R211641Z SEP 11
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 543/11
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CDI//
SUBJ/CANCELLATION OF THE ANNUAL MARINE CORPS COMMON SKILLS (MCCS) GENERAL MILITARY SUBJECTS (GMS) TEST//
REF/A/DOC/MCO 1510.121A/01 OCT 2004//
REF/B/DOC/NAVMC 3500.18A/16 DEC 2009//
REF/C/DOC/NAVMC 3500.19/12 FEB 2008//
NARR/REF A IS THE MARINE CORPS COMMON SKILLS ORDER.  REF B IS MARINE CORPS COMMON SKILLS VOL I.  REF C IS MARINE CORPS COMMON SKILLS VOL II.//
POC/C. D. JAY/TECOM GTD/TEL: 703-784-3018/EMAIL: CHRISTOPHER.JAY.CTR@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  TO ANNOUNCE THE CANCELLATION OF THE ANNUAL MCCS REQUIREMENT FOR GMS TESTING.
2.  BACKGROUND.  THE MARINE WARRIOR ETHOS "EVERY MARINE A RIFLEMAN," IS AS RELEVANT IN THE CURRENT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AS IT EVER HAS BEEN.  THE INTENT OF THE MCCS PROGRAM REMAINS FOR COMMANDERS AND OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE TO ENSURE THAT EVERY MARINE MAINTAINS A COMMON SET OF COMBAT SKILLS TO ALLOW THEM TO BE IMMEDIATELY EFFECTIVE IN A COMBAT ENVIRONMENT REGARDLESS OF MOS.  THE FOCUS OF THE MCCS PROGRAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON PERFORMANCE-BASED TRAINING AND EVALUATION OF DESIGNATED COMMON SKILLS.
3.  OVERVIEW.  TRAINING AND EDUCATION COMMAND IS IN THE PROCESS OF SIGNIFICANTLY REVISING THE CURRENT MCCS PROGRAM.  DURING A RECENT PROGRAM REVIEW, IT WAS VALIDATED THAT MCCS TRAINING SHOULD BE PERFORMANCE-BASED.  THE GMS TEST DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS TRAINING METHOD, IS OUTDATED, AND DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO UNIT PTP BLOCK 1 TRAINING.  THEREFORE, THE CURRENT GENERAL MILITARY SKILLS (GMS) TESTING REQUIREMENT OUTLINED IN MCO 1510.121A IS BEING SUSPENDED.  ADDITIONALLY, ALL SUPPORTING MATERIALS (MCCS HANDBOOKS AND TESTING MATERIAL) WILL NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED OR MADE AVAILABLE FOR USE.
4.  FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.  REF A, B, AND C ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REVISION AND ONCE APPROVED, WILL OUTLINE NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR PERFORMANCE-BASED TRAINING AND EVALUATION OF DESIGNATED COMMON COMBAT SKILLS.  FOR THIS TRAINING TO BE EFFECTIVE, UNIT LEADERS MUST INTEGRATE THE EVENTS AND EVALUATION OF EVENT PERFORMANCE INTO THE UNIT TRAINING PLAN ON A REOCCURRING BASIS TO SUSTAIN AND ENHANCE INDIVIDUAL MARINES' ABILITY TO INSTANTLY RECALL REQUIRED COMBAT SKILLS UNDER THE STRESS OF A COMBAT SITUATION.  ONLY ROUTINE UNIT ORGANIZED AND IMPLEMENTED PERFORMANCE-BASED TRAINING AND EVALUATION CAN ACCOMPLISHED THIS GOAL.  TO SUPPORT THIS, THE HQMC IG AIRS CHECKLIST FOR UNIT TRAINING MANAGEMENT (UTM) (380) AND MCCS (382) WILL BE CONSOLIDATED, AND CONTENTS FROM BOTH CHECKLISTS WILL FALL UNDER THE REVISED AIRS 380 UTM CHECKLIST.  THE INSPECTABLE ITEMS FOR MCCS WILL FOCUS ON ENSURING THAT MCCS IS ADDRESSED IN THE COMMANDER'S TRAINING GUIDANCE LETTER AND UNIT TRAINING PLAN AND PERFORMANCE-BASED TRAINING AND EVALUATION IS OCCURRING AS DIRECTED BY THE ORDER.
5.  QUESTIONS CAN BE ADDRESSED TO THE POC.
6.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN RICHARD P. MILLS, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION.//