CORPS POLICY ON THE WEAR OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
Date Signed: 4/16/2009 | MARADMINS Number: 0254/09
MARADMINS : 0254/09
R 162016Z APR 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 0254/09
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2006/CMC WASHINGTON DC PP&O PO//
SUBJ/CORPS POLICY ON THE WEAR OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)//
REF/A/MSGID:MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC PPO/YMD:171343ZAPR07//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/USD ATDL/YMD:03OCT2005//
NARR/REF A IS MARADMIN 262/07, MARINE CORPS POLICY ON THE WEAR AND PURCHASE OF BODY ARMOR AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE).  REF B IS DOD INSTRUCTION 3020.41, CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL AUTHORIZED TO ACCOMPANY THE US ARMED FORCES.//
POC/T.D. WOOD/MAJ/UNIT:HQMC PP&O (POG)/-/TEL:703-692-4315//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  THIS MESSAGE ESTABLISHES MARINE CORPS POLICY FOR AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) REQUIRED TO BE WORN BY MARINES AND SAILORS ASSIGNED TO MARINE CORPS AND JOINT COMMANDS.  ADDITIONALLY, THIS MESSAGE RE-ITERATES EXISTING SERVICE POLICIES ON THE ISSUE AND WEAR OF PPE ITEMS FOR DEPLOYING MARINES, SAILORS ASSIGNED TO MARINE UNITS, CIVILIAN MARINES, AND MARINE CORPS CONTRACTORS.
2.  BACKGROUND.  IT IS IMPRACTICAL TO ATTEMPT TO PROTECT AGAINST ALL CONCEIVABLE THREATS BUT IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE MARINE CORPS TO SHIFT PARADIGMS AWAY FROM THE ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH WHEN DEALING WITH BALLISTIC PROTECTION.  MARINE CORPS UNIT COMMANDERS MUST RELY ON MISSION ANALYSIS AND MILITARY JUDGMENT IN MAKING CRITICAL DECISIONS WHICH AFFECT THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE POSTURE OF THEIR MARINES, AND MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FULL SCALABILITY OF THE PPE FIELDED.  COMMANDERS WILL CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT MARINES ARE PROPERLY TRAINED AND FITTED IN THEIR PPE AND VERIFY THEIR MARINES' ADHERENCE THROUGH THOROUGH PRE-COMBAT CHECKS AND INSPECTIONS.
3.  MARINE CORPS ARMOR PROTECTION LEVELS (APLS).  A SERVICE LEVEL POLICY DEFINING SPECIFIC ARMOR PROTECTION LEVELS IS BEING DEVELOPED, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE MISSION-ORIENTED PROTECTIVE POSTURE (MOPP) LEVELS ESTABLISHED IN THE 1980S.  THE POLICY IDENTIFYING SPECIFIC APLS WILL BE PUBLISHED VIA SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE.  THE INTENT OF ESTABLISHING STANDARDIZED APLS IS TO ENABLE COMMANDERS TO TAILOR ARMOR PROTECTION BASED ON THEIR ESTIMATE OF THE SITUATION OR BASED ON GUIDANCE FROM SERVICE/JOINT/THEATER COMBATANT COMMANDERS.  HIGHER APLS PROVIDE INCREASED BALLISTIC PROTECTION THROUGH THE ADDITION OF MODULAR ARMOR COMPONENTS INCREASING THE AREAS OF COVERAGE AND/OR BALLISTIC PROTECTION.  HIGHER APLS CORRESPOND TO GREATER WEIGHT, INCREASED THERMAL LOADING, AND REDUCED MOBILITY; THUS DEGRADING INDIVIDUAL AND UNIT PERFORMANCE OVER EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME AND NEGATIVELY AFFECTING MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT.
4.  AUTHORITY
4.A.  OPERATING FORCE COMMANDERS AT THE LIEUTENANT COLONEL (O-5) LEVEL OR HIGHER ARE AUTHORIZED TO DETERMINE THE REQUIRED LEVEL OF PPE (OR APL WHEN ESTABLISHED) FOR WEAR BY ASSIGNED PERSONNEL.  THIS DETERMINATION WILL BE MADE BASED ON MISSION, UNIT TYPE, THREAT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. 
4.B.  COMBATANT, JOINT TASK FORCE (JTF), AND SERVICE COMPONENT COMMANDERS RETAIN THE AUTHORITY TO PRESCRIBE THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION WORN BY ALL ASSIGNED PERSONNEL.  IN CASES WHERE COMBATANT, JTF, AND/OR SERVICE COMPONENT COMMANDERS HAVE ESTABLISHED A REQUIRED LEVEL OF PPE THAT IS MORE INCLUSIVE THAN THAT SET BY MARINE UNIT COMMANDERS, MARINES WILL ADHERE TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL.  IN CASES WHERE THE APL IS NOT DESIGNATED, THE MARINE CORPS SERVICE POLICY PLACES THE AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE THE APL IN COMMANDERS, LIEUTENANT COLONEL (O-5) AND HIGHER.
5.  AUTHORIZED EQUIPMENT.  AS OUTLINED IN REF A, PPE REFERS TO MARINE CORPS APPROVED BODY ARMOR, HELMETS, GOGGLES, CLOTHING, AND OTHER GEAR DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE WEARER FROM BATTLEFIELD INJURIES.  PERSONNEL DEPLOYED TO COMBAT ZONES WILL BE ISSUED MARINE CORPS APPROVED PPE, INCLUDING MODULAR BODY ARMOR SETS.  FULL DESCRIPTIONS AND THE TECHNICAL MANUALS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE ITEMS (TO INCLUDE PROPER FITTING PROCEDURES) ARE POSTED AT THE FOLLOWING URL: HTTP:/WWW.MARCORSYSCOM.USMC.MIL/SITES/PMICE/ARMOR.ASP.  BASED ON THEIR UNIQUE MISSION REQUIREMENTS, MARINE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (MARSOC) PERSONNEL MAY, WITHIN PUBLISHED MARSOC POLICIES AND SUBJECT TO THEIR COMMANDERS' APPROVAL, WEAR SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND-APPROVED SPECIAL PURPOSE BODY ARMOR.
6.  ISSUANCE AND WEAR OF PPE BY MARINE CORPS CIVILIAN PERSONNEL/CONTRACTOR(S).  IAW REF B AND APPLICABLE MARINE FORCE COMPONENT DIRECTIVES, CIVILIANS (CIVIL SERVANTS AND CONTRACTORS) DEPLOYING IN SUPPORT OF COMBAT OPERATIONS OR WITH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNITS ARE AUTHORIZED TO BE ISSUED MARINE CORPS APPROVED PPE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR EXPECTED MISSION PROFILE.
7.  WEAR OF COMMERCIALLY PURCHASED PPE.  AS STATED IN REF A, INDIVIDUAL MARINES/SAILORS MAY NOT USE COMMERCIAL PPE IN LIEU OF GOVERNMENT TESTED, APPROVED AND ISSUED PPE.  TO ENSURE MARINES/SAILORS ARE PROVIDED ONLY THOSE PPE ITEMS THAT HAVE MET GOVERNMENT TEST STANDARDS (MIL-STANDARD), COMMANDERS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO UTILIZE UNIT FUNDS TO PURCHASE COMMERCIAL PPE ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED FOR USE BY THE MARINE CORPS.
8.  THIS MESSAGE IS APPLICABLE TO THE TOTAL FORCE MARINE CORPS.
9.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN J. F. DUNFORD JR., DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR PLANS, POLICIES, AND OPERATIONS.//