MCO 1700.31A - Marine Corps Transition Readiness Program (TRP)

Scope

MCO 1700.31A sets the requirements and assigns responsibilities for the Marine Corps Transition Readiness Program (TRP). The order prepares Marines, Service Members attached to Marine Corps units, and family members for the move from military to civilian life. TRP services flow from Department of Defense Career Readiness Standards (CRS). Applicability is every Active and Reserve Component Marine. DC M&RA, Marine and Family Programs Division (MF), owns the program. The Marine Corps implements the federal Transition Assistance Program (TAP) under 10 U.S.C. Sections 1142, 1144, 992, and 1155, and DoD Instruction 1332.35.

Audience

• Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs (DC M&RA). Establishes and maintains the TRP. Resources the program.
• Marine and Family Programs Division (MF) Director. Coordinates with HQMC activities, major commands, DoD agencies, and other service headquarters. Provides policy oversight. Sets performance management metrics. Oversees TRP personnel certification and education. Reviews this order annually using NAVMC 10974.
• Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations Command (MCICOM). Executes the plan developed by DC M&RA across Marine Corps installations. Supports Operating Forces, tenant commands, and activities.
• Installation commanders. Stand up and run the installation TRP. Enforce TRS prescribed timeframes. Use standardized MF training materials. Publish the annual TRS schedule no later than 90 days before the start of the fiscal year.
• Installation TRP personnel. Operate the TRS. Run UTC and commander or designee training. Coordinate with DOL, VA, SBA partners on TRS delivery. Track CRS attainment.
• Unit commanders. Identify Marines approaching EAS. Refer to the UTC. Enforce TRS attendance. Sign the Commander's Verification on the DD Form 2648 no later than 90 days prior to EAS.
• Unit Transition Coordinators (UTCs). Liaison between the unit and the installation TRP. Track Marines through the TRS pipeline. Coordinate scheduling. Receive DD Form 2648 from Marines.
• Commander designees. Authorized to deliver UTC-aligned tasks when designated by the unit commander. Receive commander or designee training.
• Installation Personnel Administration Center (IPAC), Administration Unit. Verify training event codes TA and TZ are reported for every Marine in possession of DD Form 2648 before out-processing. Upload the form to the Electronic Service Record (ESR).
• Eligible Marines. Complete the IC, Pre-Separation Counseling Brief, TRS workshops, Capstone Review, and Commander's Verification within the prescribed timeframes.

Program structure

The TRP runs three major components.

1. Marine for Life Cycle (M4LC) Transition Services. Personal Readiness Seminar (PRS) within 90 days of arrival at first permanent duty station. Career exploration, coaching, educational guidance, and career or employment assistance across the career.
2. Career Services and Advising. Advises Marines on post-transition goals. Career, employment, education, career technical, entrepreneurship paths. Reviews and validates CRS.
3. Transition Readiness Seminar (TRS). Standard modules and instruction with mandatory requirements: Individualized Initial Counseling (IC), Pre-Separation Counseling Brief, TRS workshops, Capstone Review, Commander's Verification.

TRS prescribed timeframes

• Personal Readiness Seminar (PRS). Within 90 days of arrival to first permanent duty station.
• Individualized Initial Counseling (IC). No later than 365 days prior to EAS.
• Pre-Separation Counseling Brief. No later than 365 days prior to EAS.
• TRS workshops. No later than 180 days prior to EAS.
• Capstone Review. No later than 180 days prior to EAS.
• Commander's Verification. No later than 90 days prior to EAS.

Deployment exceptions covered in Chapter 5 Enclosure 2.

• Deployment return within 365 days prior to EAS. Adjusted TRS pipeline.
• Deployment return less than 180 days prior to or during the TRS window. Telecommuted or condensed delivery.

Reserve Component Marines on continuous AD orders of 180 days or more complete the TRS requirements. The 180 day threshold uses continuous AD orders without breaks of 31 or more days. Reservists serving 180 continuous days on AD complete every TRS component. Where the 365 day requirement is unfeasible due to demobilization timing, the requirements complete as far in advance as practicable.

Enclosure 2 chapter map

• Chapter 1. Installation Commanders Responsibilities.
• Chapter 2. Installation TRP Responsibilities.
• Chapter 3. Unit Commanders Responsibilities.
• Chapter 4. Marine for Life Cycle (M4LC) Key Touchpoints.
• Chapter 5. TRS Eligibility, Requirements, and Prescribed Timeframes.
• Chapter 6. TRS Exemption, DOL Exemption, 2-Day Track Exemption, and DD Form 2648.
• Chapter 7. TRS Priority of Effort.
• Chapter 8. Individualized Initial Counseling (IC).
• Chapter 9. Pre-Separation Counseling Brief.
• Chapter 10. TRS Workshops.
• Chapter 11. TRS Virtual delivery.
• Chapter 12. Capstone Review and Commander's Verification.
• Chapter 13. Unit Transition Coordinator (UTC).
• Chapter 14. Commander's Designee.

