R 051000Z MAY 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
TO AL ALMAR(uc)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLASSIFIED
ALMAR 028/03(CORRECTED COPY)
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC PPO//
SUBJ/CORRECTED COPY: CMC POLICY ON NON-AVIATOR TERMINAL CONTROL
OF CLOSE AIR SUPPORT//
POC/LOCKARD TM/COL/HQMC PPO POG/TEL 703-692-4288 DSN
222/EMAIL:LOCKARDTM@HQMC.USMC.MIL//
KLEINSMITH DR/LTCOL/HQMC PPO POG/TEL 703-69204303 DSN 222/EMAIL:
KLEINSMITHDR@HQMC.USMC.MIL//
RMKS/1.  THIS IS A POLICY MEMORANDUM.  READ IN ITS ENTIRETY.
2.  HISTORICALLY, MARINE CORPS OPERATING FORCES HAVE NOT HAD
ENOUGH FORWARD AIR CONTROLLERS TO MEET THEIR OPERATIONAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANY-SIZED MANEUVER ELEMENTS, RECONNAISSANCE
ELEMENTS AND MARINE LIAISON ELEMENTS/ANGLICO.  AS THE GEOMETRY
OF THE MODERN BATTLEFIELD HAS INCREASED IN SIZE, COMPLEXITY AND
OPERATIONAL TEMPO, THE GCE'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE TERMINAL CONTROL
COVERAGE TO MANEUVER UNITS THROUGHOUT THE BATTLE SPACE HAS
BECOME AN OPERATIONAL LIMITATION DUE TO THE FINITE NUMBERS OF
QUALIFIED FACS.  AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, OUR CURRENT POLICY
RESTRICTS NON-AVIATORS FROM TERMINALLY CONTROLLING CLOSE AIR
SUPPORT (CAS) EVEN IF THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE REQUISITE TRAINING
AND MET OTHER SPECIFIC CRITERIA.  EVEN THEN, THEY CAN ONLY
CONTROL CAS IN A COMBAT SITUATION.
3.  THIS POLICY MEMORANDUM ALLOWS SELECTED GROUND COMBAT ARMS
OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MARINES, WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A
REQUISITE TRAINING PROGRAM, TO BE DESIGNATED AS JOINT TERMINAL
ATTACK CONTROLLERS.  A JOINT TERMINAL ATTACK CONTROLLER WILL BE
AUTHORIZED TO CONTROL CAS IN BOTH TRAINING AND OPERATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTS.  ADDITIONALLY, THIS POLICY MEMORANDUM ALSO ALLOWS
OTHER SELECTED GROUND COMBAT ARMS OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MARINES,
WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A SEPARATE REQUISITE TRAINING
PROGRAM, TO BE DESIGNATED AS UNIVERSAL GROUND SPOTTERS.  
UNIVERSAL GROUND SPOTTERS WILL BE AUTHORIZED TO TERMINALLY
CONTROL AIR DELIVERED FIRES, IN BOTH TRAINING AND OPERATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTS.  UPON COMPLETION OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM, THERE
WILL BE NO RESTRICTIONS ON CAS AND TERMINAL CONTROL OF AIR
DELIVERED FIRES TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES SOLELY BASED ON
NON-AVIATOR STATUS.
4.  THIS POLICY CHANGE FURTHER DIRECTS THAT THE JOINT TERMINAL
ATTACK CONTROLLER AND UNIVERSAL GROUND SPOTTER CAPABILITY WITHIN
A UNIT WILL BE ADDITIVE AND WILL NOT CHANGE THE CURRENT POLICY
WRT ASSIGNMENT OF NAVAL AVIATORS/NAVAL FLIGHT OFFICER FORWARD
AIR CONTROLLERS AND AIR OFFICERS TO ANY UNIT IN THE MAGTF.
5.  TO MEET MY INTENT, CG, MCCDC WILL DETERMINE THE PREREQUISITE
QUALIFICATIONS AND THE REQUIRED TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SPECIFIC
BILLETS AND MOS'S.  DC, AVN, WILL DETERMINE AVIATION'S ABILITY
TO SUPPORT ANY INCREASED SORTIE REQUIREMENTS TO SUPPORT THE
TRAINING.  DC, PP&O WILL DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF JOINT TERMINAL
ATTACK CONTROLLERS AND UNIVERSAL GROUND SPOTTERS REQUIRED AND
THE GCE'S ABILITY TO SUPPORT INCREASES IN NON-COMBAT EXPENDITURE
ALLOWANCE FOR FIRE SUPPORT.
6.  SEMPER FIDELIS, MICHAEL W. HAGEE, GENERAL, COMMANDANT OF THE
MARINE CORPS.//