MARADMIN 412/20 - Implementation of Observed Academic Fitness Reports at Officer Resident Professional Military Education Courses

Scope

MARADMIN 412/20 provides additional guidance on the submission of academic fitness reports for Marine officers attending resident officer professional military education (PME) and graduate education programs (GEP) beginning in academic year 2020-2021. The MARADMIN supports the 38th Commandant's planning guidance, the SECNAV Education for Seapower strategy, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff vision for PME and talent management. Reports use the current fitness report form. Academic fitness reports do not impact the Reporting Senior (RS) or Reviewing Officer (RO) profile. Applicability is the Marine Corps Total Force.

Audience

• Marine officer students at resident PME and GEP programs. Receive an observed academic fitness report on completion of the assigned academic program.
• RSs and ROs at Marine Corps University. Author the academic fitness reports under the new framework.
• Instructors, directors, and faculty advisors. Contribute to Section I narrative under the new framework.
• Commanding General, Training and Education Command (CG TECOM). Coordinated the policy with HQMC M&RA.
• DC Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Issues the policy.
• Marines in congressional fellowships and Olmsted scholar programs. Not subject to the observed academic FITREP.

Programs requiring an observed academic fitness report

Resident PME programs. Career level: Expeditionary Warfare School, Captains Career Courses. Intermediate level: Air Command and Staff College, Army Command and General Staff College, College of Naval Command and Staff, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Foreign PME for majors. Advanced Intermediate level: Maritime Advanced Warfighting School, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, School of Advanced Military Studies, School of Advanced Warfighting. Top Level: Air War College, Army War College, College of Naval Warfare, Marine Corps War College, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Foreign PME for lieutenant colonels, National Defense University, CMC Fellowships for lieutenant colonels.

Resident GEPs. Special Education Program at Naval Postgraduate School, Air Force Institute of Technology, Public Affairs Graduate Program, Law Program. Advanced Degree Program for Law, Education Officer, Historian, and Leader Education and Development. International Affairs Programs for Foreign Area Officer and Regional Affairs Officer at NPS. Doctor of Philosophy Programs for CMC Strategist Program and PhD Technical program.

GEP students receive an observed academic fitness report annually and on completion of the assigned course of study.

Programs excluded

• Congressional fellowship programs.
• Olmsted scholar programs.

FITREP completion rules

1. Section A Item 3.c (type). Enter A for academic duty.
2. Section A Item 6.a (commendatory material). Check with an explanatory comment in Section I if the Marine is designated a distinguished graduate (generally top 10 percent of the class) or receives an academic or writing award. Standard commendatory material still applies per MCO P1610.7A.
3. Section B. Reflect the nature and desired outcomes of the academic program.
4. Section C. Comment on academic standing. Annotate graduating grade point average (GPA) and class standing. Identify students who finish in the top 30 percent of the class. When a program does not recognize academic standing or calculate GPA, provide context for the absence. List other significant student activities and achievements, including degree conferred, key billets held, papers written, participation in activities beyond the core curriculum, and contributions to the institution.
5. Sections D through H. Mark not observed (h).
6. Section I. Complete word picture of the student academic performance. RSs, ROs, instructors, directors, and faculty advisors apply existing fitness report attributes and additional topics highlighting skills demonstrated in the academic environment.
7. Section K. RO assessment addressing career potential. Address potential for service in the next rank and in critical billets. Speak to specific skills for the assignment process. ROs marking sufficient in Section K.1 provide a mark for comparative assessment. The mark does not go on the RO profile per MCO P1610.7A. The mark gives the selection board a sense of the student relative standing within the academic program.

Action items

1. Identify every Marine officer assigned to a resident PME or GEP from the program lists.
2. Coordinate with Marine Corps University and the host institution to establish the academic FITREP submission timeline.
3. Pull the FITREP templates with the academic duty type code A pre-populated.
4. Brief Marines on the academic FITREP framework before the start of the academic year.
5. Confirm congressional fellowship and Olmsted scholars sit outside the academic FITREP requirement.

Connection to higher policy

• Commandant's Planning Guidance Implementation Plan, 2019-10-21. Implementation plan for the 38th CMC planning guidance.
• CMC Memorandum dated 2020-02-20. Directed actions supporting the CMC planning guidance implementation.
• SECNAV Memorandum dated 2020-05-19. Education for Seapower decisions and immediate actions.
• SECNAV Education for Seapower Strategy, 2020-03-02.
• Joint Chiefs of Staff Vision and Guidance for PME and Talent Management, 2020-05-01.
• MCO P1610.7A (later replaced by MCO 1610.7B). Performance Evaluation System Order in effect at release.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine

• MCO 1610.7B. Performance Evaluation System (PES). The successor to MCO P1610.7A. Apply current PES rules in combination with the academic FITREP framework.
• MARADMIN 308/23. Revision of MCO 1610.7. Companion PES update.
• MARADMIN 634/23. Annual Fitness Report Schedule update. Companion schedule change.

Status

Released 18 July 2020, DTG R 171828Z JUL 20. Originator CMC Washington DC MRA. Release authorized by Lieutenant General M. A. Rocco, Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Coordinated with CG TECOM. Applicability is the Marine Corps Total Force. POC LtCol Daniel M. Dowd at MMRP, 703-784-3993, daniel.dowd@usmc.mil. Active starting academic year 2020-2021. Verify the FITREP completion rules against the current MCO 1610.7B before applying.