R 231831Z FEB 11
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 128/11
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG TECOM QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/MARINENET IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGIONAL, CULTURE, AND LANGUAGE FAMILIARIZATION PROGRAM OFFICER BLOCK III//
REF/A/DOC/CMC WASH DC// REF/B/DOC/PP AND O/PL// REF/C/DOC/CMC WASH DC//
NARR/REF A IS THE 2008 MARINE CORPS VISION AND STRATEGY 2025.  REF B IS THE MARINE CORPS SERVICE CAMPAIGN PLAN FOR 2009-2015.  REF C IS THE MARINE CORPS LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURE STRATEGY 2011-2015.//
POC/A. C. SAMSEL/MAJ/CAOCL/PLANS AND POLICY/EMAIL: AARON.SAMSEL(AT)USMC.MIL/TEL: COMM (703) 432-5548//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR MARINE CORPS ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE CAPTAINS WHO HAVE COMPLETED BLOCK 2 OF THEIR REGIONAL, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE FAMILIARIZATION (RCLF) PROGRAM REQUIREMENT.
2.  BACKGROUND.  AS OUTLINED IN THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN PLAN AND COMMANDANT'S PLANNING GUIDANCE, CMC HAS DIRECTED THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A CAREER LONG TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENHANCE AND INSTITUTIONALIZE LANGUAGE, REGIONAL, AND CULTURE (LRC) SKILLS FOR ALL MARINES SO THEY MAY OPERATE WITH GREATER EFFECTIVENESS IN THE CULTURALLY COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS OF THE 21ST CENTURY.  THE USMC HAS RESPONDED TO THIS REQUIREMENT BY DEVELOPING THE RCLF PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE MARINES WITH A STRONG FOUNDATION IN CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE WITH A REGIONAL EMPHASIS AND FOCUS.  THE MARINE CORPS HAS STRUCTURED THE RCLF PROGRAM TO INTRODUCE MORE COMPLEXITY AS MARINES ADVANCE THROUGH THEIR CAREERS VIA A "BLOCK APPROACH" ALONG THEIR CAREER CONTINUUM.  THIS STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF FIVE BLOCKS FOR OFFICERS AND SIX FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL THAT CORRESPOND TO RANK.  THE RCLF PROGRAM IS A MARINE CORPS PROGRAM MANAGED BY THE CENTER FOR ADVANCED OPERATIONAL CULTURE LEARNING (CAOCL) AND IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN PHASES.  OFFICER BLOCKS 1 AND 2 ARE IMPLEMENTED AND THE CURRENT FOCUS OF EFFORT IS TO INTRODUCE OFFICER BLOCK 3.  IN BLOCK 1, LIEUTENANTS ARE INTRODUCED TO CULTURAL CONCEPTS AT THE BASIC SCHOOL (TBS) AND ARE CURRENTLY BEING ASSIGNED ONE OF SEVENTEEN MICROREGIONS UPON GRADUATION FROM TBS.  THE SUCCESSFUL ASSIGNMENT OF A MICROREGION, AND ITS SUBSEQUENT RECORDING IN THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM (MCTFS), REPRESENTS THE COMPLETION OF OFFICER BLOCK 1.  OFFICER BLOCK 2 WAS POSTED ON MARINENET 6 JULY 2010, AND CONTAINS A GENERAL OPERATIONAL CULTURE MODULE AND SPECIFIC REGIONAL MODULES THAT CORRESPOND TO THE LIEUTENANTS' ASSIGNED MICROREGIONS.  THE BELOW OUTLINES THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR THOSE OFFICERS WHO COMPLETED BLOCKS 1 AND 2 SO THEY CAN COMMENCE THE CURRICULUM ASSOCIATED WITH BLOCK 3 ON MARINENET AND FULFILL OFFICER BLOCK 3 REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RCLF PROGRAM.  A SEPARATE BRIDGING STRATEGY IS BEING DEVELOPED TO ADDRESS THOSE OFFICERS WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN ASSIGNED A MICROREGION.  DETAILS OF THIS STRATEGY WILL BE RELEASED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE ONCE COMPLETED.
3.  TRACKING OF RCLF BLOCK REQUIREMENTS.  CAOCL AND MCTFS HAVE COORDINATED WITH MRA, MCTIMS AND CDET TO ENSURE THE INFORMATION FLOW OF COURSE ENROLLMENT AND COMPLETION BETWEEN DATABASE SYSTEMS.  ALL CAPTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR USING MARINE ONLINE TO VERIFY THAT CODES REPRESENTING THE MICROREGIONAL ASSIGNMENT (REGIONAL CODE) AND CURRICULUM CODES CORRESPONDING TO BLOCK 3 DISPLAY CORRECTLY IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL PERSONNEL RECORDS.
