MCO 3070.2A - The Marine Corps Operations Security (Opsec) Program

Scope

MCO 3070.2A, The Marine Corps Operations Security (OPSEC) Program, signed 2013-07-02, provides policy, responsibilities, and procedures for OPSEC in the Marine Corps. References (a) through (c) of the order direct the Marine Corps to establish and maintain an OPSEC program promoting an understanding of OPSEC among all personnel. The portal anchors commander OPSEC obligations, including the OPSEC officer appointment and the Critical Information and Indicator List, to this order.

Audience

• Commanders, who appoint the OPSEC Manager in writing and approve and sign the CIIL.
• Incoming commanders executing turnover actions within the first 30 days.
• OPSEC officers and coordinators running the unit program.
• All hands. The program directive aims OPSEC understanding at every Marine.

Content scope

Repo evidence names no chapters. Covered topics include OPSEC program policy, command responsibilities, written appointment of the OPSEC officer or coordinator, and development and approval of the Critical Information and Indicator List (CIIL).

Operative content

• The commander appoints the OPSEC Manager in writing and approves and signs the Critical Information and Indicator List, per the commander oversight matrix row anchored to MCO 3070.2A.
• Within the first 30 days of command, the incoming commander appoints the OPSEC Officer or Coordinator in writing and reviews the CIIL, per MCO 3070.2A and IGMC Functional Area Checklist 18.
• The OPSEC appointment letter is a standing audit artifact in the commander audit posture, alongside the Security Manager, ISSM, ATO, and other command program appointments.

Connection to higher policy

The order cites three higher references directing the Marine Corps OPSEC program. Separately, the Department of the Navy publishes SECNAVINST 3070.2A, Operations Security, signed 2019-05-09 under Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy sponsorship. The Navy instruction post-dates the Marine Corps order by six years.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine and lower policy

• IGMC Functional Area Checklist 18. The OPSEC inspection checklist for command programs.
• MARADMIN 537/07, signed 2007-09-12. Announced the base order MCO 3070.2.
• MCO 1754.9B. The portal's unit family readiness citation lists MCO 3070.2A as a related authority.
• Commander audit posture pages list OPSEC among the functional areas with a required written appointment.

Status

Signed 2013-07-02 and listed as Current on MCPEL. Source PDF on file from the 2026-04-28 archive snapshot. Headquarters Marine Corps publishes the order. The external link opens the official landing page for the current version. SECNAVINST 3070.2A arrived in 2019, well after this order, so check MCPEL for a newer revision before citing program detail.