Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF) is a leadership strategy and lifestyle framework. It is designed to optimize warfighter performance, readiness, lethality, and resilience across four mutually supporting domains: Mental, Physical, Social, and Spiritual. MCTF transcends traditional fitness models by strengthening every Marine, unit, and family throughout their service and beyond, ensuring enduring mission effectiveness. Marine Corps Total Force Framework
The Directorate has four branches:
Combat Power Preservation Branch
Marine & Family Outreach and Support Branch
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR)
Warrior Athlete Readiness and Resilience (WARR)-Semper Fit
The Combat Power Preservation Branch focuses on ensuring the readiness and lethality of our force, preventing harmful behaviors, and the strengthening of Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF) by taking an integrated, holistic approach. We are teaching rank-specific life-skills and targeted prevention efforts in Enlisted Professional Military Education (EPME). These skills include peer-to-peer led instruction regarding lethal means safety, prevention through strengthening total fitness, operationalizing MCTF, and ensuring the high-fidelity execution of our Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) programs to build a more resilient and effective force.
The Embedded Preventive Integrated Capability’s (EPIC) civilian public health professionals advise, inform, and support commanders in the coordination of integrated prevention strategies and resources in order to optimize unit resilience. They provide qualitative and quantitative data analysis and perform coordinating functions to inform policy and prevention strategies, support strategic decision-making, synchronize lines of effort, and ensure the effective deployment of resources. EPIC staff do not provide individual counseling or therapy; however, they do provide a linkage to the medical and non-medical resources as a primary stakeholder in prevention. Prevention centers on efforts that occur before harmful behaviors. Our mission is to collaborate with stakeholders internal and external to the Marine Corps to promote positive behaviors and build skills to improve the well-being of the community. For more information, email SMB_HQMCprevention@usmc.mil.
Operational Stress Control and Readiness Program (OSCAR) The OSCAR Program enables a cohesive ready force that promotes the long-term health and well-being of Marines. OSCAR Teams comprised of specially trained Marines (known as OSCAR Marines), Extenders, and mental health professionals (MHP) assist commanders and Marine leaders in preventing, identifying, and managing the impacts of stress to maintain warfighting capability. OSCAR extenders include medical staff, chaplains, and corpsmen. The OSCAR Program is for Marines, by Marines, and leverages the science on the benefits of connectedness and peer support to assist commanders and Marine leaders in keeping Marines and the unit ready and in the “green”. As a leadership tool, the OSCAR Program is a premier commander's strategy to influence command climate, culture, unit cohesion, and Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF). Governed by policy and doctrine, OSCAR is a force-wide standard that strengthens readiness, builds resilient formations, and keeps Marines in the fight. MCO 5351.1A cements OSCAR as an enduring warfighting capability, not just an initiative. Policy drives clarity, discipline, and accountability. These documents will ensure Marines at every level of the OSCAR Program understand their role in preserving combat power and taking care of their brothers and sisters. The OSCAR SharePoint site contains training, guidance, and resources. (CAC Authorized Personnel Only) For more information, email the OSCAR Program at Headquarters Marine Corps, smb_hqmc_coscc@usmc.mil.
Suicide prevention is a readiness and force preservation priority that directly supports the health, resilience, and lethality of the force. Suicide has lasting impacts on Marines, Sailors, families, and unit readiness across the Corps. As part of the Combat Power Preservation Branch within the Marine Corps Total Fitness Directorate, Suicide Prevention Capability (SPC) at Headquarters Marine Corps provides policy, oversight, technical expertise, strategic communication, and enterprise-wide coordination to strengthen the Marine Corps Suicide Prevention System. SPC works to educate Marines and their families on suicide prevention, mental wellness, and available support resources while advancing evidence-informed initiatives through the MCTF Framework.
Suicide Prevention Capability Combat Power Preservation Branch Marine Corps Total Fitness Directorate Marine and Families Division Headquarters Marine Corps Manpower & Reserve Affairs Email: SMB_HQMCSPC@usmc.mil Suicide Prevention Program Manager Dr. T. J. Owens, PhD Email: tomomi.j.owens@usmc.mil Phone: (703) 432-8629 Suicide Prevention Program Specialist Lisa LaPorte, M.Ed. Email: alisa.laporte@usmc.mil Phone: (703) 784-9484 Suicide Prevention Program Specialist Jennifer Green Email: jennifer.j.green@usmc.mil Phone: (703) 432-9198 Suicide Prevention Program Specialist Maria Lee Phone: (703)-784-5953 Suicide Prevention Program Specialist Sara Ressler Email: sara.p.ressler.civ@usmc.mil (703)784-0206 Suicide Prevention Specialist Nicole Farley, MSW Email: nicole.a.farley@usmc.mil
The Marine & Family Outreach and Support Branch’s goal is to support and promote mission readiness by keeping Marines and their families mentally and emotionally strong. Through teaching stress management techniques, coping skills, and early warning signs of distress, we are able to address problems in their early stages.
