ALMAR 034/08
R 111626Z AUG 08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG MCCDC QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/CHANGE 1 TO ALMAR 033/08 MARINE CORPS BODY COMPOSITION
AND MILITARY APPEARANCE PROGRAM (MCBCMAP)//
REF/A/MSGID:MCO/MCBCMAP/08AUG2008//
POC/MCGUIRE B./COL/UNIT:TECOM/NAME:(703)784-0098
/EMAIL:BRIAN.J.MCGUIRE@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THIS ALMAR IS THE SECOND OF TWO THAT INFORMS
MARINES OF REVISIONS TO THE MARINE CORPS PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAM
(MCFPF) AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARINE CORPS BODY COMPOSITION AND
MILITARY APPEARANCE PROGRAM (MCBCMAP). THIS MESSAGE SPECIFICALLY
ADDRESSES THE BODY COMPOSITION PROGRAM (BCP) AND MILITARY APPEARANCE
PROGRAM (MAP). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ADMINISTRATION OF THE
SUBJECT PROGRAMS MAY BE FOUND AT HTTP://WWW.TECOM.USMC.MIL.
2. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE MARINE CORPS REVIEW OF BODY COMPOSITION
PROGRAMS INDICATES WE STILL HAVE MARINES THAT FAIL TO MEET BODY
COMPOSITION STANDARDS WHO ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO A BCP. THIS IMPACTS
COMBAT EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS AND, UNFORTUNATELY, IS A CLEAR
INDICATOR OF SOME COMMANDERS' FAILURE TO ENFORCE STANDARDS.
3. I RECENTLY SIGNED REFERENCE (A) - THE NEW ORDER ON BODY
COMPOSITION AND MILITARY APPEARANCE. IT SEVERS THE LINK BETWEEN
PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST SCORES AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE, AND INSERTS A
COMMANDER'S ASSESSMENT INTO THE PERSONAL APPEARANCE EVALUATION
PROCESS. CHANGES TO THE BCP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MAP ARE
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
4. MARINE CORPS HEIGHT, WEIGHT, AND BODY COMPOSITION STANDARDS ARE
DERIVED DIRECTLY FROM DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STANDARDS WHICH ARE
BASED UPON EXTENSIVE TESTING AND HEALTH-BASED RESEARCH FINDINGS.
HEIGHT/WEIGHT STANDARDS MAY BE FOUND AT THE WEBSITE; USMC BODY
COMPOSITION STANDARDS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A. MALE
AGE 17-26 18%
AGE 27-39 19%
AGE 40-45 20%
AGE 46+ 21%
B. FEMALE
AGE 17-26 26%
AGE 27-39 27%
AGE 40-45 28%
AGE 46+ 29%
5. INFORMAL PROGRAM. BECAUSE THE BODY COMPOSITION AND MILITARY
APPEARANCE PROGRAMS REPRESENT A CHANGE TO THE EXISTING PROGRAM,
UNITS WILL ESTABLISH AN INFORMAL PHASE, CONDUCTED NORMALLY BY THE
EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR OFFICERS AND THE SENIOR ENLISTED ADVISOR FOR
ENLISTED MARINES. THE INFORMAL PHASE IS FURTHER BROKEN DOWN INTO
TWO PERIODS THAT ARE INTENDED TO ALLOW MARINES THE OPPORTUNITY TO
LOSE OR REAPPORTION WEIGHT, IN ORDER TO AVOID ASSIGNMENT TO THE
COMMANDERS' FORMAL BCP PROGRAM.
A. 60-DAY NOTIFICATION PERIOD. MARINES INITIALLY DETERMINED BY THE
UNIT TO BE OUT OF STANDARDS WILL BE ISSUED AN INFORMAL LETTER OF
CONCERN BY THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OR SENIOR ENLISTED ADVISOR AND A
MEASURABLE 60 DAY ACTION PLAN. METHODS FOR TRACKING MARINES AND
THEIR PROGRESS DURING THIS PERIOD IS A UNIT DETERMINATION, BUT NO
SERVICE RECORD BOOK COUNSELING OR UNIT DIARY ENTRIES WILL BE MADE.
B. 60-DAY CAUTIONARY PERIOD. IMMEDIATELY AT THE END OF THE
NOTIFICATION PERIOD, IF SUFFICIENT PROGRESS HAS NOT BEEN MADE TO
REMOVE THE MARINE FROM A SUPERVISED EFFORT, A LETTER OF CAUTION WILL
BE ISSUED BY THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OR SENIOR ENLISTED ADVISOR. THIS
LETTER WILL WARN THAT IF THE MARINE DOES NOT MEET THE ESTABLISHED
STANDARDS OVER THE FOLLOWING 60 DAYS, THAT ASSIGNMENT TO A FORMAL
UNIT PROGRAM IS INEVITABLE. UNIT LEADERSHIP SHOULD REEVALUATE THE
MARINE'S WEIGHT LOSS/REAPPORTIONMENT PLAN FOR EFFECTIVENESS. AGAIN
SERVICE RECORD BOOK COUNSELING AND UNIT DIARY ENTRIES WILL NOT BE
MADE DURING THIS PERIOD.
