R 202003Z SEP 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 483/13
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA//
SUBJ/ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE TO OBTAIN A LEGAL MARRIAGE//
REF/A/DOC/USD(P&R)/YMD: 20130904//
REF/B/DOC/ALNAV 061/13/YMD: 20130913//
NARR/REF A IS USD (P&R) MEMO CLARIFYING POLICY - ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE TO OBTAIN A LEGAL MARRIAGE.  REF B IS GUIDANCE ON EXTENDING BENEFITS TO THE SAME-SEX SPOUSES OF MILITARY MEMBERS//
POC/A. FREIRE/MAJ/UNIT:CMC MPO/TEL: 703-784-9358/TEL:DSN 278-9358//
GENTEXT/RMKS/1.  THE DOD HAS IMPLEMENTED A POLICY ALLOWING MILITARY PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAVELING TO A JURISDICTION TO OBTAIN A LEGAL MARRIAGE IF THE MARRIAGE IS NOT LEGAL IN THE STATE/JURISDICTION WHERE THEY ARE PERMANENTLY STATIONED OR IN A STATE/JURISDICTION WITHIN 100 MILES OF THEIR PERMANENT DUTY STATION.  ELIGIBLE MEMBERS STATIONED WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES (CONUS) MAY BE GRANTED UP TO SEVEN (7) DAYS ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE, WHICH INCLUDES UP TO TWO (2) DAYS FOR TRAVEL.  ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS ASSIGNED OUTSIDE THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES (OCONUS) MAY BE GRANTED UP TEN (10) DAYS ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE, WHICH INCLUDES UP TO FIVE (5) DAYS TRAVEL.  DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF DAYS OF ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE WILL BE BASED ON:
A. THE WAITING PERIOD, IF ANY, REQUIRED BY THE LAW OF THE STATE/JURISDICTION, TO OBTAIN A LEGAL MARRIAGE FROM THE STATE/JURISDICTION NEAREST THE PERMANENT DUTY STATION, AND
B. TIME TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE MARRIAGE STATE/JURISDICTION, (A MAXIMUM OF 2 DAYS TRAVEL IF A MEMBER IS ASSIGNED IN CONUS AND A MAXIMUM OF 5 DAYS TRAVEL IF A MEMBER IS ASSIGNED OCONUS).  NOTE:  THE WAITING PERIOD IN THE CALCULATION REFERS TO THE REQUIRED WAIT TIME TO OBTAIN A MARRIAGE LICENSE AND/OR THE REQUIRED WAIT TIME AFTER THE MARRIAGE LICENSE IS OBTAINED BEFORE THE MARRIAGE MAY LEGALLY BE PERFORMED.
2.  EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, MARINES MAY REQUEST ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM A LOCATION TO OBTAIN A LEGAL MARRIAGE.
A.  MARINES STATIONED IN A STATE/JURISDICTION WHERE THE MARRIAGE IS LEGAL, OR WITHIN 100 MILES OF STATE/JURISDICTION WHERE THE MARRIAGE IS LEGAL, ARE NOT AUTHORIZED ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE.
B.  IF THE MARRIAGE INVOLVES TWO MILITARY MEMBERS, BOTH MAY BE ENTITLED TO ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE.
C.  THE MEMBER MUST MARRY IN A STATE/JURISDICTION THAT LEGALLY PERMITS SUCH A MARRIAGE.
D.  COMMANDERS SHALL DETERMINE THE CLOSEST STATE/JURISDICTION WHERE THE MARINE CAN LEGALLY GET MARRIED, BASED ON TRAVEL TIME AND WAITING PERIOD REQUIRED BY THAT STATE/JURISDICTION AND THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF DAYS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE.  EXAMPLE: A MARINE, ASSIGNED IN CONUS TO A LOCATION MORE THAN 100 MILES FROM A STATE WHICH WILL GRANT A LEGAL MARRIAGE, DESIRES TO TRAVEL 500 MILES TO A STATE WHICH REQUIRES A 5-DAY WAITING PERIOD TO OBTAIN A LEGAL MARRIAGE.  HOWEVER, A CLOSER STATE 150 MILES AWAY IS ABLE TO GRANT A LEGAL MARRIAGE TO THE MARINE AND REQUIRES ONLY A 3-DAY WAITING PERIOD.  IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE MARINE MAY BE GRANTED TRAVEL TIME TO THE CLOSEST STATE THAT COULD GRANT A LEGAL MARRIAGE 2-DAYS TRAVEL AND 3 DAYS FOR THE WAITING PERIOD FOR A TOTAL OF 5 DAYS ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE.