The Marine Corps Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is responsible for the identification, assessment, counseling, advocacy, and intervention of family violence. These efforts aim to reduce the risk and occurrence of child abuse and neglect, domestic abuse, and problematic sexual behaviors in children and youth (PSB-CY) in the Marine Corps. FAP also ensures a coordinated community response to child abuse and neglect as well as intimate partner abuse. FAP provides a range of services to support military families. These include Prevention and Education (P&E) programs that offer life skills training on relationships, anger and stress management, and parenting. Advocacy services provide support for victims of domestic abuse and non-offending parents of abused children, with 24/7 helpline access and resources like Transitional Compensation for Abused Dependents (TCAD) for financial, medical, and base privileges. Clinical Counseling services include screenings, assessments, services, and case management for victims, abusers, and families, with a focus on ensuring safety and preventing future abuse. Additionally, the New Parent Support Program (NPSP) offers education and assistance to military families expecting or raising children up to age 5. All FAP services are open to Marines, Sailors, other service members, and their families.
The Marine Corps Substance Assessment and Counseling Program (SACP) provides deterrence, prevention, education, assessment, and non-medical counseling to reduce and address substance misuse and problem gambling. SACP offerings inform about low-risk alcohol use and deter Marines from misuse of alcohol and prescription drugs and the use of illicit drugs. SACP includes three subsections: drug demand and reduction, prevention and education, and non-medical counseling services. The Marine Corps applies a public health approach to the integrated primary prevention of harmful behaviors, including substance misuse. The Marine Corps’ primary prevention delivery mechanism is Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF). MCTF strengthens Marines and families comprehensively across four domains of fitness: social, spiritual, mental, and physical. By enhancing resilience and reinforcing these four domains, MCTF helps prevent and reduce harmful behaviors.
The Marine Corps Community Counseling Program (CCP) provides non-medical counseling that is supportive in nature and addresses general conditions of living and life skills. The program’s focus is on improving relationships at home and at work, stress management, adjustment issues, sadness, worry, self-care, and grief and loss to encourage personal growth, development, and positive functioning. CCP services encompass the Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF) domains and improve social, mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. By enhancing resilience and reinforcing these four domains, MCTF helps prevent and reduce harmful behaviors.
The Marine Intercept Program (MIP) is a targeted intervention, using evidence-informed practices, for Marines who have had suicidal ideation(s) and/or a suicide attempt. MIP is provided by CCP counselors, acting as MIP care coordinators, who provide periodic outreach, care coordination, ongoing suicide risk assessment, increased coping skills through the application of a safety plan, and communication with command. MIP services complement and never duplicate medical treatment.
SAPR develops and manages evidence-informed initiatives with the goal of reducing incidents of sexual assault within the Marine Corps and providing world-class care to victims through primary prevention, building healthy relationship skills, and requiring engaged leadership at all levels. To learn more about SAPR services, please talk to your Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or SAPR Victim Advocate (VA). Active-duty Service members, Reserve Component members, and military dependents 18 years of age and older are eligible for the Marine Corps SAPR Program as defined in MCO 1752.5C, which also specifies eligibility for certain non-military personnel.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (usmc-mccs.org)
Military OneSource
DoD SAFE Helpline
The Warrior Athlete Readiness and Resilience (WARR)-Semper Fit Branch provides a system of integrated capabilities that support health, wellness, prevention, and performance across all domains of Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF).
WARR-Semper Fit programs enable the lethality of individual Marine warfighters, act as a force multiplier for Marine units, and enhance the well-being and quality of life for Marines and their families. These prevention-focused programs build readiness, develop capability, and expand resiliency through research-based and evidence-led programming.
Programs include strength and conditioning/fitness, performance nutrition and food skills, performance education, Single Marine Program, recreation centers, sports medicine and injury management, installation sports and recreation, All-Marine Sports and Athletics, applied mental skills and cognitive performance, aquatics conditioning, performance, and recreation programs, and outdoor experiential learning systems.
Function
Contact
Marine and Family Programs (MF)
703-784-9501
Casualty Assistance
703-784-9512
Operational Stress Control and Readiness (OSCAR) Program
703-432-0173
Community Counseling Program
703-732-9707
Embedded Preventive Behavioral Health Capability
703-432-8629
Family Advocacy Program
703-432-9787
Family Care
703-432-9786
Military Personnel Services
Personal and Professional Readiness
703-784-6353
Postal Affairs
703-784-9537
Semper Fit and Recreation
703-432-6544
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (Outreach and Education)
703-784-1283
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (Policy and Compliance)
703-784-0509
Substance Assessment and Counseling Program
703-432-1359
Suicide Prevention Capability
703-784-9087