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PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDANCE (PAG)- UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM (UDP) ;/PER DIEM EQUITY 

R 071243Z NOV 01
  FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//PA//
  TO MARADMIN
  BT
  UNCLAS
  MARADMIN 554/01
  MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
  SUBJ/PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDANCE (PAG)- UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM (UDP)
  /PER DIEM EQUITY//
  REF/A/ ALMAR 056 01/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC/021345ZNOV2001//
  AMPN/REF A IS A MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON DC CMC//
  POC/KEEFE TIM/MAJOR/DEPUTY PAO MCB QUANTICO/TEL:(703) 784-3341
  /EMAIL:KEEFETP@NT.QUANTICO.USMC.MIL//
  RMKS/REF/A/ALMAR 056/01
  RMKS/1. THE NEW POLICY TAKES EFFECT JUNE 1, 2002.  UNDER THE
  GUIDANCE, ENLISTED MARINES ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL BEGIN RECEIVING PER
  DIEM UNDER THE NEW RATE IMMEDIATELY.  OFFICERS ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL
  BE GRANDFATHERED AND CONTINUE TO BE PAID PER DIEM AT THE CURRENT
  RATE UNTIL THEY RETURN FROM THEIR DEPLOYMENTS.  OFFICERS WHO DEPLOY
  ON OR AFTER JUNE 1, 2002, WILL RECEIVE PER DIEM UNDER THE NEW RATE.
  2.  BACKGROUND:  UNDER THE NEW GUIDANCE, PER DIEM FOR ENLISTED
  MARINES WILL INCREASE BY AN AVERAGE OF APPROXIMATELY $200 PER MONTH.
   OFFICER UDP PER DIEM WILL DECREASE BY ABOUT $500 PER MONTH.            
             ENLISTED MARINES ALREADY DEPLOYED ON 1 JUNE 2002 WILL BEGIN
  RECEIVING THE NEW RATE 1 JUNE, WHILE OFFICERS ALREADY DEPLOYED ARE
  RATE-PROTECTED (GRANDFATHERED) FOR THE DURATION OF THE DEPLOYMENT.
  OFFICERS WHO DEPLOY ON OR AFTER 1 JUNE 2002 WILL BEGIN RECEIVING THE
  NEW PER DIEM RATE WHEN THEY DEPLOY.  UDP WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1977 TO
  REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNACCOMPANIED TOURS OVERSEAS, INCREASE FAMILY
  STABILITY AND IMPROVE UNIT COHESION.  AT THAT TIME, DINING
  FACILITIES WERE NOT ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT THE UDP OFFICER POPULATION.
  THE PER DIEM RATE PAID TO OFFICERS REFLECTED THE LACK OF AVAILABLE
  GOVERNMENT MESS (OPEN MESS RATE).  AS SUPPORT IMPROVED, PER DIEM
  RATES WERE NOT REDUCED TO REFLECT THESE IMPROVEMENTS.  ENLISTED PER
  DIEM RATES HAVE BEEN BASED UPON THE ESSENTIAL UNIT MESS (EUM) RATE
  OF PER DIEM.  THE NEW RATE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL MARINES BASED
  ON THE GOVERNMENT MESSING AVAILABLE RATE AND OCONUS INSTALLATION
  INCIDENTAL EXPENSES.  THE MEAL AND INCIDENTAL BASE RATE WILL BE
  ADJUSTED TO REFLECT THE AVERAGE TIME SPENT IN THE FIELD.  THE NEW           
             RATE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $9.60 PER DAY OR ABOUT $288 PER MONTH AS
  ADJUSTED FOR PERIODS OF FIELD DUTY.  ACTUAL RATES WILL VARY
  DEPENDING ON FIELD DUTY TIME.
  3.  PUBLIC AFFAIRS POSTURE:  ACTIVE FOR INTERNAL AUDIENCES/PASSIVE
  FOR EXTERNAL AUDIENCES.  BASE AND STATION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERS
  ARE DIRECTED TO PUBLISH STORIES IN BASE/STATION NEWSPAPERS ON UDP
  PER DIEM EQUITY AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL MEDIA
  QUERIES BY LOCAL COMMANDS IS ENCOURAGED.
  4.  KEY MESSAGES:
  A. THE CHANGE TO THE UDP PER DIEM RATE IS FAIR AND REFLECTS THE
  LOCAL CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE UDP OPERATES.
  B. THE MARINE CORPS IS DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR MARINES BY
  INSTITUTING THIS CHANGE TO POLICY.
  5.  THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ARE PROVIDED AS ADDITIONAL
  INFORMATION AND FOR RESPONSE TO MEDIA QUERY:
  Q1.  WHEN DOES THIS POLICY TAKE EFFECT?
  A1.  THE NEW POLICY TAKES EFFECT JUNE 1, 2002.  UNDER THE GUIDANCE,
  ENLISTED MARINES ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL BEGIN RECEIVING PER DIEM
  UNDER THE NEW RATE IMMEDIATELY.  OFFICERS ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL BE           
             GRANDFATHERED AND CONTINUE TO BE PAID PER DIEM AT THE CURRENT RATE
  UNTIL THEY RETURN FROM THEIR DEPLOYMENTS.  OFFICERS WHO DEPLOY ON OR
  AFTER JUNE 1, 2002, WILL RECEIVE PER DIEM UNDER THE NEW RATE.
