Force Preservation Council Overview

What the FPC Is

The Force Preservation Council is the commander's standing forum for proactive identification, assessment, and mitigation of individual risk factors across the unit. It is mandated under MCO 1500.60A and integrates with CMG, command climate review, and personnel decision processes.

The FPC is not advisory. The CO chairs. The CO validates every risk determination. The CO documents in CIRRAS.

Why It Matters

The 2025 USMC Warfighter Mental Readiness Playbook V3 and the USMC Command Suicide Prevention and Risk Mitigation Strategies both describe the FPC and CIRRAS as the standing infrastructure for force preservation. Every commander scenario in the Suicide Prevention guide ends with the same line: "Update FPC and CIRRAS to reflect current needs, issues, and actions leadership is taking to support Marine."

This is the operational tempo. Without FPC and CIRRAS current, the command's force preservation posture is unverifiable.

Non-Delegable Rules

Habitual XO substitution without MfR support is a finding under MCO 1500.60A.

What the FPC Covers

The council reviews Marines at elevated risk across categories. The Suicide Prevention guide identifies these as the most common patterns.

The FPC is not limited to suicide risk. The list above covers all critical stressors associated with elevated suicide risk per the Suicide Prevention guide Definitions section.

Integration with CMG

The Case Management Group is separate from the FPC. Both run monthly. CMG is SAPR-specific. FPC is force-wide.

When a Marine is in scope for multiple forums (a SAPR victim who is also flagged in CIRRAS as elevated risk), the case is briefed in both. Coordination prevents redundant decisions and ensures the full picture lands with the chair.

What Documentation FPC Produces

Each FPC produces records on three layers.

1. CIRRAS profile updates. Risk indication, current stressors, leadership actions taken, resources offered. Done in CIRRAS, not in a parallel spreadsheet.
2. Council minutes. Attendees, Marines reviewed, decisions made, action items assigned. Retained per local SOP.
3. Memorandum for Record. Required when CO does not chair. Retained 3 years. States why CO was unavailable and who chaired in lieu.

A FPC without CIRRAS update has no record. A FPC chaired by XO without MfR has a documentation gap.

Who Attends

Membership is set in the unit FPC SOP. The Suicide Prevention guide and Mental Readiness Playbook reference these recurring participants.

• Commander (chair, non-delegable)
• Executive Officer
• SgtMaj or Sergeant Major equivalent (SEA)
• Operations Officer or S-3 representative
• S-1 representative
• Chaplain
• Embedded behavioral health provider (OSCAR Provider) if assigned
• SARC or SAPR VA when SAPR overlap exists
• Family Readiness Officer when family factors are in play
• SACO / Unit Prevention Leader (UPL) for substance-related cases
• Marine for Life Network or UTC for transitioning Marines

Attendance discipline is set by the CO. A council habitually missing the chaplain or behavioral health representation misses critical resource awareness.

Confidentiality Discipline

CIRRAS individual profile access is restricted to uniformed users per MCO 1500.60A. This is not optional. Civilian staff and contractors do not have profile-level access.

Sharing FPC content beyond the chain of command requires the same need-to-know discipline as any other personnel information. Family members are notified only with the Marine's consent or under documented exceptions.

Common Failures

1. XO chairs habitually. MCO 1500.60A treats this as a finding. MfR required when CO is unavailable, not routine substitution.
2. CIRRAS profiles stale. Risk indication on a Marine briefed three months ago has not been updated. Force preservation posture is unverifiable.
3. FPC and CMG running in isolation. SAPR cases at elevated risk get briefed in CMG but not in FPC, missing the broader leadership view.
4. Civilian access to CIRRAS individual profiles. Direct violation of MCO 1500.60A Para 4.b.(3)(a).
5. No FPC SOP at the 90-day mark. MCO 1500.60A Para 4.b.(3)(n) violation.
6. Council without medical or chaplain representation. Resource awareness gap. Marines with behavioral health flags reviewed without the trained provider in the room.
7. Treating the FPC as a punitive forum. Marines flagged in CIRRAS are not in trouble. They are receiving documented leadership attention. Frame accordingly.

What FPC Is Not

The FPC is not a clinical case conference. Diagnoses are not discussed at the depth a clinical setting requires. The FPC ensures the leadership context is captured and resources are deployed. Clinical pathways run through the provider chain.

The FPC is not a SAPR forum. CMG owns SAPR case oversight.

The FPC is not a counseling event. Counseling happens before or after the FPC at the small-unit leader level.

Related Pages

• CIRRAS Commander Role (this topic, order 2) - profile updates, risk categories, warm handoff documentation standard
• New Join Elevated Risk (this topic, order 3) - 90-day automatic elevated risk rule for low-risk transfers
• FPC SOP and Meetings (this topic, order 4) - SOP publication, meeting cadence, attendance, documentation
• Suicide Attempt and Mental Health Crisis Response (Incident Playbooks) - 90-second checklist when crisis surfaces between councils
• First 30 Days Policy and Appointments (Turnover) - first FPC chair within 30 days post-CoC