E.  ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE FOR MARINES TO MARRY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS AUTHORITY SHALL ONLY BE APPROVED BY BATTALION/SQUADRON COMMANDER OR HIGHER.
F.  IF THE MARINE WAS NOT ABLE TO GET MARRIED DURING THE ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE PERIOD, THEN THE ABSENCE SHALL BE CHARGED AS ANNUAL LEAVE.  DOCUMENTATION AND/OR MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE BASE INSTALLATION PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION CENTER (IPAC) FOR PROCESSING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UPON RETURN FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE.
G.  AUTHORIZED ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCES MAY NOT BE EXTENDED; HOWEVER, ANY ADDITIONAL ABSENCE, APPROVED BY THE COMMAND, SHALL BE CHARGED AS ANNUAL LEAVE.
H.  MARITAL ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PCS, IS NOT AUTHORIZED.
I.  ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE FOR MARINES TO GET MARRIED IS LIMITED TO ONLY ONE OCCASION PER A MARINE'S MILITARY CAREER.
J.  ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCES FOR DIVORCE PROCEEDING IS NOT AUTHORIZED.
3.  MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM (MCTFS), UNIT DIARY MANPOWER INTEGRATED PERSONNEL SYSTEM (UDMIPS), AND MARINE ONLINE (MOL) DO NOT CURRENTLY SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE REQUESTS OF THIS TYPE.
    A.  NAVMC 3 (LEAVE AUTHORIZATION) WILL BE SUBMITTED TO IPAC/ADMIN FOR REPORTING.
    B.  MCTFS AND UD/MIPS WILL BE CAPABLE OF REPORTING THE NEW LEAVE TYPE EFFECTIVE 1 OCTOBER 2013.  FROM 3 SEPTEMBER 2013 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2013 CONUS UNITS WILL REPORT TTC 115 SEQ 023 SPECIAL LEAVE WITH A HISTORY STATEMENT OF 'ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE FOR LEGAL MARRIAGE', OCONUS UNITS WILL REPORT TTC 115 SEQ 028 'ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE FOR LEGAL MARRIAGE'.
4.  UNTIL MOL FUNCTIONALITY IS UPDATED TO PROCESS ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE TO OBTAIN LEGAL MARRIAGE, TRANSACTIONS WILL BE REPORTED VIA UDMIPS.  MOL WILL BE UTILIZED IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER TO FACILITATE THIS LEAVE UNTIL ALL SYSTEM CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.
    A.  MARINE REQUESTS SPECIAL LEAVE, CONUS AND OCONUS, VIA MOL. THE COMMENTS SECTION WILL STATE THAT THE LEAVE WILL BE USED FOR LEGAL MARRIAGE.
    B.  ROUTE THE SPECIAL LEAVE AS USUAL.
    C.  COMMANDERS WILL REVIEW AND APPROVE THE SPECIAL LEAVE REQUEST.
    D.  PRINT THE LEAVE PAPERS (NAVMC 3) AND CHANGE THE LEAVE TYPE TO READ ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE.
    E.  THE MARINE IS SIGNED OUT ON LEAVE USING THE NAVMC 3 (NOT MOL) THE MARINES ABSENCE MUST BE MANUALLY ANNOTATED ON THE MOL MORNING REPORT.
    F.  MAKE A COPY OF THE SIGNED OUT NAVMC 3 TO RETAIN WITH THE COMMAND.  THE ORIGINAL NAVMC 3 REMAINS IN THE MARINE'S POSSESSION.
    G.  MARINE RETURNS FROM LEAVE, SIGNS IN AND TURNS ORIGINAL NAVMC 3 INTO HIS OR HER COMMAND.
    H.  NAVMC 3 IS SUBMITTED TO THE IPAC OR ADMIN CENTER FOR REPORTING.
    I.  ONCE REPORTED IN MCTFS, DELETE THE SPECIAL LEAVE REQUEST IN MOL.
    J.  ONCE MOL IS UPDATED TO SUPPORT THIS TYPE OF TRANSACTION, ALL ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE REQUESTS SHALL BE SUBMITTED THROUGH MOL UNDER THE LEAVE/LIBERTY TAB.
5.  IF LEAVE IN CONJUCTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE IS REQUESTED, A SEPARATE LEAVE REQUEST SHALL BE SUBMITTED IN MOL, FOR A TOTAL OF TWO TRANSACTIONS: ONE FOR THE MARITAL ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE AND THE OTHER FOR ANNUAL LEAVE.
6.  THIS MESSAGE IS APPLICABLE TO THE ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN R.E. MILSTEAD, JR., DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS.//