Annual METL Review and Update - S-1 Procedural Page

Role and responsibility

The commander owns the unit METL. The S-1 officer and the unit training manager run the annual review and prepare the updated METL for the commander's signature. The S-1 chief publishes the approved METL in MCTIMS and notifies higher headquarters. The G-1 manpower officer at MEF level coordinates METL alignment across subordinate commands.

Source documents flow from the higher headquarters METL, the unit's assigned mission statement, contingency and operational plans, and the T-R Manual core METs for the unit type. Updates land in MCTIMS as the published METL. Outputs include the published METL, the CRP recalculation against the new METL, the readiness report submitted to DRRS-MC, and the chain brief on changes.

MCAAT and the IGMC UTM functional area inspectors check MCTIMS for the current METL and compare publication dates against the three triggers in MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e). A METL more than 12 months old, a change of command past 45 days without an updated METL, or a new mission past 15 days without an updated METL each trigger findings.

Trigger events

• Annual METL review window opens (12 months from prior publication).
• Change of command. The new commander has 45 days to publish the updated METL per MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e).
• New mission assignment. The unit has 15 days to publish the updated METL per MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e).
• Completion of a deployment per MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A paragraph 5003 (METL reviewed and updated after each deployment).
• Higher headquarters METL changes affecting subordinate METLs.
• T-R Manual revision changes core METs for the unit type.
• IGMC UTM inspection notice arrives requiring METL validation.

Processing workflow

1. Pull the current METL. Generate the published METL from MCTIMS with the publication date and the prior triggering event. The unit training manager pulls.
2. Pull the higher headquarters METL. Confirm alignment of the unit METL to the parent METL per MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A paragraph 5003.
3. Review assigned mission and contingency plans. The S-1 officer reviews mission statements, OPLANs, and CONPLANs to validate METs reflect the assigned mission per MCRP 7-20A.1MCRP 7-20A.1.
4. Validate core METs. Confirm core METs match the unit type per MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A paragraph 3001 (Core Competencies).
5. Add commander-discretion METs. The commander adds METs deemed necessary by higher headquarters direction, mission, or commander's discretion per MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.a.(2)(b).
6. Publish the updated METL. The unit training manager publishes the METL in MCTIMS at the moment of commander signature per MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e).
7. Notify higher headquarters. The S-1 officer routes the published METL to HHQ for visibility and reporting.
8. Trigger CRP recalculation. The unit training manager triggers CRP recalculation against the new METL per MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A paragraph 5003. Only E-coded events supporting the approved METL count toward CRP.
9. Brief the chain. The S-1 officer briefs the commander and subordinate leaders on METL changes and CRP impact.
10. Document the publication date. Record METL publication date, triggering event, and CRP change in the unit training log.

Systems of record and forms

Systems

• MCTIMS UTM Module. The published METL lives here per MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e).
• DRRS-MC. Receives readiness reports that draw on the published METL per MCO 3000.13BMCO 3000.13B.
• Unit training log. Local register tracking METL publication events.

Forms

• METL Publication Document. Generated in MCTIMS at publication.
• METL Change Memorandum. Local form documenting the triggering event and the approved changes.
• CRP Recalculation Report. Generated in MCTIMS after METL update.

Common pitfalls

• METL more than 12 months old. The annual cycle missed. MCAAT writes the finding under MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e). Set a calendar tickler 60 days before the annual cycle.
• Change of command past 45 days without updated METL. The new commander did not action the trigger. The S-1 officer briefs the trigger to the new commander on day one.
• New mission past 15 days without updated METL. The mission assignment moved without an updated METL. The S-1 officer routes the update at the moment of mission assignment.
• METL not aligned to higher headquarters METL. The unit METL diverges from the parent. Pull the parent METL and reconcile per MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A paragraph 5003.
• CRP not recalculated after METL update. The CRP picture lags. Trigger the recalculation at publication per MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A Chapter 5.

Decision points

• Core METs versus commander-discretion METs. The T-R Manual lists core METs by unit type. Commander-discretion METs cover assigned missions or higher headquarters direction per MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.a.(2)(b). The commander signs the rationale.
• Pre-deployment METL update timing. The unit prepares for deployment with a new mission. Update the METL at the moment of mission assignment, not after redeployment per MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e).
• Post-deployment METL review. The unit returns from deployment. Review the METL per MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A paragraph 5003. Reset to home-station mission.

Authority

This sub-page sits under MCO 1553.3CMCO 1553.3C paragraph 4.b.(6)(e) and MCO P3500.72AMCO P3500.72A paragraph 5003, both of which set the METL publication triggers and timelines. MCO 3000.13BMCO 3000.13B Marine Corps Unit Readiness Reporting governs the readiness report submission against the published METL. MCRP 7-20A.1MCRP 7-20A.1 provides the doctrinal MET development procedure. NAVMC 3500.3ENAVMC 3500.3E T-R event 0170-OPER-2001 covers the 01XX training plan informed by the METL.

Related references

• MCO 1553.3C Unit Training Management Program. Paragraph 4.b.(6)(e) sets the three METL publication triggers.
• MCO P3500.72A Marine Corps Ground Training and Readiness Program. Paragraph 5003 sets the post-deployment METL review.
• MCO 3000.13B Marine Corps Unit Readiness Reporting. Readiness reporting against the METL.
• MCTP 7-20A Marine Corps Doctrine on Training and Education. Doctrinal framework for METL development.
• MCRP 7-20A.1 Mission Essential Task Development. Doctrinal MET development procedure.
• NAVMC 3500.3E Manpower and Administration T-R Manual. Event 0170-OPER-2001 governs the 01XX plan informed by METL.