250829Z MAR 08
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 202/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM// 
SUBJ/FY 2008 COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS 3RD AND 4TH QTR// 
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CMC MMPR-2/YMD:20060511// 
REF/B/MSGID:LTR/CMC MPP-20/YMD:20080314// 
REF/C/MSGID:LTR/CMC RA/YMD:20080317// 
REF/D/MSGID:MSG/CMC/171905ZAPR2007// 
NARR/REF A, MCO P1400.32D, (ENLPROMMAN), PROVIDES POLICY AND 
GUIDELINES FOR PROMOTION ELIGIBILITY.  REF B, CONTAINS THE ACTIVE 
DUTY ALLOCATION AUTH FOR FY 2008 3RD AND 4TH QTR COMBAT MERITORIOUS 
PROMOTIONS. REF C, CONTAINS THE RESERVE ALLOCATION AUTH FOR FY 2008 
3RD AND 4TH QTR COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS.  REF D, PROVIDES 
POLICY ON PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 
FY 2008 USMC AND USMCR SNCO SELECTION BOARDS AND MERITORIOUS 
PROMOTIONS.// 
POC/R. W. REILLY/MAJ/CMC MMPR-2/-/TEL:DSN 278-9710 
/EMAIL:RYAN.W.REILLY@USMC.MIL// 
POC/LANE BEINDORF/MR/CMC MPP-20/-/TEL:DSN 278-9361 
/EMAIL:LANE.E.BEINDORF@USMC.MIL// 
POC/J. E. BELL/GYSGT/CMC RAP/-/TEL:DSN 278 9136 
/EMAIL:JASON.E.BELL@USMC.MIL// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  POLICY ESTABLISHED IN REFERENCES A B AND C 
ENABLES COMMANDERS TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP ON THE 
BATTLEFIELD WITH COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS.  THIS MESSAGE 
PROVIDES AMPLIFICATION AND CLARIFICATION TO THE REF AND PROVIDES ALL 
COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTION ALLOCATIONS TO COMUSMARCENT FOR 
ENLISTED MARINES WITHIN THE ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS.
COMUSMARCENT MAY APPORTION ALLOCATIONS TO DESERVING UNITS OR BY FAIR 
SHARE. 
2.  ACTIVE DUTY 
A.  REF B ESTABLISHED POLICY THAT AUTHORIZES COMMANDING GENERALS 
TO AWARD COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS TO ACTIVE DUTY MARINES IN 
THE GRADES OF PVT THROUGH CPL IN NUMBERS THAT DO NOT EXCEED 
QUARTERLY MERITORIOUS PROMOTION ALLOCATIONS.  THEREFORE, COMMANDING 
GENERALS ARE AUTHORIZED TO AWARD COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS TO 
PFC THROUGH SGT, WITHIN THE QUOTAS ASSIGNED BY CMC (MP).  IN 
THE CASE OF SGT AND SSGT, COMMANDING GENERALS WILL SUBMIT TO CMC 
(MMPR-2), BY NAVAL CORRESPONDENCE, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMBAT 
MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS TO SSGT AND GYSGT.  THIS PROGRAM IS IN 
ADDITION TO THE NON-COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTION PROGRAM.  
B.  COMBAT MERITORIOUS ALLOCATIONS FOR THE 3RD AND 4TH QTR OF FY 2008 
ARE: 
GRADE (TO)  ALLOCATION   MIN TIME IN SERVICE (TIS) 
PFC         UNLIMITED      NONE 
LCPL           66          NONE 
CPL           130         6 MOS 
SGT            62        18 MOS 
SSGT            7         4 YRS 
GYSGT           3         6 YRS 
3.  RESERVE 
A.  POLICY ESTABLISHED IN REF C AUTHORIZES COMMANDING GENERALS TO 
AWARD COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS TO RESERVE MARINES IN THE 
GRADES OF PVT THROUGH CPL IN NUMBERS THAT DO NOT EXCEED QUARTERLY 
MERITORIOUS PROMOTION ALLOCATIONS.  THEREFORE, COMMANDING GENERALS 
ARE AUTHORIZED TO AWARD COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS TO PFC 
THROUGH SGT, WITHIN THE QUOTAS ASSIGNED BY CMC (RAP).  IN THE 
CASE OF SGT AND SSGT, COMMANDING GENERALS WILL SUBMIT TO CMC 
(MMPR-2), BY NAVAL CORRESPONDENCE, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMBAT 
MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS TO SSGT AND GYSGT.  THIS PROGRAM IS IN 
ADDITION TO THE NON-COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTION PROGRAM. 
B.  RESERVE MARINES INCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE ACTIVE RESERVE (AR), 
SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE (SMCR), INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE 
(IRR), AND INDIVIDUAL MOBILIZATION AUGMENTEES (IMA). 
C.  COMBAT MERITORIOUS ALLOCATIONS FOR THE 3RD AND 4TH QTR OF FY 
2008 ARE: 
GRADE (TO)  ALLOCATION   MIN TIME IN SERVICE (TIS) 
PFC         UNLIMITED      NONE 
LCPL            4          NONE 
CPL            21         6 MOS 
SGT             3        18 MOS 
SSGT            1         4 YRS 
GYSGT           1         6 YRS 
4.  ACTIVE AND RESERVE 
A.  PROMOTIONS TO PFC THROUGH GYSGT MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN 
ANY MONTH BETWEEN APR 2008 AND SEP 2008.  THE DATE OF RANK WILL BE 
THE 2ND DAY OF THE MONTH WHICH THE PROMOTION IS AWARDED.  THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE FOR PAY AND ALLOWANCES WILL BE THE DATE SIGNED BY 
THE AWARDING AUTHORITY. 
B.  TIG REQUIREMENTS ARE WAIVED IN THE CASE OF MERITORIOUS 
PROMOTIONS BUT TIS REQUIREMENTS ARE MANDATORY.  TIS REQUIREMENTS 
ARE AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION. 
C.  PER REF D, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) REQUIREMENTS 
FOR ALL FY08 SNCO SELECTION BOARDS AND MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS HAVE 
BEEN REINSTATED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RESIDENT SNCO ADVANCED 
COURSE WHICH IS REQUIRED FOR PROMOTION TO FIRST SERGEANT. 
D.  CERTIFICATES OF APPOINTMENT FOR COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS 
WILL INCLUDE "(COMBAT MERITORIOUS)".  PAGE 5-9 OF THE REF GIVES AN 
EXAMPLE OF A MERITORIOUS PROMOTION WARRANT.  FOR EXAMPLE, A WARRANT 
SHOULD READ "I DO APPOINT THIS MARINE A SERGEANT (COMBAT 
MERITORIOUS)". 
E.  AUTHORITY TO EFFECT SNCO PROMOTIONS WILL BE TRANSMITTED VIA 
NAVAL MESSAGE. 
F.  UNUSED ALLOCATIONS WILL NOT BE CARRIED OVER INTO THE 1ST AND 2ND 
QTR OF FY09. 
5.  POINT OF CONTACT FOR ADMINISTRATION OF PROMOTIONS IS MAJ R W
REILLY.  POINT OF CONTACT FOR ACTIVE COMPONENT COMBAT MERITORIOUS 
PROMOTION ALLOCATIONS IS MR LANE BEINDORF.  POINT OF CONTACT FOR 
RESERVE COMPONENT COMBAT MERITORIOUS PROMOTION ALLOCATIONS IS GYSGT 
J E BELL.
6. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY COL S. M. FENSTERMACHER, DIRECTOR,
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT DIVISION (ACTING).//