R 212121Z SEP 06
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 454/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC AVN//
SUBJ/MV-22 PILOT TRANSITION POLICY//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/MCO 1331.2K/YMD:20031218//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/MCO P1300.8R CH 1-8/YMD:19940904//
AMPN/REF A IS MARINE CORPS ORDER TRANSITION/CONVERSION FOR MARINE
NAVAL AVIATORS AND NAVAL FLIGHT OFFICERS. REF B IS MARINE CORPS
ORDER PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICY.//
POC/BLAIR, C. A./MAJ/HQMC ASM/-/TEL:DSN 223-9874/TEL:(703) 693-9874//
POC/WEIDLEY, T. D./LTCOL/MMOA-2/-/TEL:DSN 278-9267/TEL:(703) 784-9267
//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. PURPOSE:TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES FOR TRANSITIONING
PILOTS FROM THE CH-46/CH-53D COMMUNITIES TO THE MV-22.
2. BACKGROUND:ACTIVE AND RESERVE OPERATIONAL CH-46/CH-53D
HELICOPTER SQUADRONS WILL CONTINUE TO TRANSITION TO MV-22 SQUADRONS
THROUGH FY-18. TRANSITION OF 2ND MAW SQUADRONS BEGAN IN FY-06 AND
WILL BE FOLLOWED BY 3RD MAW, 1ST MAW AND 4TH MAW, RESPECTIVELY.
VMMT-204 WILL CONTINUE TO TRAIN MARINE CORPS AND AIR FORCE V-22
AIRCREW AND MAINTAINERS. VMX-22 WILL CONTINUE TILT-ROTOR
OPERATIONAL TEST PLANNING AND EXECUTION WITH PLANNED UNIT MOVE TO
NAS PATUXENT RIVER, MD IN FY-08.
3. IN ORDER TO MEET MARINE CORPS REQUIREMENTS DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR
AVIATION (DC AVIATION) HAS DIRECTED A REVISION TO THE MV-22 PILOT
TRANSITION POLICY. THIS REVISED POLICY SHIFTS FROM A HQMC AVN BOARD
SELECTION PROCESS TO A DIRECT ASSIGNMENT PROCESS MANAGED BY MMOA-2.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS REVISED POLICY WILL SUPPORT TRANSITION OF THE
MEDIUM LIFT ASSAULT SUPPORT PILOT COMMUNITY AND WILL TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT THE CRITICAL BALANCE OF BUILDING THE VMM POPULATION WHILE
CONTINUING TO MEET ONGOING WAR FIGHTING REQUIREMENTS.
4. THE MANNING GOAL FOR TRANSITIONING EACH MV-22 SQUADRON IS TO
PROVIDE 1/3 OF PILOT MANNING FROM 7562'S ASSIGNED TO THE
TRANSITIONING HMM SQUADRON TO INCLUDE INITIAL ACCESSIONS, 1/3 FROM
7562'S OUTSIDE OF THE TRANSITIONING SQUADRON, AND 1/3 FROM QUALIFIED
MV-22 PILOTS. DETAILS ON MV-22 PILOT INITIAL ACCESSION, DIRECT
TRANSITION ASSIGNMENT, AND TRANSITION/CONVERSION (T/C) BOARD
PROCEDURES ARE PROVIDED AS FOLLOWS:
A. INITIAL ACCESSION. MV-22 INITIAL ACCESSION REQUIREMENTS WILL
INCREASE AS THE MARINE CORPS TRANSITIONS MORE CH-46 SQUADRONS TO
MV-22 SQUADRONS. CORRESPONDINGLY, INITIAL ACCESSION REQUIREMENTS
FOR CH-46E PILOTS WILL DECREASE AS MORE SQUADRONS TRANSITION. M&RA
AND TECOM WILL HAVE COLLABORATIVE OVERSIGHT FOR INITIAL ACCESSION
FLOW.
B. DIRECT TRANSITION ASSIGNMENT. MMOA-2 WILL DIRECTLY ASSIGN
CH-46E PILOTS TO MV-22 TRANSITION TRAINING IN ORDER TO SUPPORT VMM
MANNING. PILOTS ASSIGNED TO TRANSITIONING HMM SQUADRONS WILL BE
GIVEN PRIORITY FOR REMAINING AS PART OF THE NEW VMM SQUADRON CORE.
MMOA-2 WILL THEN DIRECTLY ASSIGN CH-46E PILOTS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE
TRANSITIONING SQUADRON TO TRANSITION TRAINING. THE DIRECT
ASSIGNMENT PROCESS WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF B AND WILL ENSURE
APPROPRIATE GRADE SHAPE AND EXPERIENCE IS MAINTAINED WITHIN THE
TRANSITIONING SQUADRONS.
C. BOARD SELECTED TRANSITION. THE ANNUAL DC AVIATION F/W AND R/W
TRANSITION/CONVERSION BOARD, WITH INPUT FROM M&RA, WILL SELECT A
SMALL PERCENTAGE OF NAVAL AVIATORS FOR "VOLUNTARY" TRANSITION TO THE
MV-22 IN ORDER TO BALANCE REQUIREMENTS ACROSS ALL F/W AND R/W
COMMUNITIES. THE BOARD SELECTION PROCESS WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
REF A. BOARD SELECTED TRANSITION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES WILL BE
ANNOUNCED VIA SEPCOR IN THE ANNUAL DC AVIATION PILOT T/C BOARD
CONVENING MESSAGE.
5. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
A. IAW REF A, NAVAL AVIATORS WITH MOS'S TARGETED UNDER THE AVIATION
CONTINUATION PAY (ACP) PROGRAM ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR
TRANSITION/CONVERSION TRAINING. THIS REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED FOR
TRANSITION TO THE MV-22.
B. IAW REF A, CH-46E PILOTS DESIGNATED FOR TRANSITION VIA DIRECT
ASSIGNMENT WILL INCUR A TWO YEAR ADDITIONAL SERVICE OBLIGATION TO
COMMENCE ON THE DATE TRANSITION TRAINING IS COMPLETE/AWARDING OF NEW
MOS. NAVAL AVIATORS SELECTED FOR "VOLUNTARY" TRANSITION VIA THE DC
AVN T/C BOARD WILL INCUR A FOUR YEAR ADDITIONAL SERVICE OBLIGATION
TO COMMENCE ON THE DATE TRANSITION TRAINING IS COMPLETE/AWARDING OF
NEW MOS.
C. IAW REF A, NAVAL AVIATORS WITH MORE THAN 13 YEARS COMMISSIONED
SERVICE (YCS) ARE INELIGIBLE FOR T/C TRAINING. IOT MEET COMMUNITY
MANNING AND POPULATION GRADE SHAPE REQUIREMENTS, REQUESTS FOR YCS
WAIVERS WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
D. MV-22 PILOT ASSIGNMENT DECISIONS WILL REMAIN WITH DC M&RA
(MMOA-2) WITH INPUT FROM OPERATIONAL FORCES AND SUPPORTING
ESTABLISHMENT COMMANDS.
6. THIS MESSAGE IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE AT
THIS TIME.
7. POC FOR THIS MARADMIN IS MAJ C. A. BLAIR, ASM-31, DSN 223-9874
OR COMM (703) 224-1556, CHAD.BLAIR@USMC.MIL//