MARADMINS : 272/07
UNCLAS 192140Z APR 07
CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
MARADMIN 272/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/MPO-40//
SUBJ/REVISED 17 YEAR OLD MARINES IN COMBAT POLICY//
REF/A/MSGID:MSG/CMC (MP)/231139ZJAN2003//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/PUSD (PR)/23MAR2007//
NARR/REF A IS MARADMIN 030/03, 17 YEAR OLD MARINES IN COMBAT AND
PROVIDES EXISTING MARINE CORPS POLICY. REF B IS PRINCIPAL
DEPUTY UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE (PERSONNEL AND READINESS)(PDUSD
(P&R)) MEMO< ENFORCEMENT OF CHILD SOLDIER IMPLEMENTATION
POLICIES, THAT CHANGES EXISTING DOD POLICY BY MAKING IT MORE
RESTRICTIVE.//
POC/K. A. CERNY/GS-14/-/-/TEL:DSN 278-9387/TEL:COMM (703)784-9387//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. PURPOSE. TO ANNOUNCE A CHANGE TO EXISTING
MARINE CORPS POLICY. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, MARINES YOUNGER THAN
18 YEARS OF AGE ARE PROHIBITED FROM BEING OPERATIONALLY DEPLOYED.
THIS POLICY CHANGE TO REF A ENSURES COMPLIANCE WITH REF B.
2. BACKGROUND
A. THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE
CHILD ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT (CHILD
SOLDIER PROTOCOL) STATES PARTIES SHALL TAKE ALL FEASIBLE MEASURES
TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS OF THEIR ARMED FORCES WHO HAVE NOT ATTAINED
THE AGE OF 18 YEARS DO NOT TAKE A DIRECT PART IN HOSTILITIES. REF
A STATES COMMANDERS SHALL TAKE ALL FEASIBLE MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT
MARINES UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS OF AGE DO NOT TAKE DIRECT PART IN
HOSTILITIES.
B. REF B DIRECTS THE SERVICES TO NOT DEPLOY SERVICE MEMBERS
YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN. REF B FURTHER DIRECTS THE SERVICES TO IDENTIFY ACTIONS
TO ELIMINATE SUCH AN OCCURRENCE. THE REVISED POLICY OF REF B
ENSURES THAT MEMBERS YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE DO NOT
INADVERTANTLY TAKE A DIRECT PART IN HOSTILITIES, IN CONTRAVENTION OF
THE CHILD SOLDIER PROTOCOL.
3. ACTION. TO IMPLEMENT MARINE CORPS POLICY THAT COMPLIES WITH REF
B, THE FOLLOWING GUIDANCE IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:
A. CMC (MM) AND (RA) WILL NOT ASSIGN A MARINE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS
OF AGE TO A UNIT THAT IS SCHEDULED TO OPERATIONALLY DEPLOY PRIOR TO
THE DATE THE MARINE ATTAINS 18 YEARS OF AGE.
B. COMMANDING GENERALS AND COMMANDING OFFICERS WILL NOT OPERATIONALLY
DEPLOY A MARINE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE. COMMANDING GENERALS AND
COMMANDING OFFICERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING UNIT ASSIGNMENTS OF
THOSE MARINES TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT OPERATIONALLY DEPLOY PRIOR TO
THE DATE THE MARINE ATTAINS 18 YEARS OF AGE.
C. AS NECESSARY, COMMANDING GENERALS AND COMMANDING OFFICERS WILL
COORDINATE WITH CMC (MM) AND (RA) ON THE REASSIGNMENT OF A MARINE
YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE TO A UNIT THAT IS SCHEDULED TO
OPERATIONALLY DEPLOY AFTER THE DATE THE MARINE ATTAINS 18 YEARS OF AGE.
D. THIS POLICY DOES NOT APPLY TO DEPLOYING MARINES YOUNGER THAN 18
YEARS FOR THE PURPOSES OF TRAINING (INDIVIDUAL OR UNIT) OR EXERCISES.
E. CMC (M&RA) AND COMMANDING OFFICERS WHO HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL
OF MARINES WILL ENSURE THAT MARINES YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE ARE
IDENTIFIED IN THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM (MCTFS) WITH THE DUTY
LIMITATION REMARK TO INDICATE THEY ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE (I.E., TTC
157 012, 17 YEARS OLD, CODE "P").
(1) ON 6 APR 2007, CMC (M&RA)/MISSA RAN A ONE-TIME UTILITY TO UPDATE
THE DUTY LIMITATION REMARK OF CODE "P", FOR ALL MARINES UNDER 18 YEARS
OF AGE (ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENT, WHETHER ON ACTIVE DUTY AT THE TIME
OR NOT), WHO DID NOT ALREADY HAVE THIS DUTY LIMITATION CODE.
LOCAL COMMANDS ARE NOT TO OVERWRITE THIS CODE FOR THEIR ASSIGNED MARINES
UNLESS ANOTHER DUTY LIMITATION CODE IS MORE APPROPRIATE.
(2) BY 12 APR 2007, CMC (M&RA) WILL HAVE COMPLETED A LOGIC CHANGE TO
MCTFS THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE THIS DUTY LIMITATION CODE WHEN A
MARINE YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE IS INITIALLY ACCESSED INTO THE MARINE
CORPS. MCTFS CURRENTLY AUTOMATICALLY UPDATES A MARINE'S DUTY LIMITATION
CODE OF "P" BY CHANGING IT TO CODE "0" (I.E., THE NUMBER
ZERO) WHEN SUCH A MARINE ATTAINS 18 YEARS OF AGE.
(3) FOR THE FUTURE, COMMANDING OFFICERS WILL ENSURE THAT UPON JOINING TO
THEIR UNIT, MARINES YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE ARE IDENTIFIED IN MCTFS
WITH THE DUTY LIMITATION CODE OF "P".
4. THE POLICY IN THIS MARADMIN SUPERSEDES THAT IN REF A.
5. THE POLICY IN THIS MARADMIN APPLIES TO THE TOTAL FORCE.//