R 091730Z NOV 04
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
TO AL ALMAR(uc)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 064/04
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/FY04 RETENTION GOALS MET//
POC/M.J. MENOTTI/MAJ/MMEA-6/-/TEL:(703) 784-9420/-//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  MARINES, WELL DONE ON ACHIEVING THE MARINE
CORPS' FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2004 FIRST TERM ALIGNMENT PLAN (FTAP) AND
SUBSEQUENT TERM ALIGNMENT PLAN (STAP) REENLISTMENT GOALS.  OUR
RETENTION SUCCESS IS IN NO SMALL MEASURE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE HARD
WORK BY ALL MARINE LEADERS--NCOS, SNCOS, AND OFFICERS ALIKE.  YOUR
PERSONAL INTEREST AND SUPERB LEADERSHIP HAVE ENHANCED THE FUTURE OF
OUR ENLISTED CAREER FORCE.  THE MARINE CORPS BENEFITS FROM THE TIME
AND EFFORT YOU HAVE DEVOTED IN MAKING RETENTION A PRIORITY.  
2.  YOUR EFFORTS EXCEEDED THIS YEAR'S FTAP REENLISTMENT GOAL OF
5,974 BOATSPACES BY REENLISTING 6,019 FIRST TERM MARINES (100.8
PERCENT) WITH A CORRESPONDING 97.7 PERCENT MOS MATCH.  THIS
ACHIEVEMENT ENSURES THE MARINE CORPS IS RETAINING THE RIGHT MARINES
WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS.  ADDITIONALLY, YOU SURPASSED THE STAP
GOAL OF 5,628 BOATSPACES AND REENLISTED 7,729 CAREER MARINES (137.3
PERCENT) WITH A 96.6 PERCENT MOS MATCH.  RETAINING THESE CAREER
MARINES ENTERING THEIR SECOND AND THIRD ENLISTMENTS ENSURES
CONTINUITY FOR OUR ENLISTED FORCE AND PROVIDES THE CORPS WITH
SEASONED, MATURE LEADERSHIP.  
3.  AS WE BEGIN TO EXECUTE FY05 RETENTION GOALS, I CHALLENGE YOU
TO FOCUS ON ACHIEVING THESE GOALS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.  CONTINUE TO
ENCOURAGE OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO "STAY MARINE" ENSURING OUR PROUD
LEGACY CONTINUES.  MOREOVER, WE SHOULD BROADEN OUR RETENTION
CAMPAIGN TO INVOLVE SPOUSES AND FAMILIES; THEIR CONTINUING SUPPORT
IS IMPORTANT AND THEY SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE CAREER DECISIONS
THEIR MARINES MAKE.
4.  I EXTEND MY BEST TO EVERYONE AS WE BEGIN EXECUTING THE FY05
FIRST AND SUBSEQUENT TERM REENLISTMENT GOALS.  ACHIEVING OUR
REENLISTMENT GOALS WILL CONTINUE TO SEND A POSITIVE MESSAGE TO OUR
SENIOR LEADERS THAT THE MARINE CORPS CONTINUES TO STAND READY IN THE
FIGHT ON THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR.
5.  KEEP ATTACKING, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//