Marines enact stop-loss plan for all; some GIs also held in place

[thedrifter]

By Sandra Jontz and Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, January 9, 2003



ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps has enacted a stop-loss policy, which was effective Tuesday, that affects all Marines, regardless of their military occupational specialty.

"The reason is because of current deployment orders and the Marines involved in those deployments," said Marine Lt. Col. Brian Byrne, enlisted plans section head for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

"We needed to stabilize personnel levels in our units and one of the ways to stabilize is through stop-move and stop-loss policies. This will apply to all MOSs equally," Byrne said.

The Army quietly put out a "stop movement" order of its own around Christmas that affects select units, who "know who they are," Army officials confirmed Tuesday.

The policy could affect roughly 14,000 Marines who thought they would be separating or retiring in the near future. The policy affects Marines with separation dates after Jan. 8, and those who have an approved retirement date of after April 1.

There are exceptions, which aren't spelled out, because for the first time, general officers will have latitude in determining whether a Marine should continue service, Byrne said.

"Now they can go look at the individual Marine and determine if it is in the best interest of the Marine Corps and the country to keep you. The general officer can say 'I need your skills and you're going to stay.'

"There are circumstances in which keeping them would be a bad thing for service, such as a physical disability or a medical problem that would prevent them from being able to participate," Byrne said. The leaders also can take into account "humanitarian reasons," such as a sick child at home, he added.

The Corps also enacted a stop-move policy, meaning those who have received permanent change of station, or PCS, orders. Those Marines won't be able to make those moves. The two exceptions are those with PCS orders to a joint duty station or to a special duty assignment, Byrne said.

The Navy rescinded its stop-loss policy in August, and has no stop-move policy.

The Air Force rescinded all stop-loss in June, and has no stop-movement policy, according to Air Force spokeswoman Valerie Burkes.

The Army

The Army order affects "active component units — and they know who they are — supporting a certain operational plan," Maj. Steve Stover said in a telephone interview.

"Soldiers for those units will not be going anywhere" until the order is rescinded or the plan executed, whichever comes first, Stover said.

Army troops in the Pacific, in particular those soldiers assigned to Korea as part of the 2nd Infantry Division, probably won't be affected by the stop movement order, because the Army has a long-standing, though unwritten, policy that keeps those soldiers in place no matter what else is happening around the globe.Stover declined to say how many soldiers are affected by the order, which doesn't keep people from retiring or leaving the service at their scheduled time, but does prevent PCS moves.

Sempers,

Roger

[thedrifter]