4.  ACCESSING RCLF PROGRAM OFFICER BLOCK 3 COURSE MODULES
A.  ALL CAPTS MAY ACCESS THE COURSE MATERIALS USING CDET'S MARINENET WEBSITE (WWW.MARINENET.USMC.MIL).
B.  COMPLETION OF CULTURE 101 IS A PREREQUISITE FOR ENROLLING IN THE BLOCK 3 MODULES.
C.  ENROLL IN THE CURRICULUM CORRESPONDING TO MICROREGIONAL ASSIGNMENT (SEE TABLE BELOW).  MARINE OFFICERS REFER TO MARINE ONLINE (WWW.MOL.USMC.MIL) TO CONFIRM THE PROPER REGIONAL CODE IS DESIGNATED IN THEIR PERSONAL RECORDS.  THE CORRESPONDING CURRICULUM CODE MAY BE USED IN THE MARINENET SEARCH BOX TO REACH THE CURRICULUM ENROLLMENT PAGE.
REGION   REGIONAL            REGIONAL
NUMBER   NAME                CODE      BLOCK 3 CURRICULUM CODE
1        TRANSCAUCASUS       TC        TRANBLK3OZ
2        CENTRAL ASIA        CS        CEASBLK3OZ
3        BALKANS             BK        BALKBLK3OZ
4        NORTH AFRICA        NF        NAFRBLK3OZ
5        THE LEVANT          LV        LEVABLK3OZ
6        ARABIAN GULF        AG        ARAGBLK3OZ
7        WEST SOUTH ASIA     WS        WSASBLK3OZ
8        SOUTH ASIA          SS        SOASBLK3OZ
9        WEST AFRICA         WF        WAFRBLK3OZ
10       SAHEL               SH        SAHEBLK3OZ
11       EASTERN AFRICA      EF        EAFRBLK3OZ
12       CENTRAL AFRICA      CF        CAFRBLK3OZ
13       SOUTHERN AFRICA     SF        SAFRBLK3OZ
14       NORTHEAST ASIA      NS        NEASBLK3OZ
15       SOUTHEAST ASIA      SE        SEASBLK3OZ
16       MEX/CARIB/CENT AME  CM        MCACBLK3OZ
17       SOUTH AMERICA       SM        SOAMBLK3OZ
D.  ONCE LOGGED ONTO MARINENET, ENTER THE CURRICULUM CODE CORRESPONDING TO THE ASSIGNED MICROREGIONAL CODE IN THE SEARCH TEXT BOX ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE MARINENET HOME PAGE.  CLICK "SEARCH CATALOG."  THE COURSE SEARCH RESULTS SHOULD DISPLAY THE NAME OF THE COURSE CURRICULUM OF THE ASSIGNED MICROREGION.
E.  EACH CURRICULUM CONSISTS OF A COURSE MODULE AND AN END OF COURSE EXAM.  CAPTS HAVE A THREE YEAR PERIOD TO COMPLETE THE COURSE ONCE ENROLLED.  HOWEVER, THE END OF COURSE EXAM MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN A SINGLE SESSION.  ENROLLEES ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO USE THE STUDY GUIDES PROVIDED IN THE MODULES TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM.
5.  BRIDGING STRATEGY.  AS STATED, DUE TO THE RELATIVELY RECENT IMPLEMENTATION OF BLOCK 1 AND MICROREGIONAL ASSIGNMENTS AT TBS, MANY OFFICERS WITH EARLIER COMMISSION DATES DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A DESIGNATED REGIONAL CODE IN THEIR RECORD.  A SEPARATE BRIDGING STRATEGY FOR THOSE OFFICERS IS BEING DEVELOPED AND WILL BE STAFFED FOR CMC APPROVAL.  ONCE APPROVED, A MARADMIN WILL BE RELEASED OUTLINING SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS.
6.  REGION CHANGE REQUESTS.  THE CRITERIA TO ALLOW A CHANGE OF MICROREGION INCLUDES A TESTED LANGUAGE CAPABILITY IN THE REQUESTED MICROREGION, A STRONG ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT INCLUDES EXTENSIVE READINGS, AND SUBSTANTIAL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE LIVING/VISITING/DEPLOYMENT TO THAT MICROREGION. 
7.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND CONTACTS.  FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE RCLF PROGRAM AS A WHOLE, REFER TO THE MARINENET HOME PAGE, LINKS MENU (RIGHT HAND PORTION OF THE SCREEN) WHERE THE "RCLF INFORMATION" HYPERLINK APPEARS.  DIRECT QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS MARADMIN TO EMAIL CAOCLADMIN(AT)USMC.MIL.  TYPE "RCLF PROGRAM" IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
8.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY MAJGEN RAYMOND. C. FOX, COMMANDING GENERAL, TRAINING AND EDUCATION COMMAND.//