  Q2.  WHAT IS THE CURRENT POLICY?
  A2.  THE UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM (UDP) WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1977 TO
  REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNACCOMPANIED TOURS OVERSEAS, INCREASE FAMILY
  STABILITY AND IMPROVE UNIT COHESION.  AT THAT TIME, DINING
  FACILITIES WERE NOT ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT THE UDP OFFICER POPULATION.
  THE PER DIEM RATE PAID TO OFFICERS REFLECTED THE LACK OF AVAILABLE
  GOVERNMENT MESS (OPEN MESS RATE).  AS SUPPORT IMPROVED, PER DIEM
  RATES WERE NOT REDUCED TO REFLECT THESE IMPROVEMENTS.  ENLISTED PER
  DIEM RATES HAVE BEEN BASED UPON THE ESSENTIAL UNIT MESS RATE OF PER
  DIEM.
  Q3.  HOW MUCH MONEY ARE MARINES CURRENTLY PAID?
  A3.  THE PER DIEM RATE FOR UDP MARINES DEPENDS ON FACTORS SUCH AS
  CURRENT MEAL RATES AND AVERAGE TIME IN THE FIELD, BUT CURRENTLY,
  OFFICERS RECEIVE AN AVERAGE OF APPROXIMATELY $800 DOLLARS PER MONTH,
  WHILE ENLISTED MARINES RECEIVE ABOUT $90.           
             Q4.  HOW MUCH MONEY WILL EACH MARINE RECEIVE NOW?
  A4.  IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE UDP PER DIEM FAIR AND EQUITABLE, A NEW
  RATE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL MARINES BASED ON THE GOVERNMENT
  MESSING AVAILABLE RATE AND OCONUS INSTALLATION INCIDENTAL EXPENSES.
  THE MEAL AND INCIDENTAL BASE RATE WILL BE ADJUSTED TO REFLECT THE
  AVERAGE TIME SPENT IN THE FIELD.  THE NEW RATE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY
  $9.60 PER DAY OR ABOUT $288 PER MONTH AS ADJUSTED FOR PERIODS OF
  FIELD DUTY.
  Q5.  HOW MUCH WILL THE OFFICERS LOSE?
  A5.  OFFICERS WILL BE PAID ABOUT $500 LESS PER MONTH UNDER THE NEW
  GUIDANCE THAN THEY CURRENTLY ARE PAID WHILE DEPLOYED UNDER THE UNIT
  DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
  Q6.  HOW MUCH WILL ENLISTED MARINES GAIN?
  A7.  ENLISTED MARINES WILL BE PAID ABOUT $200 MORE PER MONTH UNDER
  THE NEW GUIDANCE THAN THEY CURRENTLY ARE PAID WHILE DEPLOYED UNDER
  THE UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
  Q8.  HOW MUCH MONEY WILL THIS COST THE MARINE CORPS?
  A8.  THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR UDP FLAT-RATE PER DIEM IS $6.9 MILLION.
  THE AVERAGE INCREMENTAL COST OF THIS ACTION WILL BE APPROXIMATELY           
             $11.2 MILLION, FOR A TOTAL AVERAGE COST OF $18.1 MILLION.
  Q9.  WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM?
  A9.  THE MONEY IS ALREADY BUDGETED FOR FY 03.  BECAUSE THIS POLICY
  WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN JUNE 2002, THE UNBUDGETED SHORTFALL IN FY 02
  IS ONLY $4.4 MILLION.  THE MARINE CORPS HAS SUFFICIENT FLEXIBILITY
  TO COVER THE SHORTFALL.
  Q10. WHY IS THIS CHANGE IN POLICY HAPPENING?
  A10. MARINE CORPS OFFICIALS HAVE TRIED FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO ACHIEVE
  A SOLUTION THAT IS FAIR AND PROPERLY REFLECTS CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH
  THE UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM OPERATES.  UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM,
  OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MARINES WERE RECEIVING DIFFERENT PER DIEM
  RATES FOR THE SAME LOCATION, PERFORMING THE SAME MISSION.
  Q11. WHO DOES THIS AFFECT?
  A11. THIS POLICY AFFECTS MARINES ASSIGNED TO AVIATION OR GROUND
  UNITS THAT DEPLOY TO EITHER OKINAWA OR IWAKUNI, JAPAN AS PART OF THE
  UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
  Q12. HOW MANY UNITS ARE ON THE UDP PROGRAM?
  A12. AT ANY ONE TIME, THERE ARE USUALLY FOUR INFANTRY BATTALIONS,
  FOUR ARTILLERY BATTERIES AND THREE AVIATION SQUADRONS DEPLOYED UNDER           
             THE UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
  Q13. WHERE DO UDP UNITS GO?
