Clarifying Guidance Pertaining to Fitness Report Omission Criteria
This MARADMIN clarifies when annual fitness reports may be omitted, specifying that reports cannot be omitted for Marines eligible for any HQMC board (promotion, command, school, or slating) or when the report would be adverse. Reporting officials may omit annual reports if another report will occur within 180 days, with an exception for Marines in academic training under 12 months who will receive academic fitness reports.
Issued: May 5, 2026
1. Purpose. To provide clarification regarding omission criteria specified in reference b. 2. The annual (AN) fitness report schedule arranges annual report due dates to correspond with the convene date of HQMC promotion boards. All annual occasion dates ensure the promotion selection board is supplied with recent and relevant information to aid in the selection of the Corps' best and most qualified personnel. 3. Reporting officials may omit AN and Annual Reserve (AR) reports if it is known in advance that another occasion will occur within 180 days of the scheduled AN or AR occasion, except as prohibited in 3.a. and 3.b. below. 3.a. The omission of the AN and AR report is not authorized for personnel who will be considered in any zone of any board at HQMC, including boards for command, school, and slating. Omission of annual reports for board eligible Marines is inconsistent with the sole intended purpose of the fitness report as a reporting tool for use in CMC talent management decision-making. 3.b. The omission of the annual report is not authorized when the report would be adverse. When the annual report is omitted and adversity later occurs, the adversity will be documented on the next natural reporting occasion in accordance with Chapter 5 of reference (a). 3.c. The omission is authorized, regardless of board eligibility, for any MRO assigned to academic training of less than 12 months duration who will receive an academic fitness report. In these cases, all information will be captured properly in the applicable report (eg., Grade Change, Transfer, From TAD). 3.c.1. All personnel, including students, are encouraged, but are not required, to submit correspondence to the President of the Board for which they are being considered. For more information about how to submit correspondence, reference the board announcement MARADMIN. 4. This MARADMIN is applicable to the Total Force. 5. Release authorized by Lieutenant General William J. Bowers, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.