Date signed: 01/07/2003 MARADMIN Number: 007/03 P 071500Z JAN 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML MARADMIN(n)
MARADMIN
BT
UNCLAS
MARADMIN 007/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/MPP-20//
SUBJ/MCBUL 1900. MARINE CORPS STOP MOVE AND STOP LOSS POLICY//
REF/A/DOC/SECNAV MEMO/07JAN2003//
REF/B/MSG/CMC/01NOV2001/MPP-20/-/NOTAL//
REF/C/MSG/CMC/07JAN2002/MPP-20//
REF/D/MSG/CMC/13SEP2002/MPP-20//
REF/E/MSG/CMC/271100Z/PPO/-/NOTAL//
REF/F/DOC/CMC/30MAY2001//
REF/G/DOC/CMC/07JUN2001//
NARR/REFERENCE A IS SECNAV APPROVAL FOR LIMITED SUSPENSION OF LAW
AND POLICY RELATING TO RETIREMENT AND SEPARATION FOR ESSENTIAL
PERSONNEL.
REFERENCE B IS STOP LOSS MESSAGE IN SUPPORT OF 4TH MEB (AT).
REFERENCE C IS MARADMIN 012/02 (STOP LOSS POLICY FOR PERSONNEL
WITHIN THE C-130 COMMUNITY).
REFERENCE D IS MARADMIN 491/02 (STOP LOSS POLICY FOR FORCE
PROTECTION PURPOSES).
REFERENCE E PROVIDES ROTATION GUIDANCE FOR UNITS IN THE UNIT
DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
REFERENCE F IS MCO P1900.16F, MARINE CORPS SEPARATIONS MANUAL
(MARCORSEPMAN).
REFERENCE G IS MCO P1080.40C, THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE
SYSTEM PERSONNEL REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
MANUAL (MCTFSPRIM).//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/-//
RMKS/1. BACKGROUND
A. AS OUTLINED IN REFERENCE A, THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY HAS
AUTHORIZED THE USE OF STOP LOSS FOR ALL MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL
(ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS) EFFECTIVE 15 JAN 2003.
B. REFERENCE B PROVIDED THE FIRST STOP LOSS POLICY AND WAS
LIMITED TO MARINES IN SUPPORT OF THE 4TH MEB(AT). REFERENCE
C PROVIDED THE SECOND ITERATION TO THE STOP LOSS POLICY AND
STABILIZED STAFFING FOR THE C-130 COMMUNITY. REFERENCE D
PROVIDED THE THIRD ITERATION OF STOP LOSS AND FOCUSED ON
MEETING FORCE PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS.
C. REFERENCE E PROVIDES INFORMATION ON CHANGES TO ROTATION
POLICY FOR UNITS IN THE UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM. THE POLICY
CONTAINEDHEREIN WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ON PERSONNEL
ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHANGE IN ROTATION POLICY.
D. THIS POLICY ADDRESSES TWO ISSUES. FIRST, IT PROVIDES
GUIDANCE FOR THOSE MARINES WHO ARE EXPECTING TO CHANGE DUTY
STATIONS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THIS IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS
STOP MOVE. SECOND, THIS POLICY INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDS THE DATE
OF SEPARATION (EAS, EOS, ECC, RESECC, AND MANDATORY PARTICIPATION
DRILL STOP DATE) FOR ALL MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL (ACTIVE AND
RESERVE) UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF SECTIONS 123 AND 12305,
TITLE 10 UNITED STATES CODE (USC). THIS IS COMMONLY REFERRED
TO AS STOP LOSS.
E. THIS POLICY IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST IN MEETING MANPOWER
REQUIREMENTS FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS, AND WILL, THEREFORE, EVOLVE TO
REMAIN RELEVANT TO FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN MISSION REQUIREMENTS AND
OUR INVOLVEMENT IN CURRENT OPERATIONS.
2. ACTION
A. STOP MOVE. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, UNLESS OTHERWISE
DIRECTED BY CMC (CODE MM/RAM), ALL ORDERS FOR MARINES WITH A
DETACH DATE OF 15FEB 03 OR LATER WILL BE HELD IN ABEYANCE.
HOWEVER, MARINES IN THE INITIAL ACCESSION TRAINING PIPELINE
(I.E., RECRUIT TRAINING,MOS PRODUCING SCHOOL, ETC.) WILL EXECUTE