Appendices carry the UTC Turnover guide and seven standardized TRS checklists.

Commander action items

1. Identify Marines approaching EAS. Initiate UTC referral 365 days out.
2. Track UTC compliance with TRS milestones. Confirm IC, Pre-Separation Counseling, and TRS workshops complete by their prescribed dates.
3. Sign Commander's Verification on the DD Form 2648 no later than 90 days prior to EAS. Designee signature allowed when properly delegated under Chapter 14.
4. Confirm the unit UTC has completed the required UTC training and reads the TRP Implementation Guide.
5. Verify IPAC reports training event codes TA and TZ for every separating Marine.
6. Run the TRS exemption process when a Marine qualifies under Chapter 6.
7. Coordinate with the installation TRP for the 2-Day Track or DOL Exemption when applicable.

Forms and systems

• DD Form 2648. Service Member Pre-Separation/Transition Counseling and Career Readiness Standards eForm. Active Duty, Reservists separating from AD, retiring Marines.
• NAVMC 10974. Annual order review form used by MF to record the outcome of the annual review.
• NAVMC 1700.2A. TRP support form referenced in Enclosure 1.
• Training event codes TA and TZ. Verified by IPAC for each Marine with a DD Form 2648.
• Electronic Service Record (ESR). System of record for the uploaded DD Form 2648.
• MarineNet. Hosts MF-approved web-based TRS materials.
• Marine Corps Training Information Management System (MCTIMS). Tracks TRS attendance and CRS completion.

Connection to higher policy

• 10 U.S.C. Section 1142. Pre-separation counseling authority.
• 10 U.S.C. Section 1144. Employment assistance, job training assistance authority.
• 10 U.S.C. Section 992. Financial literacy authority.
• 10 U.S.C. Section 1155. Voluntary education authority.
• 5 U.S.C. Section 552a. Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.
• DoD Instruction 1332.35 w/CH-1. Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for Military Personnel, 2005-07-29.
• DoD Instruction 1342.22. Military Family Readiness, 2021-08-05. Drives the Annual Report on Military Family Readiness Programs report.
• DoD Instruction 1322.29 w/CH-1. Job Training, Employment Skills Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships (JTEST-AI), 2020-05-05.
• SECNAVINST 1754.1B. DON Family Support Programs.
• SECNAVINST 5211.5F. DON Privacy Program.
• SECNAV M-5210.1. DON Records Management Manual.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine and lower policy

• MCO P1700.27B w/CH-1. Marine Corps Community Services policy. Performance management framework for TRP.
• MCO 1900.16 w/CH-3. Marine Corps Separation and Retirement Manual. EAS administration tied to TRS milestones.
• MCO 1700.37. Personal and Professional Readiness Program. Companion authority for the M4LC.
• MCO 5210.11F. Marine Corps Records Management Program. Governs records of TRS attendance and DD Form 2648.
• MCO 1040.31. Enlisted Retention and Career Development Program. Career counseling cross-reference.
• MCO 5211.5. Marine Corps Privacy Act Program.
• NAVMC 1700.2A. TRP form.
• IGMC FAC 1700 Personal and Professional Readiness Programs. Inspection program drawing evidence on TRS compliance from this order.

Audience by surface

• Marine. Knows the PRS within 90 days of first PDS, the TRS pipeline within 365 days of EAS, and the DD Form 2648 requirement.
• Leader (NCO and SNCO). Tracks TRS pipeline progress for the Marines in their charge. Escalates breaches to the UTC and the unit commander.
• Commander. Designates a UTC. Signs Commander's Verification 90 days prior to EAS. Authorizes the commander designee through Chapter 14.
• Admin (S-1, IPAC). Reports training event codes TA and TZ. Uploads DD Form 2648 to the ESR. Maintains TRP records under records management policy.

Supersession

Cancels MCO 1700.31. The base order was signed 2026-03-02 as the new A revision. The TRP framework continues, with updated prescribed timeframes, exemption rules, and the Commander Designee chapter added in this revision.

Status

Active. Signed 2026-03-02 by W. J. Bowers, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Distribution Statement A, public release. PCN 10255331900. Sponsor is HQMC M&RA, Marine and Family Programs Division (MF). Applicability is every Active and Reserve Component Marine. DC M&RA reviews the order annually and records the outcome on NAVMC 10974. Records of TRP execution carry record schedule 5000-8.