Deployment Tempo (DEPTEMPO) and Overseas Control Date (OCD) Policy

1.  PURPOSE.  TO PROVIDE POLICY REGARDING DEPTEMPO
AND OVERSEAS CONTROL DATES (OCD'S) AND ENSURE THAT MARINES' DEPTEMPO
AND OCD'S ARE BEING PROPERLY REPORTED.  THE OCD POLICY WITHIN THIS
MESSAGE SUPERCEDES THE OCD POLICY WITHIN REFS A THROUGH E.
2.  DISCUSSION:
A.  PRIOR TO 1 OCT 2000, THE MARINE CORPS TRACKED AND REPORTED
ACCUMULATED DEPLOYED TIME (ADT) AND USED IT TO ADJUST AND UPDATE
MARINES' OCD'S.  BOTH ADT AND OCD'S WERE UNIQUE TO THE MARINE CORPS,
WERE GOVERNED SOLELY BY MARINE CORPS POLICY, AND WERE USED TO
ADMINISTRATIVELY MANAGE THE PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT OF MARINES.  ADT AND
OCD POLICY IS CONTAINED IN REFS A, B, AND C.
B.  ON 1 OCT 2000, CONCURRENT WITH THE SERVICES BEGINNING TO
TRACK AND REPORT DEPTEMPO, THE MARINE CORPS CEASED USING ADT TO
ADJUST AND UPDATE MARINES' OCD'S AND BEGAN USING DEPTEMPO.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADT AND DEPTEMPO RESULTED IN CHANGES TO THE OCD
POLICY.  REFS D AND E PROVIDE EXISTING DEPTEMPO AND OCD POLICY.
C.  DEPTEMPO IS USED FOR PURPOSES THAT ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT
FROM 
ADJUSTING OCD'S.  DEPTEMPO IS A LEGISLATED REQUIREMENT, IS USED BOTH
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TO THE MARINE CORPS, AND ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE IS
TO PRECLUDE THE EXCESSIVE DEPLOYMENT OF SERVICE PERSONNEL; THE MARINE
CORPS PAYS A MONETARY PENALTY IF WE DEPLOY MARINES IN EXCESS OF
ESTABLISHED DEPTEMPO THRESHOLDS.
D.  DEPTEMPO GREATLY EXPANDS WHAT THE MARINE CORPS PREVIOUSLY
CONSIDERED A "DEPLOYMENT" UNDER ADT.  DEPTEMPO IS DEFINED AS ANY DAY
ON WHICH, PURSUANT TO ORDERS, A MARINE IS PERFORMING SERVICE IN A
TRAINING EXERCISE OR OPERATION AT A LOCATION OR UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES
THAT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE OR INFEASIBLE FOR THE MARINE TO SPEND
OFF-DUTY TIME IN THE HOUSING IN WHICH THE MARINE RESIDES WHEN ON
GARRISON DUTY AT HIS/HER PERMANENT DUTY STATION, OR HOMEPORT IF
ASSIGNED TO A SHIP.  DEPTEMPO INCLUDES PARTICIPATION IN A DEPLOYMENT,
OPERATION OR EXERCISE; FIELD DUTY AWAY FROM AND AT THE PERMANENT DUTY
STATION; PRE-DEPLOYMENT CONFERENCES; MISSION SUPPORT TAD; ETC.
E.  A DEPTEMPO "DAY AWAY" BEGINS ON ONE CALENDAR DAY AND ENDS ON
ANOTHER CALENDAR DAY.  A DAY AWAY DOES NOT REQUIRE A FULL 24 HOURS TO
BE CONSIDERED A CREDITABLE DEPTEMPO DAY, AND THE DAY OF RETURN DOES
NOT COUNT AS A DAY AWAY.  EXAMPLE, IF A MARINE DEPARTS ON MONDAY
MORNING AND RETURNS ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON, ONLY MONDAY COUNTS AS A
DEPTEMPO DAY.
