MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- First-term unaccompanied Marines who arrived here after May 1 will now serve 18-month tours vice 24-month tours if not deployed or stabilized for deployment, according to Marine Administrative Message 232/09.
The new policy applies to all III Marine Expeditionary Force and addresses the commandant’s intent of getting every Marine to the fight.
“We’ve seen a lot of first-term Marines come to Iwakuni for their first tour, extend for a year or check in to their next duty station and not have enough time left on their contract to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan,” said Gunnery Sgt. Brian E. Clay, Installation Personnel Administration Center staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge.
Under the new policy, Headquarters Marine Corps will identify Marines that are eligible for 18-month conversion once the Marine has been on station for 12 months without deploying.
Deployments to Korea, Philippines, Australia, Thailand or any other location in this area of operations in support of training operations will not count as a deployment per this message, said Clay. This MARADMIN is intended to get Marines to the fight and support Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
Despite the policy’s intent to get Marines to the fight, tour conversions and extensions will continue to be an option available to all Marines here, according to the MARADMIN. If approved, the extensions will not be curtailed and Marines will serve their tour length in addition to the extension.
For more information, view the full message at http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN0232-09.aspx