PCS ORDERS AS PUBLISHED. ADDITIONALLY, ENLISTED MARINES WITH
ORDERS TO PRIMARY MOS CAREER PROGRESSION SCHOOLS OR MARINES
APPROVED FOR LATERAL MOVE IN THE FOLLOWING CRITICAL MOS(S)
(02XX, 2336, 26XX, 2823, 2834, 4429, AND 6276) WILL EXECUTE
ORDERS AS PUBLISHED. MARINES IN RECEIPT OF PCS ORDERS TO AND
FROM THE FOLLOWING DUTY ASSIGNMENTS WILL EXECUTE ORDERS AS
PUBLISHED:
(1) JOINT DUTY
(2) RECRUITING DUTY
(3) DRILL INSTRUCTOR DUTY
(4) MARINE SECURITY GUARD DUTY
(5) MARINE CORPS SECURITY FORCES DUTY
(6) MARINE COMBAT INSTRUCTOR DUTY
(7) DUTY AT NROTC UNITS
(8) WARRANT OFFICER BASIC COURSE (WOBC)
(9) SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
(10) ALL COMMISSIONING PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE THE BOOST
PROGRAM
B. STOP LOSS
(1) REFERENCES B, C, AND D ARE HEREBY CANCELLED. MARINES
INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED UNDER THE POLICY CONTAINED IN THESE
REFERENCES WILL CONTINUE TO BE RETAINED IN THEIR CURRENT STATUS IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE POLICY OUTLINED BELOW.
(2) UPON RECEIPT OF THIS MARADMIN, COMMANDERS WILL APPLY
THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED HEREIN TO MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL WHO HAVE
AN EAS, EOS, ECC, RESECC, AND MANDATORY PARTICIPATION DRILL STOP
DATE OF 15 JAN 03 AND LATER.
(3) THE FIRST GENERAL OFFICER IN THE MARINE'S CHAIN OF
COMMAND WILL DETERMINE IF IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE
SERVICE TO ALLOW THE MARINE TO SEPARATE. THE DECISION TO APPROVE
SEPARATION MUST BE CONSIDERED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT CMC
(MM/RAM) MAY NOT PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT GIVEN CURRENT PERSONNEL
CONSTRAINTS, STOP MOVEMENT, AND POLICIES UNDER CONSIDERATION.
(4) COMMANDERS WILL CONTINUE TO SEPARATE AND RETIRE, PER
REFERENCE F, THOSE MARINES WHO ARE DENIED FURTHER SERVICE DUE TO
SERVICE LIMITS, MANDATORY RETIREMENT, OR REMOVAL DATES.
ADDITIONALLY, COMMANDERS WILL CONTINUE TO PROCESS AND SEPARATE
MARINES FOR REASONSOF HARDSHIP, PHYSICAL DISABILITY, INVOLUNTARY
ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATION,OR VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM CODE OF
MILITARY JUSTICE (UCMJ), AS APPROPRIATE. ANY REQUEST TO PROVIDE
CONTINUED SERVICE FOR PERSONNEL IN THE CATEGORIES LISTED ABOVE
SHALL BE FORWARDED EXPEDITIOUSLY TO CMC (MMSR) FOR REGULAR
COMPONENT MARINES AND COMMARFORRES FOR RESERVE COMPONENT MARINES.
(5) RETIREMENTS
(A) COMMANDERS WILL NOT STOP LOSS MARINES WHO HAVE AN
EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT OF 1 APR 03, OR EARLIER.
(B) COMMANDERS DESIRING TO EITHER CANCEL OR DELAY A
MARINE'S APPROVED VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE
AFTER 1 APR 03 MUST PROVIDE JUSTIFICATION TO THIS HEADQUARTERS
(MMSR). THIS JUSTIFICATION MUST INDICATE WHETHER THE MARINE
AGREES TO CANCEL OR DELAY THE RETIREMENT. IF THE MARINE DOES NOT
DESIRE TO CANCEL OR DELAY THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT, THEN
JUSTIFICATION MUST INCLUDE A CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPACTS
UPON THE MARINE IF THE RETIREMENT IS INVOLUNTARILY CANCELED OR
DELAYED.
(C) COMMANDERS WILL CONTINUE TO PROCESS, PER REFERENCE
F, RETIREMENT REQUESTS. REQUESTS REQUIRE A FAVORABLE ENDORSEMENT
BY THE FIRST GENERAL OFFICER IN THE MARINE'S CHAIN OF COMMAND FOR
CMC (MMSR) TO PROCESS. FINAL APPROVAL FOR RETIREMENTS WILL RESIDE
WITHIN HQMC (MM) BASED UPON CURRENT NEEDS OF THE CORPS. THOSE
REQUESTS SUBMITTED THROUGH MCTFS OR VIA NAVAL MESSAGE WILL IMPLY
