UNCLAS 160738Z MAR 07
CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL ALMAR(UC)
ALMAR
ALMAR 034/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MCCDC//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS MARTIAL ARTS PROGRAM
(MCMAP) UPDATE//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CMC WASHINGTON DC MCCDC C469/16DEC2002//
NARR/REF A IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 1500.45A, MARINE CORPS
MARTIAL ARTS PROGRAM (SHORT TITLE: MCMAP).//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/
1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ALMAR IS TO PROMULGATE MY
GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT FOR THE MCMAP. MCMAP IS INTEGRAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND
SUSTAINMENT OF OUR WARRIOR ETHOS AND IT CONTINUES TO BE UPDATED BASED ON LESSONS
LEARNED TO BETTER PREPARE MARINES FOR THE CHALLENGES OF CURRENT AND FUTURE
BATTLEFIELDS. IT IS A KEY ASSET IN DEVELOPING BOTH WARFIGHTING SKILLS AND
CHARACTER THAT ALL COMMANDERS SHOULD BE UTILIZING TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL.
2. MCMAP IS COMPOSED OF THREE DISCIPLINES THAT HELP FORM THE FOUNDATION OF ALL
THAT WE DO AS MARINES. THESE DISCIPLINES ARE MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND CHARACTER.
A. THE MENTAL DISCIPLINE IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMBAT MINDSET AND AN
UNDERSTANDING OF COMBATIVE BEHAVIOR. IT IS ABOUT HONING A MARINE'S MOST POWERFUL
WEAPON, THE MIND, THROUGH THE STUDY OF THE ART OF WAR, OUR LEGACY AND ETHOS, OUR
WARFIGHTING DOCTRINE, AND THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT.
B. THE PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE IS THE MASTERY OF CLOSE-IN FIGHTING TECHNIQUES AND
THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND CONFIDENCE.
C. THE CHARACTER DISCIPLINE IS THE BEDROCK OF MCMAP. IT HAS, AT ITS CENTER,
THE MARINE CORPS ETHOS THAT INCLUDES OUR CORE VALUES OF HONOR, COURAGE, AND
COMMITMENT, AS WELL AS THE LEGACY OF SELFLESS AND HONORABLE SERVCE PASSED
ON FROM ONE GENERATION OF MARINES TO THE NEXT. MCMAP UTILIZES DISCUSSIONS
TO SUSTAIN THE TRANSFORMATION THAT BEGINS IN BOOT CAMP AND CONTINUES THROUGHOUT
A MARINE'S LIFE. WITHOUT EMPHASIS ON CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINMENT,
MCMAP BECOMES JUST ANOTHER MARTIAL ARTS-BASED FIGHTING METHOD.
WITH IT, THE PROGRAM HELPS SUSTAIN OUR CORPS ETHOS AND SETS THE CONDITION
FOR SUSTAINING OUR LEGACY.
3. AS COMMANDERS DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THEIR MCMAP TRAINING PROGRAMS,
ALL MUST EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHARACTER TIE-INS AND DISCUSSIONS.
MCMAP PROVIDES LEADERS AT EVERY LEVEL WITH A METHOD FOR DEVELOPING ALL
MARINES AS RIFLEMEN AND ETHICAL WARRIORS, MARINES WHO KEEP THEIR HONOR CLEAN
AND ALWAYS STAND FOR SOMETHING GOOD. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL USE MCMAP
FOR ALL ITS INTENDED PURPOSES.
4. REFERENCE A PROVIDES THE SPECIFIC PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
EXECUTION OF MCMAP THROUGHOUT THE CORPS. ACCORDINGLY, I AM DIRECTING
THAT THE FOLLOWING TRAINING REQUIREMENTS BE ACHIEVED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE
OUR MARINES WITH THE TRAINING NEEDED TO SUSTAIN OUR ETHOS AND LEGACY.
ALL MARINES, BOTH ACTIVE AND RESERVE, WILL BE TRAINED TO TAN BELT BY
THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 2007. ALL INFANTRYMEN WILL BE TRAINED TO GREEN
BELT BY THE END OF CY 2008. ALL OTHER COMBAT ARMS MARINES WILL BE TRAINED
TO GRAY BELT BY THE END OF CY 2008.
5. I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF
MCMAP AND FOR ENSURING THAT ALL MARINES HAVE THE MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND
CHARACTER DISCIPLINE NEEDED FOR SUCCESS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
6. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//