F.  A MARINE'S DEPTEMPO COUNT BEGINS UPON HIS FIRST PERMANENT
ASSIGNMENT, IS RECALCULATED EACH AND EVERY DAY THEREAFTER, AND
CONTINUES FOR THE DURATION OF HIS CAREER.  A MARINE'S ACCRUED
DEPTEMPO DAYS TRANSFER BETWEEN ASSIGNMENTS REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF
UNIT THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO.  A MARINE'S DEPTEMPO COUNT IS BASED UPON A
FINITE PERIOD OF TIME -- THE AMOUNT OF DEPTEMPO A MARINE ACCRUES OVER
THE PRECEDING 730-DAY (TWO-YEAR) DEPTEMPO "WINDOW".  A MARINE'S
DEPTEMPO COUNT MAY INCREASE, REMAIN STEADY OR DECREASE AS HE GAINS
AND LOSES CREDITABLE DEPTEMPO DAYS WHILE THIS WINDOW ADVANCES, AND
MAY ACCRUE THE SAME NUMBER OF CUMULATIVE DAYS OF DEPTEMPO REPEATEDLY
DURING THE SAME ASSIGNMENT.
G.  AN OCD MAY BE CHANGED IN ONE OF TWO WAYS, BY "ADJUSTMENT" OR BY
"UPDATE".  AN ADJUSTMENT OF AN OCD IS ADDING THE NUMBER OF DAYS A
MARINE WAS IN AN OCD CREDITABLE STATUS TO A PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED
OCD.  FOR EXAMPLE, A MARINE'S PREVIOUS OCD IS 13 FEB 1998, MARINE
COMPLETES A 10-DAY CREDITABLE DEPLOYMENT ON 22 MAY 2003.  THE
MARINE'S OCD WOULD THEN BE ADJUSTED TO 23 FEB 1998.
H. A MARINE'S OCD MAY ALSO BE CHANGED BY AN UPDATE TO IT.  AN
UPDATE GIVES A MARINE A NEW DATE EQUAL TO THE DATE OF COMPLETION OF A
SPECIFIED EVENT.  FOR EXAMPLE, A MARINE WITH A PREVIOUS OCD OF 13 FEB
1998 COMPLETES THE SECOND OF TWO MAJOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS DURING
THE SAME OPERATING FORCE TOUR ON 22 MAY 2003.  THE MARINE'S
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTING UNIT WOULD MANUALLY UPDATE THE MARINE'S OCD
TO 22 MAY 2003.
I.  OCD'S ARE USED ALONG WITH OTHER ASSIGNMENT CONSIDERATIONS TO
PLACE MARINES IN THE PROPER SEQUENCE FOR ASSIGNMENT TO AN OVERSEAS
OR DEPLOYMENT-DESIGNATED UNIT TOUR.  OCD'S ALLOW THE QUEUING OF
MARINES
AND PRIORITIZING OF MARINES WITHIN THAT QUEUE TO ASSIST IN
FAIR-SHARING THE ASSIGNMENTS.
J.  THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE OCD IS AS A PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT TOOL;
TO PREVENT THE INVOLUNTARY ASSIGNMENT OF A MARINE TO A
DEPENDENT-RESTRICTED TOUR (I.E., PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION
ASSIGNMENT) FOR A PERIOD OF 24 MONTHS FROM THE TIME A NEW OCD IS
ASSIGNED.
K.  BOTH DEPTEMPO AND OCD'S ARE ALSO USED FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF
MARINES TO DEPLOYMENT DESIGNATED UNITS (UNITS DESIGNATED FOR THE
UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM (UDP) OR THE MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT (MEU)
OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS).  ESSENTIALLY, DEPTEMPO AND OCD'S ARE USED BY
THE CMC (MM) TO REASSIGN MARINES BETWEEN OVERSEAS AND CONUS
ASSIGNMENTS AND BETWEEN DEPLOYMENT DESIGNATED AND NON-DEPLOYMENT
DESIGNATED UNITS.
L.  MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICIES ARE MEANT TO
DISTRIBUTE THE HARDSHIP AND BURDEN OF OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENTS AND MAJOR
OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS AMONG MARINES AS EQUITABLY AS POSSIBLE.