THAT THIS FAVORABLE ENDORSEMENT HAS BEEN GRANTED.
D) THIS HEADQUARTERS WILL PROCESS ALL PREVIOUSLY
SUBMITTED RETIREMENT REQUESTS IAW REFERENCE F. COMMANDERS DESIRING
TO CHANGE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED RETIREMENT REQUESTS WILL PROVIDE
JUSTIFICATION AS REQUIRED IN PAR 2B(5)(B) ABOVE.
(6) COMMANDERS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO RECALL TO DUTY MARINES
WHO HAVE DEPARTED ON PERMISSIVE TAD AND/OR TERMINAL LEAVE IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT. TERMINAL LEAVE
AND PTAD HAS BECOME AN EXPECTED PART OF SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT.
HOWEVER, PERMISSIVE TAD AND TERMINAL LEAVE ARE NOT ENTITLEMENTS.
THEREFORE, APPROVAL IS SUBJECT TO COMMANDERS' DISCRETION WITH
REGARDS TO THE NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE UNIT AND SERVICE.
(7) COMMANDERS WILL RELEASE MARINES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY
AND MARINES PREVIOUSLY INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED UNDER REFERENCES B,
C, AND D NO LATER THAN 12-MONTHS BEYOND THE MARINES ORIGINAL
SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT DATE. OUR CURRENT INTENT IS TO
INVOLUNTARILY EXTEND MARINES FOR A MAXIMUM OF 12 MONTHS.
3. ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
A. REPORTING UNITS WILL REPORT INVOLUNTARY EXTENSIONS VIA
NAVAL MESSAGE (FOR OFFICERS) AND UNIT DIARY (FOR ENLISTED).
B. FOR OFFICERS INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED UNDER THIS POLICY
WHO HAVE SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO RESIGN AND HAVE RECEIVED AN
APPROVED SEPARATION DATE AFTER 15 JAN 03, COMMANDERS WILL SUBMIT
A NAVAL MESSAGE TO CMC (MMSR-3) REQUESTING THESE OFFICERS BE
INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED. UPON RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE, CMC
(MMSR-3) WILL RUN A UNIT DIARY ENTRY TO REMOVE THE END OF CURRENT
CONTRACT (ECC) DATE. COMMANDERS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THEIR
FEEDBACK REPORTS FOR THIS ENTRY.
C. FOR ENLISTED MARINES INVOLUNTARILY EXTENDED
UNDER THIS POLICY, REPORTING UNITS WILL RUN THE ENTRIES BELOW
CONCURRENTLY. THIS ACTION MUST OCCUR WITHIN 90-DAYS PRIOR TO THE
MARINE'S EAS/ECC. COMMANDS WILL CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE SUPPORTING
MISSO TO HANDLE THOSE CASES WHERE A MARINE'S EAS/ECC IS UNDER
30-DAYS.
(1) TTC 081 000 (EAS COFGI) PER PAR 30304.6 OF REFERENCE
(G) OR TTC 081 001 FOR RESERVISTS PER PAR 30305.1 OF
REFERENCE (G).
(2) TTC 119 000 (INVOL EXTENL 12 MOS)
(3) REPORTING TTC 119 000 WILL AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE THE
MEMBER STRENGTH CATEGORY CODE TO "O" (OSCAR), WHICH HAS BEEN
CHANGED TO REFLECT "STOP/LOSS." REPORTING UNITS ARE DIRECTED NOT
TO REPORT STRENGTH CATEGORY CODE "O" (OSCAR) AS A SEPARATE
TRANSACTION. D. LOCAL COMMANDERS WILL RE-ISSUE MILITARY
IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH AN
EXPIRATION DATE 12-MONTHS BEYOND THE ORIGINAL EXPIRATION DATE FOR
THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY. FOR THOSE MARINES RELEASED PRIOR
TO THIS DATE, LOCAL COMMANDERS WILL FOLLOW ID COLLECTION POLICIES
FOR NORMAL EARLY RELEASE AS OUTLINED IN REFERENCE (G).
. RESERVE APPLICABILITY
A. THIS BULLETIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE
AND THOSE FMCR PERSONNEL CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY. THIS AUTHORITY
CAN BE USED TO INVOLUNTARILY EXTEND IMA, SMCR, AND IRR MEMBERS ON
MOBILIZATION ORDERS. ADDITIONALLY, ALL INTERSERVICE TRANSFERS OF
READY RESERVES ARE HEREBY SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

