MARADMIN 393/15
R 101511Z AUG 15
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2016 SQUAD LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM EXECUTION GUIDANCE//
REF/A/MSGID:MSG/CMC PP&O/YMD:20150304//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/CMC TECOM/YMD:20150519//
REF/C/MSGID:MSG/CMC M&RA/YMD:20150617//
REF/D/MSGID:DOC/CMC MMEA/YMD:20100908//
AMPN/REF A IS MARADMIN 101/15, SQUAD LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES PILOT PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT MESSAGE. REF B IS NAVMC 1200.1A, THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY (MOS) MANUAL WITH 0365 PREREQUISITES AND REQUIREMENTS. REF C IS MARADMIN 296/15 WHICH IS THE FISCAL YEAR 2016 (FY16) SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS/(SRB) PROGRAM AND FY16 BROKEN SERVICE SRB (BSSRB) PROGRAM.  REF D IS MCO 1040.31, ENLISTED RETENTION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT//
POC/MGYSGT JUSTIN AIKEN/INFANTRY OCCUPATIONAL FIELD SPECIALIST/PP(AND)O/POG30/TEL:703-697-4036/EMAIL: JUSTIN.AIKEN@USMC.MIL//
POC/LTCOL GORDON MILLER/INFANTRY ADVOCATE/PP(AND)O/POG30/TEL:703-614-4300/EMAIL: GORDON.D.MILLER@USMC.MIL//
POC/GS-14 HECTOR DUENEZ/DEPUTY MMIB/M(AND)RA/MMIB-1/TEL:703-784-9230/EMAIL: HECTOR.DUENEZ@USMC.MIL//
POC/MAJ CHRIS TIMOTHY/HEAD, ENLISTED MONITOR SECTION/M(AND)RA/MMEA-2/TEL:703-784-9948/EMAIL: CHRISTOPHER.B.TIMOTH@USMC.MIL//
POC/LTCOL MICHAEL MOTLEY/HEAD, ENLISTED RETENTION SECTION/M(AND)RA/ MMEA-1/TEL:703-432-9120/EMAIL: MICHAEL.MOTLEY@USMC.MIL//
POC/LTCOL TED CARD/BRANCH HEAD, GCE STANDARDS BRANCH, MAGTF TRAINING AND EDUCATION STANDARDS DIVISION/TECOM/C466/TEL:703-784-3038/EMAIL: EDWARD.CARD@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. AS THE INITIAL INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY, QUANTITY, MATURITY AND EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF LEADERSHIP AT THE SMALL UNIT LEVEL AND ACHIEVE LONG TERM GAINS TOWARDS MARINE CORPS READINESS GOALS, THE SQUAD LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SLDP) IS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY AND RETAIN INFANTRY MARINES WHO HAVE THE NATURAL TALENT AND LEADERSHIP QUALITIES TO SERVE AS SQUAD LEADERS IN FUTURE UNCERTAIN ENVIRONMENTS ACROSS THE RANGE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS.  THE FOCUSED EFFORTS OF COMMANDERS TO RETAIN OUR VERY BEST INFANTRY LEADERS WILL ENSURE DOMINANCE ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF TOMORROW.
2. THIS MARADMIN SOLICITS NOMINATIONS FOR SLDP FOR FY16.  IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN READINESS AND SMALL UNIT LEADERSHIP IN THE OPERATING FORCES (OPFOR), COMMANDERS ARE CHARGED TO IDENTIFY AND INSPIRE THEIR MOST TALENTED AND MATURE INFANTRY MARINES TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
2.A. PROGRAM MODIFICATIONS. SLDP IS AN EVOLVING PROGRAM TO ENABLE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF READINESS GOALS OF THE MARINE CORPS. THE FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES AND TENETS OF SLDP REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR FY16, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY CHANGED BY THIS MARADMIN.
2.A.1. ALL ACTIVE COMPONENT INFANTRY MARINES (WITH THE PRIMARY MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY (PMOS) OF 0311,0331,0341,0351, AND 0352), REGARDLESS OF THEIR CURRENT ASSIGNMENT, ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR SLDP AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.
2.A.2. MARINES MAY NOW APPLY FOR SLDP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
2.A.3. SLDP IN FY16 MODIFIES MANDATORY SERVICE OBLIGATIONS.
3. SLDP APPLICANT ATTRIBUTES.
3.A. COMMANDERS SHOULD ASSESS CORPORALS AND SERGEANTS IN THEIR CHARGE WITH A PRIMARY MOS (PMOS) OF 0311, 0331, 0341, 0351, AND 0352 THAT EXHIBIT SUPERIOR ATTRIBUTES TO TRANSITION INTO SLDP THAT MEET THE PMOS 0365 PREREQUISITES IN REF B.  SOME OF THE KEY SLDP ATTRIBUTES ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.