ADDITIONALLY, ASSIGNMENT POLICIES REQUIRE A CAREFUL BALANCE BETWEEN
THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE.  CMC WILL
USE MARINES' DEPTEMPO COUNTS AND OCD'S FOR PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT
DECISIONS, BUT THESE ARE BUT TWO OF MANY CONSIDERATIONS IN MAKING
SUCH DETERMINATIONS.  WHILE THE CMC (MMOA/MMEA) WILL MAKE EVERY
EFFORT TO FAIR SHARE THE BURDEN OF DEPLOYMENTS AND OVERSEAS
ASSIGNMENTS AMONG MARINES, MISSION REQUIREMENTS TAKE PRECEDENCE.
M.  NORMALLY, ALL MARINES ASSIGNED TO A LOCATION WILL SERVE THE
PRESCRIBED MINIMUM TOUR LENGTH FOR THAT PERMANENT DUTY STATION,
REGARDLESS OF THEIR ACCRUED DEPTEMPO OR THEIR OCD.
N.  THE ACCRUAL OF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DEPTEMPO OR THE AWARDING OF AN
UPDATED OCD WILL NOT RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC REASSIGNMENT TO A
NON-DEPLOYING UNIT AND WILL NOT PRECLUDE CONSIDERATION FOR AN
OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENT.  WHEN REQUIRED, MARINES MAY REMAIN STABILIZED IN
THEIR CURRENT DEPLOYING UNIT, MAY BE REASSIGNED TO ANOTHER DEPLOYING
UNIT, OR MAY EVEN BE REASSIGNED OVERSEAS ON AN ACCOMPANIED TOUR.
3.  DEPTEMPO AND OCD POLICY:
A.  DEPTEMPO AND OCD'S APPLY TO ALL MARINES, ACTIVE AND RESERVE,
REGARDLESS OF GRADE, BILLET, OR TYPE OF UNIT (DEPLOYING OR
NON-DEPLOYING) THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO, INCLUDING THOSE MARINES ASSIGNED
TO HQMC, JOINT, EXTERNAL, AND INDEPENDENT BILLETS.
B.  THERE IS NO MINIMUM NUMBER OF DEPLOYED DAYS TO BE CREDITED FOR 
DEPTEMPO OR TO ADJUST A MARINE'S OCD.  INSTEAD, A MARINE IS CREDITED
FOR EVEN A SINGLE CREDITABLE "DAY AWAY".
C.  MARINES WHO ARE DEPLOYED RECEIVE OCD CREDIT BY RECEIVING AN 
AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT TO THEIR PREVIOUS OCD; ONE-DAY FOR EACH
CREDITABLE DAY THEY ARE DEPLOYED.  THIS ADJUSTMENT APPLIES TO ALL
CIRCUMSTANCES AND CATEGORIES OF DEPTEMPO EXCEPT MISSION SUPPORT TAD.
D.  OF THE 15 CATEGORIES OF DEPTEMPO, ONLY MISSION SUPPORT TAD DOES
NOT ADJUST A MARINE'S OCD, BUT IS DOES COUNT FOR DEPTEMPO PURPOSES.
E.  PERMISSIVE TEMPORARY ASSIGNED DUTY (PTAD) IS NOT A CREDITABLE
DEPTEMPO EVENT SINCE IT IS NOT DIRECTED.  THEREFORE IT DOES NOT
AFFECT A MARINE'S ACCRUED DEPTEMPO AND DOES NOT ADJUST THE MARINE'S
OCD.
F.  OCD'S ARE AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTED BY MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE
SYSTEM BASED UPON A DEPTEMPO TRANSACTION REPORTING THE DEPLOYED DAYS.
G.  OCD'S SHALL BE MANUALLY UPDATED BY THE MARINE'S COMMAND WHEN
CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT; THEY ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATED BECAUSE
DEPTEMPO REMARKS ALONE DO NOT EXPLAIN THE FULL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
HAVE OCCURRED AND WHICH MIGHT WARRANT UPDATING AN OCD.  FOR EXAMPLE,
MCTFS DOES NOT RECOGNIZE WHEN A MARINE COMPLETES THE SECOND OF TWO
CONSECUTIVE MAJOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE AN UPDATE
OF HIS OCD.  INSTEAD, MCTFS WILL ONLY ADJUST THE MARINE'S OCD ONE-DAY
FOR ONE-DAY.  COMMANDS THUS RETAIN POSITIVE CONTROL OVER UPDATING
THEIR ASSIGNED MARINES' OCD'S.
