thedrifter
03-18-07, 02:54 PM
Corps reviewing Japan tour policy
By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 18, 2007 14:00:48 EDT
The Corps is reviewing policies for unaccompanied assignments in Japan, according to the service’s top commander.
In 2004, the Corps extended unaccompanied tours there from one to two years, with accompanied tours going to three years, putting the service in line with the other armed services.
The Corps planned to phase in the policy shift over five years, assigning senior single officers and enlisted Marines to Japan on two-year orders first, then junior officers, followed by all enlisted Marines by 2008, according to MarAdmin message 529/03.
Former Commandant Gen. Mike Hagee changed the unaccompanied assignment policy at the time because commanders complained that one-year assignments created too much turnover, Commandant Gen. James Conway explained to reporters March 14 in Washington, D.C.
“One-year stayers don’t give us the continuity that we need for the long term,” he said.
But the policy isn’t sitting well with some of the leathernecks affected.
“I can understand, certainly, that if it’s tough for people to be in operating forces and gone for a significant period of time, and then if you wind up going overseas, let’s say even to a base assignment but you’re there for two years without your family, we’re exacerbating that problem,” Conway said.
“I think we’ve got to look at the whole of this and see what is effective, what is compassionate and gets the job done best,” he added.
Ellie
By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 18, 2007 14:00:48 EDT
The Corps is reviewing policies for unaccompanied assignments in Japan, according to the service’s top commander.
In 2004, the Corps extended unaccompanied tours there from one to two years, with accompanied tours going to three years, putting the service in line with the other armed services.
The Corps planned to phase in the policy shift over five years, assigning senior single officers and enlisted Marines to Japan on two-year orders first, then junior officers, followed by all enlisted Marines by 2008, according to MarAdmin message 529/03.
Former Commandant Gen. Mike Hagee changed the unaccompanied assignment policy at the time because commanders complained that one-year assignments created too much turnover, Commandant Gen. James Conway explained to reporters March 14 in Washington, D.C.
“One-year stayers don’t give us the continuity that we need for the long term,” he said.
But the policy isn’t sitting well with some of the leathernecks affected.
“I can understand, certainly, that if it’s tough for people to be in operating forces and gone for a significant period of time, and then if you wind up going overseas, let’s say even to a base assignment but you’re there for two years without your family, we’re exacerbating that problem,” Conway said.
“I think we’ve got to look at the whole of this and see what is effective, what is compassionate and gets the job done best,” he added.
Ellie