R 061242Z FEB 15
MARADMIN 056/15
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT (SDA) SELECTION AND SLATING PROCESS//
REF/A/MSGID: DOC/MMEA-25/YMD: 20121015//
REF/B/MSGID: DOC/NAVMC 1330/1//
REF/C/MSGID: DOC/NAVMC 1330/2//
NARR/REF A IS MCO P1326.6D SDAMAN/REF B IS SDA CHECKLIST/REF C IS SDA FINANCIAL WORKSHEET//
POC/R. B. QUINN/LTCOL/UNIT: MMEA-2/TEL: 703-784-9948//
POC/R. W. SPOONER/GS-15/UNIT: MMEA/TEL:703-784-9217//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THIS MESSAGE ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO THE SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT (SDA) SELECTION AND SLATING PROCESS, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE HQMC SDA SCREENING TEAM (HSST). THESE CHANGES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY AND WILL BE USED TO SLATE SDA SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR ALL CLASSES WHICH CONVENE BETWEEN OCTOBER 2015 AND SEPTEMBER 2016.
2.  BACKGROUND: SINCE 2011, HQMC HAS SELECTED AND SLATED MARINES TO FILL THE SERVICE'S SDA REQUIREMENT BY PROMULGATING A LIST OF ELIGIBLE MARINES, DIRECTING PARENT COMMANDS TO CONDUCT BASIC SCREENING OF ALL CANDIDATES AND DISPATCHING THE HSST TO INTERVIEW THESE MARINES PRIOR TO MAKING SELECTIONS AND ASSIGNING THEM TO SDA CLASSES. THE CURRENT HSST PRODUCES SUFFICIENT MANPOWER TO MEET SDA REQUIREMENTS; HOWEVER, IT IS INEFFICIENT DUE MOSTLY TO SUBSTANIAL PRE-CLASS ATTRITION. THE REQUIREMENT TO REPLACE MARINES THAT ATTRITE FROM SDA RESULTS IN UNPLANNED, EARLY MOVES AND CONTRIBUTES TO PERSONNEL INSTABILITY IN OUR UNITS AT THE CRITICAL SNCO AND NCO RANKS. CONSEQUENTLY, MMEA HAS REEVALUATED ITS APPROACH TO SDA SELECTION AND ASSIGNMENT. THE PROCESS OUTLINED BELOW IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO LEVERAGE EARLIER AND GREATER COMMAND INVOLVEMENT IN SELECTING AND SLATING MARINES FOR SDA. THE INTENT IS TO IDENTIFY THE CANDIDATES WITH THE MOST POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS AND SLATE THEM BASED UPON THE TALENTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MARINE AND THE NEEDS OF THE PARENT UNIT AND THE SDA COMMUNITY OVER THE FORTHCOMING YEAR.
3.  EXECUTION.
    A.  A LIST OF MARINES THAT MEET BASIC ELIGIBILITY FOR THE FY16 HSST WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO CAREER PLANNERS. ELIGIBLE MARINES THAT WISH TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON SDA ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT AN ELECTRONIC RELM NLT 20 MAR 15 IF THEY HAVE NOT DONE SO ALREADY. THE HSST WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ACCOMMODATE THE PREFERENCES OF VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED THEY ALIGN WITH THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE.
    B.  THE HSST WILL CONSIST OF EXPERIENCED SDA MONITORS AUGMENTED BY PERSONNEL FROM MCRC AND, AS NECESSARY, OTHER SDA COMMANDS. SDA SELECTION WILL BE A THREE PHASED PROCESS.
        (1)  PHASE 1: SELECT. THE HSST WILL OPERATE IN QUANTICO FROM MID-FEBRUARY THROUGH MARCH. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE HSST WILL BE ASSISTED BY PMOS MONITORS AND WILL WORK WITH COMMAND LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE MARINE CORPS TO IDENTIFY THOSE ELIGIBLE AND QUALIFIED MARINES BEST SUITED TO SERVE ON AN SDA. IN EARLY APRIL, MMEA WILL PUBLISH PRIMARY AND ALTERNATE LISTS OF SELECTED MARINES TO ATTEND SDA SCHOOL IN FY16. THE LISTS WILL INCLUDE A TENTATIVE SLATE OF SDA COMMUNITY ASSIGNMENTS.
        (2)  PHASE 2: COMMAND CERTIFICATION AND ENDORSEMENT. FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE PRIMARY AND ALTERNATE LISTS, COMMANDS WILL HAVE 45 DAYS TO CERTIFY THE SELECTED PRIMARIES AND ALTERNATES UTILIZING THE LATEST SDA CHECKLIST. COMMANDERS WILL CERTIFY, VIA AMHS MESSAGE, THAT THE NAMED MARINES ARE OR ARE NOT FULLY QUALIFIED PER THE CHECKLIST. WITHIN THIS QUALIFICATION ENDORSEMENT, COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SPECIFICALLY RECOMMEND A FINAL SDA DUTY BASED ON THE UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MARINE AND A FY16 CLASS DATE THAT BEST SERVES THE NEEDS OF THE COMMAND.
        (3)  PHASE 3: PERSONAL INTERVIEW. FOLLOWING THE END OF THE45 DAY CERTIFICATION PERIOD, THE HSST WILL TRAVEL TO INSTALLATIONS TO CONDUCT PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH THE SELECTED MARINES. DURING THESE SESSIONS, THE HSST WILL REVIEW COMMAND CERTIFICATIONS AND ENDORSEMENTS AND IDENTIFY ANY OTHER PERTINENT FACTORS THAT MAY REQUIRE REFINEMENT TO A MARINE’S PARTICULAR SDA OR CLASS DATE. THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE SELECTION PROCESS WILL ALLOW FOR A MORE IN DEPTH PERSONAL INTERVIEW THAN WAS POSSIBLE IN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF THE HSST. THIS INTERVIEW WILL FACILITATE MENTORSHIP AND SPONSORSHIP BY TEAM MEMBERS AS SELECT MARINES PREPARE FOR THEIR SDA ASSIGNMENTS.
4.  ORDERS TO ATTEND THE 1-16 SDA CLASSES, CONVENING IN OCTOBER 2015, WILL BE PUBLISHED IN JUNE. COMMANDERS AND SERGEANTS MAJOR ARE REQUIRED TO RECERTIFY MARINES THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO SPECIAL DUTY BETWEEN 60 AND 45 DAYS PRIOR TO THE REPORT DATE FOR SDA CLASSES.
5.  RELEASED AUTHORIZED BY BGEN CRAIG Q. TIMBERLAKE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER MANAGEMENT DIVISION.//