H.  A MARINE'S COMMAND WILL MANUALLY UPDATE A MARINE'S OCD WHEN ANY
ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR EVENTS OCCURS (ALL ARE EITHER A PERMANENT
ASSIGNMENT OVERSEAS OR AN EQUIVALENT):
(1) WHEN THE MARINE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES AN OVERSEAS PERMANENT
ASSIGNMENT, EITHER A DEPENDENTS-RESTRICTED, UNACCOMPANIED, OR
ACCOMPANIED ASSIGNMENT.  THIS WOULD INCLUDE A MARINE ON A
DEPENDENT-RESTRICTED ASSIGNMENT WHO COMPLETE ONLY AT LEAST 270
CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF THAT ASSIGNMENT; OR,
(2) WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES AN OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT OF NINE
CONTINUOUS MONTHS (270 DAYS) AWAY FROM THEIR PERMANENT DUTY STATION;
OR,
(3) WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES TWO MAJOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS OF AT
LEAST FIVE MONTHS (150-DAYS) DURATION EACH, DURING THE SAME OR
CONTINUOUS OPERATING FORCE TOUR.  THESE DEPLOYMENTS MAY BE UDP, MEU,
OR OTHER EQUIVALENT TYPES OF DEPLOYMENTS, AND MAY BE A COMBINATION OF
TYPES OF DEPLOYMENTS, E.G., ONE MEU AND ONE UDP; OR,
(4) WHEN THE MARINE COMPLETES AT LEAST SIX CONTINUOUS MONTHS (180
DAYS) DEPLOYMENT IN A HOSTILE FIRE AREA/COMBAT ZONE.  THIS DOES NOT
APPLY TO DEPLOYMENTS TO IMMINENT DANGER PAY AREAS.
I.  A "HOSTILE FIRE AREA" IS DEFINED AS ONE THAT HAD HOSTILE FIRE OR 
ACTION ACTUALLY OCCUR AND WHERE HOSTILE FIRE OR ACTION REMAINS A
CREDITABLE RISK.  HOSTILE FIRE AREA IS THE GEOGRAPHIC COMPONENT AND
HOSTILE FIRE PAY AREA IS THE TEMPORAL COMPONENT OF THE SAME
ASSIGNMENT.  THIS IS DISTINCT FROM AN IMMINENT DANGER PAY (IDP) AREA,
WHICH REPRESENTS A POTENTIAL FOR HOSTILE ACTION, AND WHICH BECOMES A
HOSTILE FIRE AREA UPON THE EVENT OF ACTUAL HOSTILE ACTION.
THEREFORE, MARINES ASSIGNED TO IDP ARE EXCLUDED UNLESS HOSTILE ACTION
OCCURS.
4.  ACTION:
A.  COMMANDERS ARE TO ENSURE THAT THE DEPTEMPO DATA ACCUMULATED
BY OUR MARINES, EVEN THOSE ASSIGNED EXTERNAL TO THE MARINE CORPS, IS
ACCURATELY RECORDED.  IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT THE REPORTING
AND TRACKING IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE AND TIMELY, IN ORDER FOR HQMC TO
MAKE CORRECT PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.  FURTHER, ACCURATE
REPORTING WILL ENSURE THAT MARINES WILL BE PROPERLY PAID IF THEY MEET
OR EXCEED THE ESTABLISHED PAYMENT THRESHOLD.
B.  COMMANDERS WILL ENSURE THAT, PER THE GUIDANCE ABOVE, THE OCD'S OF
THEIR ASSIGNED MARINES ARE ACCURATELY RECORDED, AND MANUALLY UPDATED
WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES APPLY.  COMMANDERS SHOULD REQUIRE A REVIEW OF
MARINES' RECORDS BACK TO 1 OCT 2000 IF NECESSARY TO ENSURE THIS IS
DONE.
C.  HQMC WILL PROMULGATE CHANGES TO REFS A THROUGH C TO INCLUDE THE
POLICY CONTAINED HEREIN.
5.  THE STAFF IN CMC (MPO) AND THE LOCAL MISSO OFFICE PERSONNEL ARE
AVAILABLE TO ASSIST UNITS IN VERIFYING AND CORRECTING UNDER-REPORTING
OR CLARIFYING POLICY, PROCEDURES AND GUIDANCE.