  A13. OKINAWA AND MCAS IWAKUNI, JAPAN.
  Q14. WHY DO AVIATION MARINES EARN MORE THAN THE GROUND MARINES?
  A14. GROUND UNITS TEND TO SPEND MORE TIME IN A FIELD ENVIRONMENT,
  WHERE PER DIEM IS NOT AUTHORIZED.  THIS FIELD TIME LOWERS THE FLAT
  RATE PER DIEM.
  Q15. WHAT ABOUT THOSE MARINES DEPLOYING WITH A MEU?
  A15. THIS POLICY DOES NOT APPLY TO MARINES DEPLOYED WITH A MARINE
  EXPEDITIONARY UNIT.
  Q16. HOW WILL THIS PROGRAM BE IMPLEMENTED?
  A16. UNDER THE GUIDANCE, ENLISTED MARINES ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL
  BEGIN RECEIVING PER DIEM UNDER THE NEW RATE IMMEDIATELY. OFFICERS
  ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL BE GRANDFATHERED AND CONTINUE TO BE PAID PER
  DIEM AT THE CURRENT RATE UNTIL THEY RETURN FROM THEIR DEPLOYMENTS.
  OFFICERS WHO DEPLOY ON OR AFTER JUNE 1 WILL RECEIVE PER DIEM UNDER
  THE NEW RATE.
  Q17. WILL MARINES ON UDP DEPLOYMENTS ON JUNE 1 BE AFFECTED BY THE
  CHANGES?
  A17. UNDER THE GUIDANCE, ENLISTED MARINES ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL
  BEGIN RECEIVING PER DIEM UNDER THE NEW RATE IMMEDIATELY.  OFFICERS           
             ALREADY DEPLOYED WILL CONTINUE TO BE PAID PER DIEM AT THE OLD RATE
  UNTIL THEY RETURN FROM THEIR DEPLOYMENTS. OFFICERS WHO DEPLOY ON OR
  AFTER JUNE 1 WILL RECEIVE PER DIEM UNDER THE NEW RATE.
  Q18. WHAT IS UDP?
  A18. THE UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM (UDP) WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1977 TO
  REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNACCOMPANIED TOURS OVERSEAS, INCREASE FAMILY
  STABILITY AND IMPROVE UNIT COHESION.  PRIOR TO THE UDP, MEF UNITS
  STATIONED IN JAPAN WERE STAFFED IN THE SAME MANNER AS "PERMANENT
  PERSONNEL" ARE CURRENTLY ASSIGNED-12- AND 36-MONTH TOURS.
  Q19. IF THIS PROGRAM COSTS SO MUCH MORE THAN IN THE PAST, WHY MAKE
  THE CHANGES?  SHOULDN'T YOU BE TRYING TO SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS?
  A19. THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR MARINES. THIS POLICY IS
  CONSISTENT WITH ACKNOWLEDGING THE HARDSHIPS OF OPERATIONS TEMPO, AND
  THE RATES ARE BASED ON LOCAL COSTS.  THIS IS A PER DIEM RATE, NOT AN
  INCENTIVE, BUT IT IS GOOD FOR OUR MARINES.  UNDER THE OLD GUIDANCE,
  SOME ENLISTED MARINES ACTUALLY LOST MONEY WHILE ON DEPLOYMENT. THIS
  ADDRESSES THAT CONCERN.           
             Q20. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THE OFFICERS AND FAMILIES WHO WILL
  BE LOSING SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS OVER THE COURSE OF A DEPLOYMENT?
  A20. NO ONE IS LOSING MONEY.  THE REDUCTION IN PER DIEM RATE FOR
  OFFICERS SIMPLY REFLECTS THE FACT THAT ADEQUATE MESSING IS NOW
  AVAILABLE TO OFFICERS.  THE PREVIOUS DIFFERENCE IN OFFICER AND
  ENLISTED PER DIEM RATES IS NO LONGER APPROPRIATE.
  Q21.  HOW LONG HAVE ADEQUATE MESSING FACILITIES BEEN AVAILABLE FOR
  OFFICERS?
  A21.  OVER A SEVERAL YEAR PERIOD, MESSING FACILITIES HAVE BECOME
  INCREASINGLY AVAILABLE FOR OFFICERS AS WELL AS ENLISTED MARINES. THIS WAS
  A PROCESS THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME. THERE ISN'T ONE SPECIFIC ACTION
  THAT  CREATED THIS AVAILABILITY.
  Q22.  WHY DIDN'T THE CHANGE OCCUR EARLIER?
  A22.  MARINE OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE MARINE'S CONCERNS
  ABOUT THE INEQUITY FOR YEARS AND HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT
  RESOLVING THE ISSUE.  HOWEVER, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR
  THE CURRENT COMMANDANT, AND A REASONABLE SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE WAS
  ACHIEVED.
  6. POC:  MAJ TIM KEEFE, DEPUTY PAO, MCB QUANTICO, DSN 278-3341 OR           
             (703) 784-3341.  EMAIL:  KEEEFETP@NT.QUANTICO.USMC.MIL.//
  BT