R 132026Z MAR 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 128/13
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CDI//
SUBJ/AVAILABILITY OF MARINE CORPS WARFIGHTING PUBLICATION (MCWP) 3-27, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AIRLIFT (OSA)//
REF/A/MCO/5600.31/ARD/26 APR 2010//
AMPN/REF A IS MARINE CORPS PRINTING AND PUBLICATIONS REGULATIONS//
POC/MR J. A. BASS/CIV/CD AND I, CDD, MID/QUANTICO VA/TEL DSN 278-3616 OR COML (703) 784-3616/EMAIL:  JOHN.BASS(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/RMKS/1.  THE DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION HAS PUBLISHED MCWP 3-27 "OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AIRLIFT"; EFFECTIVE 21 JANUARY 2013.  MCWP 3-27 IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD VIA THE USMC DOCTRINE WEBSITE AT HTTPS:SLASHSLASHWWW.DOCTRINE.USMC.MIL.
2.  BACKGROUND.  MCWP 3-27 PROVIDES THE DOCTRINAL BASIS FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF OSA DURING WAR AND TIMES OF CRISIS.  MCWP 3-27 IS INTENDED TO BE USED AS A REFERENCE GUIDE ON THE USE OF OSA FOR ALL MARINES AT ALL LEVELS OF COMMAND IN THE OPERATING FORCES AND SUPPORTING ESTABLISHMENT.  THIS PUBLICATION DEFINES OSA, HIGHLIGHTS CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF OSA, RECOMMENDS STRUCTURE FOR THE COMMAND AND CONTROL OF OSA, AND DISCUSSES OSA EMPLOYMENT AND SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS.  THE CURRENT VERSION OF MCWP 3-27 WAS LAST PUBLISHED IN 2003, AND IS NOW OUTDATED.  THIS REVISION CAPTURES LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE EMPLOYMENT OF OSA DETACHMENTS DURING OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, OPERATING ENDURING FREEDOM, AND COMBINED JOINT FORCE-HORN OF AFRICA.  OTHER CHANGES FROM THE 2003 VERSION INCLUDE UPDATED INFORMATION ON OSA AIRCRAFT, UPDATED INFORMATION ON CONUS AND OCONUS OSA LOCATIONS, AND NEW INFORMATION ON THE COMMAND, CONTROL, AND SCHEDULING OF OSA.
3.  COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS.  REF A DETAILS STEPS REQUIRED TO REQUEST PUBLICATION HARD COPIES.  UNITS WOULD NORMALLY RECEIVE PRINTED COPIES OF MCWP 3-27 VIA THE MARINE CORPS PUBLICATIONS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (MCPDS).  HOWEVER, THIS PUBLICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION ONLY UNLESS COMMANDERS SUBMIT COMPELLING NEED JUSTIFICATION FOR PRINTED COPIES.  UNITS REQUIRING PRINT ALLOCATIONS MUST FOLLOW PROCEDURES IDENTIFIED IN REF (A), PARAGRAPH
4A(2).  FOR MCPDS IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES, THE PUBLICATION CONTROL NUMBER IS 144 000143 00.
4.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
5.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN RICHARD P. MILLS, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION.//