R 171530Z MAY 12
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 275/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/CLARIFICATION AND ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE TO MCO P1300.8R CONCERNING LOW COST NO COST AND FULLY FUNDED PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) ORDERS//
REF/A/MCO P1300.8R/4OCT1994//
REF/B/MCO P4600.39/12JUL1995//
REF/C/JFTR/1SEP2011//
REF/D/MCO 7220.56/21NOV2006//
NARR/REF A IS MCO P1300.8R WITH CHANGE 1-8 MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICY. REF B IS MARINE CORPS PERSONAL PROPERTY MANUAL. REF C IS THE JOINT FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS. REF D IS MCO 7220.56 ENTITLEMENT TO BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING (BAH) AT LOCATIONS OTHER THAN PERMANENT DUTY STATION (PDS).//
POC/LEONARD RAUTIO/CAPT/UNIT: MMIA/-/TEL: 703-784-9211/ TEL: DSN 278-9211/EMAIL: LEONARD.RAUTIO@USMC.MIL//
POC/FREDERICK HYDEN/CIV/UNIT: LPD/-/TEL: 703-695-7765/ TEL: DSN 225-7765/EMAIL: FREDERICK.HYDEN@USMC.MIL//
POC/JOSHUA SHILEY/CIV/UNIT: RFM/-/TEL: 703-692-5370/ TEL: DSN 224-5370/EMAIL: JOSHUA.SHILEY@USMC.MIL//
POC/KERRY CERNY/CIV/UNIT: MPO/-/TEL: 703-784-9387/TEL: DSN 278-9387/EMAIL: KERRY.CERNY@USMC.MIL//
POC/KATHRYN HOWARD/MSGT/UNIT: RFF/-/TEL: 703-614-3462/ TEL: DSN 224-3462/EMAIL: KATHRYN.HOWARD@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. BACKGROUND. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION ON THE ISSUANCE OF NO COST PERMANENT CHANGE OF ASSIGNMENT (PCA), LOW COST PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) ORDERS, AND FULLY FUNDED PCS ORDERS. THIS MARADMIN HAS BEEN COORDINATED WITH CMC (MRA, MPO), CMC (I AND L, LPD), AND CMC (P AND R, RFF-RFM).
2. REF A DEFINES A PCS (WHICH INCLUDES A LOW COST PCS, A FULLY FUNDED PCS, AND A PCA) AND A PERMANENT DUTY STATION (PDS). PAR. 1103 OF REF A PROVIDES POLICY AND GUIDANCE FOR ISSUING A FULLY FUNDED PCS, LOW COST PCS AND A PCA. THERE IS CONFUSION WITH USING THE TERMINOLOGY OF LOW COST. ESSENTIALLY LOW COST PCS ORDERS ARE A REASSIGNMENT TO A NEW PERMANENT DUTY STATION (PDS) WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF EACH OTHER AND NO COST PCA ORDERS ARE A REASSIGNMENT WITHIN THE SAME PDS.
3. THE MARINE CORPS JUDICIOUSLY USES LOW COST PCS AND NO COST PCA ORDERS IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY CONTROL PCS COSTS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH MARINE CORPS POLICY IN REF A, PAR. 1103, REASSIGNMENTS BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW DUTY LOCATION THAT ARE A SHORT DISTANCE OR IN PROXIMITY, OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY ARE 50 MILES OR LESS TO EACH OTHER, ARE ISSUED AS LOW COST PCS ORDERS OR NO COST PCA ORDERS (WHICHEVER IS APPLICABLE). THESE ORDERS ARE NO COST TO THE GOVERNMENT, DO NOT AUTHORIZE A HOUSEHOLD GOODS (HHG) SHIPMENT AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE, AND THE ENTITLEMENT TO TRAVEL PAYMENT DOES NOT EXIST. THE MARINE CORPS CONSIDERS SUCH DUTY LOCATIONS LOCAL, A SHORT DISTANCE AND WITHIN PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER, THUS THE RELOCATION OF THE MARINE'S HOUSEHOLD (I.E., DEPENDENTS AND HHG) AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE IS NEITHER REQUIRED NOR JUSTIFIED. REF B PAR. 6006 SUPPORTS THIS POLICY. ORDERS OF 51 MILES AND GREATER ARE ISSUED AS FULLY FUNDED PCS ORDERS. THE DISTANCE IS MEASURED FROM THE FRONT GATE OF THE OLD PDS TO THE FRONT GATE OF THE NEW PDS AND IS CALCULATED BY USING THE DEFENSE TABLE OF OFFICIAL DISTANCES (DTOD), WHICH IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED SOURCE FOR COMPUTING MILEAGE AND WHERE THE SERVICE MEMBER RESIDES IN RELATION TO THE PDS IS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS CALCULATION. THIS GUIDANCE IS BASED ON PRACTICE AND PRECEDENCE AND CONSIDERS OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT (ORM), LOCAL COMMUTING DISTANCE RULES IAW REF C, AND POLICIES REGARDING ASSIGNMENT TO GOVERNMENT HOUSING. REF A, PAR. 1103, LISTS THE PRIMARY LOCATIONS TO WHICH THIS POLICY APPLIES. IN ADDITION TO THOSE LISTED, IN REF A LOW COST PCS ORDERS WILL ALSO BE ISSUED WHEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE DIRECTED BETWEEN MCAS MIRAMAR, MCRD SAN DIEGO, CORONADO, NORTH ISLAND AND CAMP PENDLETON.
4. WAIVERS TO THE ABOVE MAY BE AUTHORIZED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS BY CMC (MMIA).
5. WAIVERS FOR NO COST TO FULLY FUNDED ORDERS WILL ONLY BE CONSIDERED FOR: MISSION ESSENTIAL BILLETS (THESE BILLETS MUST BE IDENTIFIED IN A BASE OR UNIT ORDER, OR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP), THAT THE BILLET IS MISSION ESSENTIAL AND HAS A SHORT RECALL TIME, THEREBY REQUIRING THE MEMBER TO RESIDE ABOARD OR CLOSE TO THE INSTALLATION-BASE; TYPICAL BILLETS MIGHT INCLUDE EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL, CRASH FIRE RESCUE, AND SEARCH AND RESCUE), BILLETS THAT REQUIRE THE MEMBER TO RESIDE IN GOVERNMENT PROVIDED HOUSING (I.E., COMMANDERS OR SERGEANTS MAJOR) OR ARE IN THE GOVERNMENT'S BEST INTEREST AND NOT PRIMARILY FOR THE MEMBER'S CONVENIENCE.
6. IN ACCORDANCE WITH MARINE CORPS POLICY IN REF D, THE FOLLOWING REASONS DO NOT QUALIFY FOR A WAIVER FOR FULLY FUNDED TO NO COST ORDERS ISSUANCE, AND ARE PRECLUDED FOR CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINATION TO PAY BAH BASED ON DEPENDENT LOCATION:
A. CONTINUITY IN DEPENDENT'S EDUCATION.
B. FINANCIAL BURDEN OF RELOCATING DEPENDENTS, INCLUDING SELLING A DWELLING.
C. WAITING LIST FOR GOVERNMENT HOUSING.
D. DEPENDENT EMPLOYMENT AND/OR DAILY COMMUTE TIME.
E. DESIRE TO RETIRE AT THE PRIOR PDS OR RETURN THERE ON NEXT ASSIGNMENT.
F. PCS FUNDS CONSERVED BY NOT RELOCATING DEPENDENTS.
7. MESSAGE RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED BY MAJGEN A. SALINAS, DIRECTOR MANPOWER MANAGEMENT DIVISION.//