R 291315Z DEC 04
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
MARADMIN 577/04
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/MP//
SUBJ/HOSTILE FIRE AREAS (HFA'S) IDENTIFIED FOR OVERSEAS CONTROL DATE
(OCD) UPDATES//
REF/A/DOC/CMC (MPP-56)/04OCT1994//
REF/B/MSG/CMC (MP)/101315ZOCT2003//
REF/C/DOC/CMC (MIF)/07JUN2001//
POC/K.A. CERNY/GS-13/CMC (MPO)/-/TEL:DSN 278-9388/
TEL:COM 703-784-9388//
NARR/REF A IS MCO P1300.8, PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICY.  REF B IS
MARADMIN 481/03, DEPTEMPO AND OCD POLICY.  REF C IS MCO P1080.40,
MCTFSPRIM.//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/
1.  PURPOSE.  TO IDENTIFY WHICH LOCATIONS CONSTITUTE "HOSTILE FIRE
AREAS" FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING OCD'S FOR EXISTING CONTINGENCIES.
2.  DISCUSSION
A.  ON 01 OCT 2000, CONCURRENT WITH THE SERVICES BEGINNING TO
TRACK AND REPORT DEPLOYMENT TEMPO (DEPTEMPO), THE MARINE CORPS BEGAN
USING DEPTEMPO TO ADJUST AND UPDATE MARINES' OCD'S.  THE USE OF
DEPTEMPO RESULTED IN CHANGES TO THE OCD POLICY.  OCD'S ARE USED TO
ADMINISTRATIVELY MANAGE THE PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT OF MARINES.  REF A
CONTAINS PREVIOUS POLICY ON OCD'S.  REF B PROVIDES EXISTING DEPTEMPO
AND OCD POLICY.  REF C PROVIDES DEPTEMPO AND OCD REPORTING
INSTRUCTIONS.
B.  AN OCD MAY BE CHANGED IN ONE OF TWO WAYS, BY AN "ADJUSTMENT" OR
BY AN "UPDATE".  AN ADJUSTMENT OF AN OCD IS ADDING THE NUMBER OF DAYS
A MARINE WAS IN AN OCD CREDITABLE STATUS TO A PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED
OCD.  A MARINE'S OCD MAY ALSO BE CHANGED BY AN UPDATE TO IT.  AN
UPDATE GIVES A MARINE A NEW DATE EQUAL TO THE DATE OF COMPLETION OF A
SPECIFIED EVENT. 
C.  REF B DIRECTS A MARINE'S COMMAND TO MANUALLY UPDATE A MARINE'S
OCD WHEN ANY ONE OF FOUR EVENTS OCCURS.  ONE OF THESE EVENTS IS WHEN
THE MARINE COMPLETES AT LEAST SIX CONTINUOUS MONTHS (180 DAYS)
DEPLOYMENT IN A HOSTILE FIRE AREA.  THE OTHER THREE EVENTS ARE: WHEN
THE MARINE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES AN OVERSEAS PERMANENT ASSIGNMENT;
WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES AN OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT OF NINE CONTINUOUS
MONTHS (270 DAYS); OR WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES TWO MAJOR OVERSEAS
DEPLOYMENTS OF AT LEAST FIVE MONTHS (150-DAYS) DURATION EACH, DURING
THE SAME OR CONTINUOUS OPERATING FORCE TOUR. 
D.  HOSTILE FIRE AREAS ARE UNIQUE TO THE MARINE CORPS; ARE GOVERNED
SOLELY BY MARINE CORPS POLICY; ARE USED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF
UPDATING OCD'S; AND ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM AN IMMINENT DANGER
PAY (IDP) AREA, A HOSTILE FIRE PAY (HFP) AREA, OR AN AREA DESIGNATED
A "COMBAT ZONE" FOR COMBAT ZONE TAX EXCLUSION (CZTE) PURPOSES.
E.  IAW REF B, THE MARINE CORPS DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THOSE PERSONNEL
ASSIGNED TO IDP, HFP OR CZTE AREAS AND THOSE ASSIGNED TO HOSTILE FIRE
AREAS.  THE MARINE CORPS GIVES GREATER CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE
ASSIGNMENTS TO THOSE PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO HOSTILE FIRE AREAS DUE TO
THEIR CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO HOSTILE ACTION. 
3.  HFA'S IDENTIFIED.  FOR THE EXISTING CONTINGENCIES, THE MARINE
CORPS CONSIDERS WITHIN THE BORDERS OF AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ AS BEING
HOSTILE FIRE AREAS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING AN OCD WHEN A MARINE
COMPLETES AT LEAST SIX CONTINUOUS MONTHS (180 DAYS) DEPLOYMENT IN A
HOSTILE FIRE AREA.
4.  ACTION.  COMMANDERS WILL ENSURE THAT, PER THIS GUIDANCE, THE
OCD'S OF THEIR ASSIGNED MARINES ARE PROPERLY UPDATED UPON COMPLETION
OF AN EVENT THAT QUALIFIES A MARINE FOR AN UPDATED OCD.//