MANPOWER PERSONNEL (MMEA-6) ARE STANDING BY TO EXECUTE
RETENTION ASSIST VISITS UPON REQUEST.
4.  IN ADDITION TO THE MANY LOCAL INITIATIVES IN PLACE, ALL INVOLVED
SHOULD BE COGNIZANT OF SUCH SUPPLEMENTAL RETENTION TOOLS AS:
-SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS PROGRAM (SRBP) FOR MARINES IN A
CRITICAL MOS, IAW REF C (EXACT MULTIPLES FOR EACH ZONE TO BE
PUBLISHED IN SEPCOR).
-INCREASE OF THE ZONE B AND C SRB CAPS (UP TO $35,000 FROM $20,000).
-LUMP SUM SRB (RECEIVE FULL PAYMENT VICE INSTALLMENTS).
-MARINES WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A FULL FOUR-YEAR SRB
COMPUTATION.
-DUTY STATION PREFERENCES FOR FIRST TERM MARINES.
-THE LATERAL MOVE BONUS PROGRAM FOR MARINES TO MOVE INTO A MOS THAT
REQUIRES SCHOOL TRAINING (I.E. 02XX).
-THE COMPLEMENTARY LATERAL MOVE BONUS PROGRAM FOR MARINES IN A
CLOSED MOS TO QUALIFY THROUGH OJT FOR AN OPEN MOS AND RECEIVE A
BONUS IF OFFERED.
-THE LATERAL MOVE PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN MARINES TO MOVE INTO ANOTHER
CAREER FIELD BEGINNING IN THE SECOND QUARTER FY01.
-INCENTIVE SCHOOL SEATS FOR SOME MARINES WHO REENLIST (I.E. JUMP
SCHOOL).
5.  THESE TOOLS ARE USEFUL BUT PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE PERSONAL
ATTENTION OFFERED TO OUR JUNIOR MARINES BY THEIR LEADERS.  POSITIVE
LEADERSHIP, ONE ON ONE WHEN POSSIBLE, PAYS THE GREATEST DIVIDENDS.
TO THIS END, EVERY COMMAND IS DIRECTED TO CONDUCT A TWO-DAY
RETENTION STAND DOWN DURING FY01.  UNIT INITIATIVES INTRODUCED
DURING THE FY00 STAND DOWN WERE TREMEMDOUSLY EFFECTIVE.  A FEW
EXAMPLES INCLUDED CAREER DAYS, SPECIAL LIBERTY IN CONJUNCTION WITH A
REENLISTMENT CEREMONY, MARINE CORPS COMMUNITY SERVICE BRIEFS, AND
ON-THE-SPOT REENLISTMENTS.  SUCH ENDEAVORS, AND MANY MORE, BROUGHT
OUR RETENTION GOALS WITHIN REACH.  WE NEED THE SAME EFFORTS APPLIED
DURING YOUR FY01 RETENTION STAND DOWN.
6.  OUR CAREER PLANNING FORCE IS STRONGER THAN EVER.  IT IS
IMPERATIVE WE MAXIMIZE USE OF THIS CAPABILITY.  CAREER PLANNERS
ARE FORCE MULTIPLIERS AND ARE ON HAND TO HELP THE COMMANDER ESPOUSE
THE LATEST MARINE CORPS POLICY WHILE REENLISTING OUR BEST AND
BRIGHTEST.  THE CAREER PLANNER TODAY IS WELL EQUIPPED TO SUPPORT
CURRENT AND FUTURE RETENTION CONCERNS.  I HAVE ALSO INSTITUTED
MEASURES TO CONTINUALLY EDUCATE AND FORTIFY OUR CAREER PLANNING
FORCE.
7.  WITH AN EYE TOWARDS LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS, WE HAVE CHARTERED AN
ENLISTED RETENTION TASK FORCE (ERTF) TO EXAMINE RETENTION MATTERS
NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.  KEEP THE GOOD IDEAS COMING.  THE ERTF IS
LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING MANY NEW INITIATIVES SUCH
AS UNIFORM INCENTIVES (A MARINE WOULD RECEIVE A UNIFORM ITEM WITH
EACH REENLISTMENT) AND REGULAR REENLISTMENT BONUSES (A BONUS FOR ALL
MARINES WHO REENLIST).
8.  YOUR PROACTIVE ENERGY IN THE AREA OF RETENTION HAS BEEN SUPERB
AND HAS KEPT OUR CORPS STRONG AND BALANCED.  ALTHOUGH AN ARDUOUS
ACHIEVEMENT, OUR RETENTION NUMBERS AND CURRENT TRENDS REFLECT SOLID
PROSPECTS.  KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.  STAY IN THE FIGHT AND STAY
MARINE.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, COMMANDANT OF THE
MARINE CORPS.//
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