Incident Playbooks
Incident Playbooks Overview
Decision tree for the 2 AM call. When a Marine is arrested, reports a sexual assault, attempts suicide, or otherwise triggers command response, this page routes you to the right playbook in under 60 seconds.
Command Actions
- Identify which playbook applies in the first 30 seconds
- Confirm whether the incident triggers OSTC, SAPR, or behavioral health pathways
- Make the non-delegable notifications inside the statutory or policy window
- Open the relevant playbook page for the 24-hour and 7-day actions
- Document the response - CIRRAS, FPC, and command records
Use This Page When the Phone Rings
Five incident types account for the majority of command response calls outside the battle rhythm. Each has a separate playbook page with the 90-second checklist, 24-hour actions, and 7-day routing.
This page is the triage step. Read it once now. Bookmark the role-tree branch. When the call comes, open the right page directly.
Decision Tree
Walk these questions in order. Stop at the first yes.
- Is the alleged conduct on the OSTC covered offense list? (Murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, child sexual offenses, kidnapping, domestic violence, stalking, retaliation, child pornography, substantiated sexual harassment, or conspiracy/solicitation/attempt of any of these.) → Open
covered-offense-incident. OSTC has exclusive referral authority. Do not act before notifying. - Is the report a SAPR Unrestricted Report? → Open
sapr-unrestricted-report. SARC notification is the first action. Many SAPR cases also fall under OSTC. Both playbooks apply. - Was the Marine arrested off-base or by civilian law enforcement? → Open
off-base-arrest. PMO liaison and the MCTFS legal hold are the first actions. - Did the Marine attempt suicide, express suicidal ideation, or get admitted to inpatient mental health or substance abuse care? → Open
suicide-attempt-response. Notification to command under DoDI 6490.08 is triggered. Warm hand-off and CIRRAS update follow. - None of the above but a Marine is in crisis or significantly impaired? → Default to the suicide-attempt-response checklist for the warm hand-off pattern, then escalate per the Force Preservation topic.
When two playbooks apply, run both. SAPR Unrestricted Reports often involve covered offenses. Suicide attempts often involve substance abuse referrals. The playbooks are designed to layer.
What Every Playbook Has in Common
Each page is structured the same way. Read the section matching the time you have.
| Section | Use When |
|---|---|
| 90-second checklist | The phone is in your hand. You need the first three actions now. |
| 24-hour actions | After the immediate notifications. Before the next watch turns over. |
| 7-day routing | The legal hold, the records, the boards, the documentation. |
| Non-delegable actions | What you, the CO, must do personally. |
| Common failures | The mistakes which taint the record or the proceeding. |
Non-Delegable Actions by Playbook
A reference summary. Each playbook page has the full list with citations.
| Playbook | Non-Delegable CO Actions |
|---|---|
| Covered Offense | OSTC notification verification, legal hold orders, CMG attendance |
| SAPR Unrestricted Report | CMG attendance, 72-hour victim case-status update |
| Off-Base Arrest | Decision on confinement (pretrial), MCTFS flag review |
| Suicide Attempt Response | First conversation with the Marine if reachable, warm hand-off coordination, command-directed evaluation decision |
Who You Notify Before You Act
Different incidents trigger different first calls. Get the order right.
| Incident | First External Call | Second |
|---|---|---|
| OSTC covered offense | Servicing LSSS/T to confirm OSTC jurisdiction | OSTC regional inbox (see OSTC Covered Offenses page) |
| SAPR Unrestricted Report | Installation SARC | SAPR VA assigned to victim |
| Off-base arrest | Civilian agency holding the Marine | Supporting SJA |
| Suicide attempt or hospitalization | Embedded behavioral health (if assigned) or medical provider | SgtMaj/SEA and immediate chain |
The Marine's family is not on this list by accident. Family notification protocol varies by incident type and by Marine's documented preferences. Each playbook page covers the specific rule.
What This Page Is Not
This page does not replace the playbook content. It routes you to it.
The playbooks do not replace legal counsel, the SARC, the behavioral health provider, or the Sergeant Major. They give you the questions to ask and the actions to take in the first hour. The trained professionals in your chain own the disposition.
If you have time before the next call, read each of the five playbook pages once. The pattern is the same on every page. Familiarity is the difference between 60-second triage and 6-minute confusion.
Related Topics
- Turnover topic. Every incident type is briefed at turnover. The Outgoing CO checklist and OSTC Covered Offenses pages are the inbound briefing reference.
- Force Preservation topic (forthcoming). The FPC and CIRRAS workflow runs every incident through the same monthly review.
- Battle Rhythm topic (forthcoming). The monthly CMG and FPC chairs are where ongoing incidents stay current.
Same topic, other roles
References
- MCO 1752.5C SAPR
- MCO 5800.16 All Volumes
- MARADMIN 633/24 OSTC
- MARADMIN 463/23 Self-Initiated Referral - The Brandon Act (18 Sep 2023)
- DoDI 6490.08 Command Notification Requirements (6 Sep 2023)
- DoDI 6490.04 Mental Health Evaluations (4 Mar 2013, as amended)
- MCO 1500.60A Force Preservation
- JAGINST 5800.7G CH-2
- US Navy Regulations Article 0807
Related Pages