Marines


Plans Program and Budget FAQs

Seal with USMC eagle globe and anchor in the center with the words People Process Purpose around the center, with the top banner that states "Manpower Plans & Policy, and the bottom banner that states "Manpower & Reserve Affairs".
Manpower Plans Programs and Budget Branch (MPP)
Quantico, Virginia
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Expand List item 7152Collapse List item 7152  When am I projected to promote?

Projections vary month-to-month; however, the monthly promotion MARADMIN publishes projected promotions two-months in advance.

Expand List item 7153Collapse List item 7153  Where can I find the zones chart?

You can find the zones chart at this link:
Current zone chart  

Expand List item 7154Collapse List item 7154  What is the promotion opportunity on the next board?

Promotion opportunity varies annually based on fiscal year requirements, projected vacancies, and projected losses. Once the board convenes, the precept will be published on the Promotions Section within Manpower Management Performance Branch (MMPB).

Expand List item 7155Collapse List item 7155  Are we expanding the officer promotion zones?

Similar to promotion opportunity, the size of promotion zones is determined by fiscal year requirements, projected vacancies, projected losses, and cohort inventory. MPP-30 will update the zones chart semi-annually to reflect any changes. Current zone chart  

Expand List item 7156Collapse List item 7156  Is there a promotion obligation upon accepting promotion?

Unlike enlisted promotions, there is no obligation associated with officer promotion.  However, officers desiring to retire in their promoted grade must fulfill the time-in requirements outlined in MCO 1900.16_, paragraph 2003 Voluntary retirement and in accordance with the National Defense Act of 2021, paragraph 3 of MARADMIN 141/23 the Time In Grade requirements for voluntary retirement in the grade of Major is three years.

Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) / Warrant Officer Management Act (WOMA) requirements for Chief warrant officers, and commissioned officers must serve:

GRADE                                  REQUIREMENT
CWO2 - CWO5                       2 Years
2ndLt, 1stLt                             6 Months
Capt                                        2 Years
Maj  – Gen                              3 Years

Waivers.  The designated approval authority may waive any portion of the TIG requirement in individual cases involving extreme hardship or exceptional circumstances, except the minimum period for the grades specified as indicated below:

Grade                                 Approval Authority                      Minimum TIG
CWO2 - CWO5                   DC, M&RA                                     6 months
2ndLt – Maj                         DC, M&RA                                     6 months
LtCol & above                     Secretary of the Navy                    2 years
                                            President                                       6 months

Additional Obligated Service. Officers attending a Service school under various programs or who receive special training in compliance with official orders must complete additional incurred obligated service.

Obligated Service                                                Service School or Training
Less than 20 weeks                                               12 months
20 weeks or more                                                   24 months
MAWTS-1/WTI                                                        24 months
Naval Fighter Weapons School                              24 months
Operational Support Aircraft                                   36 months
Instructor (FRS, MATSG, NATC)                            36 months

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Expand List item 7160Collapse List item 7160  What manpower impacts do I need to consider when creating a new initiative? Who do I need to speak with?

There are a multitude of things to consider when initiating a change that will impact the Human Resource Development Process. Plans and Coordination Section (MPP-10) is an entry way for new initiatives and their team can facilitate the proper sourcing of information requests from within the Human Resource Personnel Pillar (P-Pillar). 

Expand List item 7161Collapse List item 7161  What is the difference between actual, chargeable, and assignable inventory of human capital?

 Actual – The total number of Marines in active-duty enlisted inventory (Component Code 11) regardless of category (includes patients, prisoners, and trainees)
Chargeable – The total number of Marines in the active-duty enlisted inventory (Component Code 11) minus trainees.
Assignable - The total number of Marines in the active-duty enlisted inventory (Component Code 11) minus patients, prisoners, and trainees.

Expand List item 7159Collapse List item 7159  What is the Street to Fleet (STF) Working Group?

 The STF Working Group works together to plan and execute the Marine Corps accession plan and entry level production.  They will work to identify organizational and institutional issues and present them to follow-on manpower boards for guidance or decision.

Expand List item 7157Collapse List item 7157  What is Memo-01?

 Memo-01 is published at the beginning of each FY and directs the necessary accession and retention missions required to meet the target end strength. Memo-01 provides MCRC, MM, RA, TECOM, and TRNGCMD key information necessary to execute their missions and amplifying guidance regarding monthly shipping goals. Critical elements of Memo-01 include: officer accessions by category, monthly accession forecasts, enlistment bonus programs employed by MCRC, retention goals, and force augmentation programs.

Expand List item 7158Collapse List item 7158  What is the HRDP?

This Order defines the processes used to manage AC and RC human resources and illustrates how these processes are synchronized in order to support the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ human resource requirements and maximize operational readiness in support of institutional requirements.
The MCO is available here MCPEL MCO 5250.1 Human Resource Development Process

Expand List item 7162Collapse List item 7162  What is the Grade Adjusted Recapitulation (GAR)?

The GAR is a manpower planning tool, used within M&RA, for developing inventory to meet future Marine Corps manpower requirements. The GAR is future is the future inventory of the Marines by grade and by MOS. It reflects billet requirements (ASR), accounts for Prisoners, Patients, Transients, and Trainees (P2T2), and accounts for non-PMOS billets, i.e. recruiter, DI, 8014/8006.

Expand List item 7163Collapse List item 7163  What is a Program Enlisted For (PEF) code?

A PEF groups Primary Military Occupational Specialties (PMOS) by prerequisites. Every Marine Corps’ applicant enlists within a PEF, not a specific MOS.

Expand List item 7164Collapse List item 7164  What is the difference between MOS Prerequisites vs PEF SOU criteria?

The MOS Manual is the source document for all prerequisites and are established to reduce attrition at an entry-level training (ELT) MOS-producing schoolhouse. It only serves as an indicator to screen whether an applicant has the physical requirements or the ability to successfully demonstrate the 1000-level training and readiness tasks at the MOS’s ELT schoolhouse. The PEF SOU Criteria ensure an applicant has the prerequisites to ship under the PEF for classification into one of the PMOS pipelines.