6. FORMAL OR BODY COMPOSITION PROGRAM. IF MARINES DO NOT MEET THE
ESTABLISHED HEIGHT-WEIGHT STANDARDS AND/OR ALLOWABLE BODY FAT
PERCENTAGES AT THE END OF THE INFORMAL UNIT PROGRAM, THEY WILL
IMMEDIATELY BE PLACED ON THE MARINE CORPS BODY COMPOSITION PROGRAM
BY THE COMMANDING OFFICER. A UNIT DIARY ENTRY WILL BE MADE FORMALLY
ASSIGNING THE MARINE TO THE PROGRAM AND A COUNSELING ENTRY SHALL BE
MADE IN THE SERVICE RECORD BOOK. THE COMMANDER WILL REVIEW THE
WEIGHT LOSS OR REAPPORTIONMENT PLAN THE MARINE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING
DURING THE PREVIOUS 120 DAYS FOR EFFECTIVENESS AND PROBABLE
ADJUSTMENT. HE WILL MAKE AVAILABLE EVERY RESOURCE TO HELP THE
MARINE RETURN TO A SUITABLE LEVEL OF FITNESS AND APPEARANCE.
FINALLY, HE WILL ENSURE THE MARINE UNDERSTANDS THE NEGATIVE
CONNOTATION ASSOCIATED WITH BEING ASSIGNED THE PROGRAM AND THAT LACK
OF PROGRESS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF REENLISTMENT OPTIONS, PROMOTION
OPPORTUNITY AND EVEN DISCHARGE.
7. COMMANDER'S MILITARY APPEARANCE PROGRAM. BECAUSE MARINES COME
IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, THERE IS AN IMPERATIVE TO ENSURE THAT THE
COMMANDER HAS A CONTINUOUS SAY IN THE ASSIGNMENT OF HIS MARINES TO
PROGRAMS DEALING WITH BODY COMPOSITION.
A. THE AUTHORITY OF THE COMMANDER IS SUCH THAT SHOULD HE OR SHE
DECIDE THAT A MARINE IS WITHIN HEIGHT-WEIGHT STANDARDS, THE BODY
COMPOSITION PERCENTAGES, OR BOTH, THAT MARINE CAN STILL BE ASSIGNED
TO THE MILITARY APPEARANCE PROGRAM. SUCH AN ASSIGNMENT WOULD
NORMALLY BE ORIENTED TOWARDS WEIGHT REDISTRIBUTION, VICE LOSS, AND A
MARINE SHOULD BE GIVEN THE BENEFITS OF THE INFORMAL PROGRAM BEFORE
BEING FORMALLY ASSIGNED THE APPEARANCE PROGRAM. SHOULD AN
ASSIGNMENT TO THE FORMAL PROGRAM BE NECESSARY, THE COMMANDER WILL
PROVIDE THE RESOURCES, COUNSELING'S, AND UNIT DIARY ENTRIES AS CITED
ABOVE. SHOULD A MARINE NOT SHOW PROGRESS WHILE ON THE PROGRAM,
REENLISTMENT AND PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE DENIED.
B. THE COMMANDER ALSO HAS THE POWER, THROUGH THE MILITARY
APPEARANCE PROGRAM, TO DETERMINE THAT ALTHOUGH A MARINE IS OUTSIDE
HEIGHT-WEIGHT AND BODY COMPOSITION STANDARDS, THAT HIS OR HER
UNIFORMED APPEARANCE IS COMMENSURATE WITH THAT OF A SQUARED AWAY
MARINE. SHOULD THAT BE A COMMANDER'S DETERMINATION, THAT OFFICER
HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK A WAIVER FOR THE MARINE THROUGH THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND. HQMC (CODE M&RA) IS THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY. THE
METHOD FOR SEEKING SUCH A WAIVER IS DESCRIBED AT THE WEBSITE.
C. TO MAINTAIN FAIRNESS AND IMPARTIALITY, MARINES ASSIGNED TO THE
MILITARY APPEARANCE PROGRAM WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL THEIR
STATUS TO THE NEXT HIGHER OFFICER IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
8. TENDENCIES TOWARD INCREASED WEIGHT HAVE BECOME A DANGEROUS TREND
OVER THE LAST DECADE IN OUR AMERICAN SOCIETY. BUT MARINES ARE
DIFFERENT. EVEN DURING A PERIOD OF CONFLICT, WE HOLD OURSELVES TO A
HIGHER STANDARD AND WE MUST, ALL OF US, MAINTAIN THAT STANDARD. IN
THE END IT HAS TO DO WITH COMBAT EFFICIENCY. RESOURCES ARE
AVAILABLE AS NEVER BEFORE TO OVERCOME WEIGHT PROBLEMS, AND LEADERS
-- FROM THE FIRE TEAM THROUGH MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMAND -- ARE
ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM TO HELP OUR FELLOW MARINES.
9. FOR COMMANDERS: SELECTIVE COMPLIANCE WITH MARINE CORPS ORDERS
ON WEIGHT CONTROL IS OVER. ADMITTEDLY, DECISIONS TO ASSIGN MARINES
TO THE BODY COMPOSITION AND MILITARY APPEARANCE PROGRAMS ARE
DIFFICULT, AND SOMETIMES INVOLVE MARINES WHO ARE OTHERWISE SOLID
PERFORMERS. IT IS, HOWEVER, THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL AND FOR THE INSTITUTION. YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE FITNESS AND WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAMS AND YOU
WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.
10. THIS ALMAR IS APPLICABLE TO THE TOTAL FORCE MARINE CORPS.
11. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//