continued.............

[thedrifter]

B. IN THE CASE OF IMA AND IRR MEMBERS BEING EXTENDED, GAINING
FORCE COMMANDS MUST REQUEST ORDERS MODIFICATIONS FROM THE
COMMANDING GENERAL, MARINE CORPS RESERVE SUPPORT COMMAND, WHO WILL
APPROPRIATELY ADJUST EAS/ECC DATES. MOBILIZED SMCR MEMBERS MAY BE
SELECTIVELY EXTENDED ON THE AUTHORITY OF COMMARFORRES. MOBILIZED
SMCR,IMA, AND IRR MEMBERS MAY NOT BE EXTENDED BEYOND THE
COMPLETION OF 24-CUMULATIVE MONTHS OF ACTIVATED SERVICE.
C. STOP LOSS EXTENDS THE MANDATORY DRILL PARTICIPATION STOP
DATE OF ALL OBLIGOR RESERVISTS. NON-OBLIGOR RESERVISTS WHO
REQUEST TRANSFER OR RESIGNATION MAY BE EXTENDED IN A DRILLING
STATUS FOR UP TO 12-MONTHS BEYOND THEIR REQUESTED
TRANSFER/RESIGNATION DATES.
D. THIS AUTHORITY PROHIBITS ALL SMCR AND IMA MEMBERS FROM
VOLUNTARILY TRANSFERRING TO THE IRR (OBLIGORS AND NON-OBLIGORS)
AND REQUIRES THEM TO ATTEND IDT AND ANNUAL TRAINING AS SCHEDULED.
MEMBERS ATTAINING THEIR MANDATORY DRILL PARTICIPATION (MDP) STOP
DATE WILL BE RETAINED IN A DRILLING STATUS.
E. THIS AUTHORITY IS NOT MEANT TO PROHIBIT RESERVE ACCESSIONS
TO THE AR PROGRAM OR THE ACTIVE COMPONENT, OR TRANSFER MEMBERS FROM
THE IRR TO THE SMCR. ADDITIONALLY, THIS AUTHORITY DOES NOT PROHIBIT
INTER-UNIT TRANSFERS OF SMCR MEMBERS, ALTHOUGH ALL REQUESTS FOR SMCR
INTER-UNIT TRANSFERS MUST BE APPROVED BY COMMARFORRES.
5. POC FOR POLICY QUESTIONS IS MAJOR BAUER, DSN: 278-9387, POC FOR
SEPARATION QUESTIONS IS MAJOR RICE, DSN: 278-9315, COMM: (703) 784-9315. COMM: (703) 784-9361 OR 9365. POC FOR RESERVE ISSUES IS
MAJOR MACE, DSN: 278-9136, COMM703) 784-9136.
6. CANCELLATION DATE 31 JAN 2004.//

Sempers,

Roger

[wrbones]

You do know what that means don't ya? Just fer the folks who haven't figgered it out.

[eddief]

I hope this war is really about weapons of mass destruction
and not oil. If this war is really about oil the President will
have blood on his hands.

[SHOOTER1]

WHAT, BLOOD FROM THE TWIN TOWERS, AT LEAST SOMETHING IS BEING DONE, NOT JUST TALKED ABOUT, AND CHECK YOUR HISTORY, THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY IS BASED ON A WAR TIME ECONOMY, EVERY TEN TO TWENTY YEARS, THE U.S. HAS A WAR OR CONFLICT, AND YES, EVEN IN THE BIBLE THEY HAD WARS, GOOD OR BAD, THATS LIFE, ELSE WHY WOULD ANY OF US BE MARINES.......

[eddief]

If someone can show me a connection between Iraq and
Al Queda that's not innuendo I'll jump right on the war
bandwagon.

[SHOOTER1]

So you think Al Queda is financed stricktly by ben ladon,NOT, saddam has not only sent money for thier training, but helps hiding some of the terrerists ,and the fact that someone of his ilk has the potential to unleash weapons of mass destruction, and would not be afraid to do so is quite unthinkable.

[wrbones]

Ya need to pay attention to the news boys. one terrorist died in Iraq recently who the world court had been looking for fer some time. Other items of use by terrorists have been found in Iraq as well. Including some rather unusual poisons. Some of these stories are ran one time and that's all you hear about them.

[eddief]

The biggest supporter of Al Queda is Saudi Arabia. Are we going to bomb them to kingdom come? While were at in Iraq let's not
stop there. Let's carpet bomb Iran,Syria,and Saudi Arabia.
All these countries have Al Queda running around in them.