3.A.1. RECOGNIZED LEADERSHIP.  SLDP APPLICANT ACHIEVES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE FROM SUBORDINATES THROUGH INITIATIVE, INTELLECT, MOS PROFICIENCY AND PERSONAL EXAMPLE.
3.A.2. PERFORMANCE.  SLDP APPLICANT PRODUCES RESULTS THAT SURPASS EXPECTATIONS.  CREATES IMMEDIATE IMPACTS WHEREVER ASSIGNED. DEMONSTRATES ABILITY TO THINK CRITICALLY AND OPERATE AUTONOMOUSLY.
3.A.3. TALENT. SLDP APPLICANT HAS DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS DESPITE FRICTION AND ANTICIPATE MISSION REQUIREMENTS TO FORMULATE ENDURING SOLUTIONS.
3.B. SLDP TAILORED PROGRESSION CONCEPT.  ONCE IDENTIFIED AND ACCEPTED INTO SLDP, DEPUTY COMMANDANT, PLANS, POLICIES, AND OPERATIONS (DC, PP(AND)O), IN CONCERT WITH, COMMANDING GENERAL, MARINE CORPS COMBAT DEVELOPMENT COMMAND (CG, MCCDC) AND UNIT COMMANDERS, WILL DESIGN A TAILORED PROGRESSIVE TRAINING PLAN BASED ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND TALENTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MARINE TO COMPLETE THE 0365 PMOS REQUIREMENTS.  SLDP APPLICANTS ARE ENVISIONED TO FALL INTO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
3.B.1. CATEGORY 1.  MARINES WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED ISULC AND-OR SERGEANTS COURSE AND OTHERWISE MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 0365 MOS CONTAINED IN REF B.
3.B.2. CATEGORY 2.  MARINES WHO HAVE COMPLETED ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL INFANTRY COURSES BUT HAVE NOT YET COMPLETED ISULC OR SERGEANTS COURSE.
3.B.3. CATEGORY 3.  MARINES WHO HAVE COMPLETED COMBAT INSTRUCTOR COURSE BUT HAVE NOT YET COMPLETED BOTH ISULC AND SERGEANTS COURSE.
3.C. RETENTION ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
3.C.1. MUST MEET ALL RETENTION PREREQUISITES IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF D.
3.C.1.A. OBLIGATED SERVICE REQUIREMENT. TO MEET THE TENETS OF SLDP, MARINES REQUESTING THE OPFOR TRACK MUST HAVE AT LEAST 18 MONTHS OF OBLIGATED SERVICE TO COMPLETE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND SERVE AS A SQUAD LEADER IN THE OPFOR.  COMMANDERS SHOULD COUNSEL THEIR INTERESTED MARINES THAT UPON ACCEPTANCE INTO SLDP THEY WILL TRANSITION TO THE CAREER FORCE AND ARE EXPECTED TO GAIN OBLIGATED SERVICE TO SUPPORT MARINE CORPS REQUIREMENTS. MARINES REQUESTING THE COMBAT INSTRUCTOR (CI) TRACK WILL BE REQUIRED TO GAIN SUFFICIENT OBLIGATED SERVICE TO COMPLETE COMBAT INSTRUCTOR SCHOOL, AN ABBREVIATED CI TOUR OF 30 MONTHS PRIOR TO RETURNING TO THE OPERATING FORCES TO SERVE AS A SQUAD LEADER.
3.C.1.B. MARINES IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR RETENTION COHORT WILL SUBMIT FOR OBLIGATED SERVICE AND LATERAL MOVE (LATMOVE) TO M(AND)RA (MMEA-1) VIA THE CHAIN-OF-COMMAND. MARINES NOT WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR RETENTION COHORT OR WHO HAVE ALREADY REENLISTED CAN SUBMIT FOR SLDP VIA AN EXTENSION OF CURRENT CONTRACT OR LATMOVE REQUEST TO M(AND)RA (MMEA-1) VIA THE CHAIN-OF-COMMAND.  THE SLDP APPLICATION, BE IT REENLISTMENT, LATMOVE OR EXTENSION, MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE FIRST GENERAL OFFICER IN THE MARINE'S CHAIN OF COMMAND.
3.C.1.C. ACCEPTANCE INTO SLDP DISQUALIFIES THE MARINE FROM SUBMITTING ANY OTHER LATMOVE REQUESTS. ADDITIONALLY, AFTER ASSIGNMENT TO SLDP, MARINES WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM FURTHER M(AND)RA SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT SCREENING EFFORTS UNTIL WITHIN ONE YEAR OF COMPLETION OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.
3.C.2. MARINES WHO ARE CURRENTLY SERVING AS COMBAT INSTRUCTORS (CI) (0913 MOS) MUST BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ISULC AND SERGEANTS COURSE BY THEIR 30TH MONTH WHILE ON THEIR CI (0913 MOS) TOUR TO APPLY FOR SLDP.
4. COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS
4.A. APPLICATION PROCESS CHANGE. THE SLDP APPLICATION PROCESS IS CONTINUOUS/YEAR ROUND. MARINES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS IMMEDIATELY FOR SLDP INDICATING OPFOR OR CI TRACK. THERE ARE NO CAPS ON THE NUMBER OF MARINES WHO CAN APPLY TO EITHER THE OPFOR OR CI TRACK, HOWEVER, TRACK DECISIONS WILL WEIGH THE MARINE'S DESIRES AND MARINE CORPS' REQUIREMENTS.
4.A.1. TO FACILITATE HQMC PROCESSING, THE FOLLOWING SUBMISSION CUTOFF DATES ARE PROVIDED: COHORT A: NO LATER THAN 4 SEPTEMBER 2015; COHORT B: NO LATER THAN 4 DECEMBER 2015; COHORT C: NO LATER THAN 4 MARCH 2016. MARINES SHOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL THE COHORT CUTOFF DATE TO APPLY.
4.A.2. TO ALLOW MARINES TIME TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR THEIR SCHOOL SEAT ASSIGNMENT, THE FOLLOWING COURSES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBMISSION WINDOW COHORTS LISTED IN PARA 4.A.1 ABOVE.
4.A.2.A. COHORT A.
4.A.2.A.1. OPFOR: ISULC-W 2-16 AND SGTS CRSE (CPCA) 9-16; SGTS CRSE (CLNC) 6-16 AND ISULC-E 2-16; SGTS CRSE (HI) 3-16 AND ISULC-W 2-16.
4.A.2.A.2. CI: CIS-W 2-16; CIS-E 2-16.  FOR MARINES REQUIRING A PCS TO AN SOI, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A LATER COMBAT INSTRUCTOR SCHOOL (3-16 OR 4-16).
4.A.2.B. COHORT B.
4.A.2.B.1. OPFOR: ISULC-W 3-16 & SGTS CRSE (CPCA OR 29P) 14-16; ISULC-E 3-16 AND SGTS CRSE (CLNC) 18-16; ISULC-W 3-16 AND SGTS CRSE (HI) 14-16.
4.A.2.B.2. CI:  CIS-W 3-16; CIS-E 3-16.  FOR MARINES REQUIRING A PCS TO AN SOI, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE ONLY FOR A 4-16 COMBAT INSTRUCTOR SCHOOL.
4.A.2.C. COHORT C.
4.A.2.C.1. OPFOR: ISULC-W 4-16 AND SGTS CRSE (CPCA) 21-16; SGTS CRSE (CLNC) 18-16 AND ISULC-E 4-16; ISULC-W 4-16 AND SGTS CRSE (HI) 21-16.
4.A.2.C.2. CI: CIS-W 4-16; CIS-E 4-16.
4.B. THE FY16 SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS (SRB) FOR A 48 MONTH 0365 CONTRACT COMMITMENT AND GUIDANCE REGARDING THE COMPUTATION OF A PRORATED SRB FOR LESSER PERIODS OF OBLIGATED SERVICE IS OUTLINED IN REF C.
4.C. AS A LESSON LEARNED FROM FY15 SLDP PILOT AND TO ENSURE A BETTER TRAINED, EDUCATED AND MATURE INFANTRY SERGEANT SQUAD LEADER IS LEADING MARINES IN THE OPFOR, COMMANDING GENERALS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MENTOR MARINES WITH GREATER THAN 6 YEARS TIME-IN-SERVICE AND SERGEANTS WITH GREATER THAN 2 YEARS TIME-IN-GRADE TO APPLY FOR THE OPFOR TRACK VICE THE CI TRACK.
4.D. ADMINISTRATIVE CONFLICTS. IF THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN THIS MARADMIN AND PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO SLDP, THIS MARADMIN TAKES PRECEDENCE. THE PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION, ADVANCED INFANTRY TRAINING PREREQUISITES, AND IF APPLICABLE CI SCHOOL PREREQUISITES, REMAIN A REQUIREMENT TO APPLY FOR SLDP. ALL OTHER REQUIREMENTS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND ACTIONS LISTED IN REF A REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR FY16.
4.E. ADDITIONAL DETAILS CAN BE LOCATED AT THE SLDP WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.HQMC.MARINES.MIL/PPO/UNITHOME/SLDP.ASPX.
4.F. POINT OF CONTACT INFORMATION.  MARINES ARE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THEIR UNIT CAREER PLANNER OR OPERATIONS CHIEF FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING SLDP.  ADDITIONAL POINTS OF CONTACT ARE LISTED AT THE TOP OF THIS MARADMIN.
5. THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE ACTIVE COMPONENT ONLY.
6. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN M. A. BRILAKIS, DEPUTY COMMANDANT, MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS, HEADQUARTERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS.//