Marine Corps Orders - S-1 Procedural Page

Role and responsibility

The drafting branch builds the MCO per MCO 5215.1KMCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 2 paragraph 1 (Introduction). The DCP clerk supports the staffing routing and the front matter format. The S-1 chief reviews against Chapter 2 paragraph-by-paragraph. The S-1 officer signs by direction on the routing to the signing authority. The signing authority signs the MCO per Chapter 1 paragraph 6 (Authority to Issue Directives) and paragraph 7 (Signature Delegation).

Source documents flow from the lasting policy or procedural area driving the MCO, the parent directive (when implementing higher policy), the references list per Chapter 1 paragraph 24 (Ref Section), the enclosures list per Chapter 1 paragraph 26 (Encl Section), the reports required list per Chapter 1 paragraph 29 (Reports Required Section), the staffing inputs from the chop chain, and the legal review. MCO outputs include the signed five-paragraph order per Figure 2-1, the enclosed procedural guidance (when applicable) structured per Chapter 1 paragraphs 50-51, the locator sheet per Chapter 1 paragraph 28 and Figure 1-3, the table of contents per Figure 1-5, and the record of changes page per Figure 1-4.

Per MCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 2 paragraph 1 (Introduction), MCOs carry lasting Marine Corps policy and procedural guidance. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 3 (Mandatory Paragraphs), every MCO carries the five mandatory paragraphs: 1 Situation, 2 Mission, 3 Execution, 4 Administration and Logistics, 5 Command and Signal. Per Chapter 2 Figure 2-1, the standard five-paragraph format applies. Per Figure 2-2, field commands use a field-command variant.

Trigger events

• Lasting policy or procedural guidance requires formal MCO issuance.
• Parent MCO update triggers unit MCO update.
• Marine Corps reorganization changes policy ownership.
• Internal review per Chapter 1 paragraph 14 identifies new policy gap.
• Recurring guidance previously carried by repeated bulletins warrants consolidation into an MCO.
• Joint policy not warranting a joint directive but requiring lasting Marine Corps guidance.

Processing workflow

1. Validate MCO scope. Per MCO 5215.1KMCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 2 paragraph 1 (Introduction), confirm the content fits the MCO category. Time-limited information goes to a Bulletin per Chapter 3.
2. Apply letterhead. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 2 (Letterhead Page), use the standard letterhead with the SSIC and the sponsor code per Chapter 1 paragraph 23 (Designation Line).
3. Build the five paragraph order. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 3 (Mandatory Paragraphs) and Figure 2-1 (Five Paragraph Order Format) or Figure 2-2 (Field Command Format), structure paragraphs 1 Situation, 2 Mission, 3 Execution, 4 Administration and Logistics, 5 Command and Signal.
4. Draft the Administration and Logistics paragraph. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 4, address records, forms, reports, and administrative support.
5. Draft the Command and Signal paragraph. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 5, address command relationships, effective dates, and communications.
6. Set the signature block. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 6 (Signature Block), build the signature block per the signing authority.
7. Set distribution and copy to. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 7 (Distribution and Copy to), set distribution per the scope.
8. Apply Chapter 1 front-matter paragraphs. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 21 (Preparing Directives), paragraph 22 (Reserve Designation), paragraph 23 (Designation Line), paragraphs 24-25 (Ref Section and Citing References), paragraphs 26-27 (Encl Section and Citing Enclosures), paragraph 28 (Locator Sheet), paragraphs 29-30 (Reports Required, Forms Management), and paragraph 31 (Records Disposition).
9. Structure the procedural guidance enclosure. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 50 (Main Segments of Procedural Guidance Enclosure) and paragraph 51 (Structuring Major Paragraph Numbers), build the enclosure with the chapter-section-paragraph structure.
10. Route through staffing and signature. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 17 (Staffing and Clearing Directives), route the draft through the chop chain. The signing authority signs.

Systems of record and forms

Systems

• Directives Control Point (DCP). Indexes the MCO on issuance.
• HQMC Directives Portal. Surfaces HQMC-signed MCOs.
• Unit Directives Library / Master Directive File. Per Chapter 1 paragraphs 45-46.
• Staffing routing system. Tracks the chop chain per Chapter 1 paragraph 17.

Forms

• MCO Draft Cover Sheet. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 1.
• Five Paragraph Order Format. Per Figure 2-1.
• Five Paragraph Order Format for Field Commands. Per Figure 2-2.
• Locator Sheet. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 28 and Figure 1-3.
• Table of Contents Page. Per Chapter 1 Figure 1-5.
• Record of Changes Page. Per Chapter 1 Figure 1-4.
• Reports Required Page. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 29 and Figure 1-6.

Common pitfalls

• Mandatory paragraphs missing. Per MCO 5215.1KMCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 2 paragraph 3, every MCO carries the five mandatory paragraphs. A missed paragraph triggers finding on inspection.
• Time-limited information drafted as an MCO. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 1 and Chapter 3 paragraph 1, time-limited content belongs in a Bulletin.
• Records Disposition paragraph omitted. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 31 (Records Disposition), every MCO addresses records disposition for the data generated by the directive.
• Forms Management paragraph omitted when forms are introduced. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 30 (Forms Management), the MCO addresses forms management when the directive introduces or modifies forms.
• Signature delegation not validated against Chapter 1 paragraph 7. Per Chapter 2 paragraph 6, the signature block reflects valid signature delegation. Validate before routing for signature.

Decision points

• MCO versus Bulletin. Per MCO 5215.1KMCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 2 paragraph 1 versus Chapter 3 paragraph 1, the lasting versus time-limited nature drives.
• Five paragraph standard versus field command variant. Per Figure 2-1 versus Figure 2-2, the issuing command type drives the format choice.
• Embedded procedural guidance enclosure versus simple five-paragraph order. Per Chapter 1 paragraph 50, complex procedural detail goes in an enclosure with the chapter-section-paragraph structure. Simple orders use the five paragraphs without an enclosure.

Authority

This sub-page sits under MCO 5215.1KMCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 2 (Orders) paragraphs 1-7 and Figures 2-1, 2-2. Chapter 1 paragraphs 21-31 cover the front-matter rules. Chapter 1 paragraphs 50-51 cover the procedural guidance enclosure structure. Chapter 1 paragraph 17 covers staffing. S-1 responsibilities sit at MCO 5000.14DMCO 5000.14D MCAP enclosure 4. The processing workflow maps to NAVMC 3500.3E T-R event 0102-GENA-1004.

Related references

• MCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 2 paragraphs 1-7 and Figures 2-1, 2-2. Authoritative MCO rules.
• MCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 1 paragraphs 21-31. Front matter rules.
• MCO 5215.1K Enclosure (1) Chapter 1 paragraphs 50-51. Procedural guidance enclosure structure.
• MCO 5000.14D MCAP enclosure 4. S-1 directives responsibilities.
• NAVMC 3500.3E. T-R event 0102-GENA-1004.