R 121939Z NOV 14
MARADMIN 589/14
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT OF CHANGE TO ASSIGNMENT POLICY//
REF/A/MEMO/OSD/2MAY14//
REF/B/DOC/CMC/18SEP14//
REF/C/MSG/CMC/ 232219Z APR12//
REF/D/MSG/CMC/ 071546Z APR 14//
AMPN/REF A IS NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS MEMORANDUM//
AMPN/REF B IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 1300.8//
AMPN/REF C IS ALMAR 012/12 AMPN/REF D IS MARADMIN 182/14 POC/MPO/B. CANEPA/(703) 784-9386//
POC/MCFIO/B. M. VENNING/(703) 784-3388//
POC/MM/T. M. TENNANT/(703) 784-9229//
POC/RA/ E. WUNDERLICH/(703) 784-9138//
GENTEXT/RMKS/1.  AS OF 31 JULY 2014, THE REQUIRED CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION PERIOD HAS BEEN SATISFIED AND ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSIGNMENT ARE AVAILABLE TO FEMALE MARINES (REFERENCE A).
2.  BACKGROUND. REFERENCE B IS THE MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICY. REFERENCE C ANNOUNCED AN EXCEPTION TO THE FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (SECDEF) POLICY, THE DIRECT GROUND COMBAT AND ASSIGNMENT RULE, AND AUTHORIZED THE ASSIGNMENT OF FEMALE MARINE SNCOS, COMPANY GRADE OFFICERS, NAVY MEDICAL OFFICERS, CHAPLAINS, AND CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS SERVING IN AN UNRESTRICTED PRIMARY MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY (PMOS) TO SELECT BILLETS WITHIN CERTAIN UNITS IN THE GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT OF THE ACTIVE COMPONENT. FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF REFERENCE C, THE SECDEF ANNOUNCED THE RESCISSION OF THE DIRECT GROUND COMBAT DEFINITION AND ASSIGNMENT RULE. REFERENCE D ANNOUNCED THE OPENING OF SELECT BILLETS WITHIN THE RESERVE COMPONENT TO RESERVE FEMALE MARINE SNCOS, COMPANY GRADE OFFICERS, NAVY MEDICAL OFFICERS, CHAPLAINS, AND CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS SERVING IN AN UNRESTRICTED PRIMARY MOS (PMOS).
3.  THIS MARADMIN EXPANDS THE BILLETS AVAILABLE FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF FEMALE MARINES WITHIN THE UNITS DENOTED IN REFERENCE C AND D TO THE COMPANY OR BATTERY LEVEL, AS WELL AS THE HEADQUARTERS ELEMENTS, AND INCLUDES THE RANKS OF CORPORAL AND ABOVE.
4.  FEMALE MARINES WITH THE MOS OF 13XX WILL NOT BE ASSIGNED TO COMBAT ASSAULT OR THE COMBAT ENGINEER BATTALIONS, PENDING THE RESULTS OF THE MARINE CORPS FORCE INTEGRATION PLAN (MCFIP) RESEARCH EFFORTS. ADDITIONALLY, FEMALE MARINES OF ANY MOS WILL NOT BE PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED TO INFANTRY REGIMENTS, INFANTRY BATTALIONS, RECONNAISSANCE BATTALIONS, FORCE RECONNAISSANCE COMPANIES, LIGHT ARMORED RECONNAISSANCE (LAR) BATTALIONS NOR MARINE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMPANIES. HOWEVER, THEY MAY BE ATTACHED TO SUCH UNITS ON A TEMPORARY BASIS AS PART OF PARENT UNIT DETACHMENTS FOR SPECIFIC MISSIONS. THEY MAY BE DEPLOYED WITH THEIR PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED UNITS AND MAY BE ASSIGNED TO INDIVIDUAL AUGMENT BILLETS.
5.  UNITED STATES NAVY MEDICAL AND RELIGIOUS SUPPORT PERSONNEL BILLETS WITHIN THE UNITS REFERENCED IN PARAGRAPH 3 HAVE ALSO BEEN OPENED TO FEMALE SAILORS AT THE UNIT LEVEL AND RANKS COMMENSURATE WITH THE MARINE CORPS EXPANSION. ASSIGNMENT OF FEMALE SAILORS CONTINUES TO BE GOVERNED BY COMMANDER, NAVY PERSONNEL COMMAND.
6.  CHANGES TO THE ASSIGNMENT POLICY WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO FORTHCOMING CHANGES TO REFERENCE B.
7.  EDUCATION. IN COORDINATION WITH TRAINING AND EDUCATION COMMAND, MARINE CORPS FORCE INNOVATION OFFICE HAS DEVELOPED A COMMANDER’S TOOL KIT FOR INTEGRATION EDUCATION. CONTENT AREAS FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING THE MCFIP, ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND A REVIEW OF APPLICABLE ORDERS, DIRECTIVES, AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. MATERIAL MAY BE FOUND ON SHAREPOINT HTTPS:(SLASH)(SLASH)EIS.USMC.MIL(SLASH)SITES(SLASH)MCFIEP.
8.  SURVEY. CMC HAS DIRECTED A SURVEY TO THE TARGET POPULATION OF ALL MALE AND FEMALE ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE MARINE AND OFFICER PERSONNEL CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO GROUND COMBAT UNITS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY CLOSED TO FEMALES BUT NOW ARE INTEGRATED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SURVEY IS TO GATHER INPUT REGARDING PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER INTEGRATION IN GROUND COMBAT UNITS, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO UNIT COHESION, MORALE, AND READINESS.
    8A. METHODOLOGY. UNITS THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET CAN DIRECT MARINES TO THE EXPANDED UNIT ASSIGNMENT SURVEY ON MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS WEB SITE. THE SURVEY IS LOCATED AT THIS WEB ADDRESS. HTTPS:(SLASH)(SLASH)WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL(SLASH)APPLICATION. THE SURVEY WILL BE ADMINISTERED TWICE. THE FIRST SURVEY PERIOD WILL BE FROM 3 NOV 2014 THROUGH 15 DECEMBER 2014. THE SECOND SURVEY PERIOD WILL BE FROM 1 APRIL 2015 THROUGH 30 MAY 2015. MARINES CAN ALSO FOLLOW THE LINK THAT IS LOCATED ON THE MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS HOMEPAGE TO THE BOARDS SLASH SURVEYS SLASH QUESTIONNAIRES LINK(WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL), UNDER ONLINE WEB APPS. THE SURVEY IS ACCESSIBLE VIA CAC AND NON CAC METHODS.
    8B. UNIT COMMANDERS. YOUR LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT ARE CRITICAL TO SUCCESSFUL GENDER INTEGRATION. UTILIZATION OF THE COMMANDER’S TOOL KIT WILL HELP DEVELOP A POSITIVE AND INCLUSIVE COMMAND CLIMATE. ADDITIONALLY, THE SURVEY RESULTS WILL HELP CMC DEVELOP INFORMED AND EDUCATED RECOMMENDATIONS ON FUTURE POLICY CHANGES TO THE ASSIGNMENT OF FEMALE MARINES TO MARINE CORPS GCE UNITS. OUR MARINES’EXPERIENCES WILL BE INVALUABLE AS WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE CHANGES IN EXISTING POLICIES.
9.  THIS MESSAGE IS APPLICABLE TO THE ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS.
10. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//