Battle Rhythm
CommanderVerified May 14, 2026MultipleCh MCO 1752.5C, MCO 1500.60A, MCO 3000.13B, MCO 5354.1G, 2016 Materiel Readiness HandbookSec Steady-state command obligations
Battle Rhythm Overview
The recurring chair, attend, sign, and review obligations of command. Monthly, quarterly, and annual cadence with sources and non-delegable flags. Bookmark this page as the steady-state lookup.
Command Actions
- Chair monthly Force Preservation Council - non-delegable
- Attend monthly CMG for open SAPR Unrestricted Reports - non-delegable
- Update reporting Marines on case status within 72 hours of each CMG - non-delegable
- Approve random urinalysis schedule monthly
- Submit DRRS-MC readiness reports with commander's remarks
- Complete quarterly CMR reconciliations
- Review GTCC delinquency quarterly
- Submit Capstone changes quarterly via ETMS2 tasker
- Conduct annual DEOCS/CCA between 1 August and 30 November
- Complete annual safety climate survey
- Track non-core CMT biennial and core CMT annual
How to Use This Page
This page is the lookup index for recurring command obligations. Three layers: monthly, quarterly, annual. Each row points to the deeper page with the procedure, the authority, and the common failures.
Bookmark this page. Most CO portal traffic at month 6 of command is on this page.
Non-Delegable Items
Four obligations under MCO 1752.5C and MCO 1500.60A are explicitly non-delegable. Track them on your personal calendar, not the unit calendar.
| Obligation | Cadence | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| CMG attendance | Monthly | MCO 1752.5C, DoDI 6495.02 |
| 72-hour victim case-status update after each CMG | Monthly | MCO 1752.5C |
| FPC chair | Monthly | MCO 1500.60A Para 4.b.(3)(b) |
| MfR when CO unavailable for FPC, retained 3 years | As needed | MCO 1500.60A Para 4.b.(3)(l) |
XO substitution on these items is not authorized. The MCO treats habitual XO chairing as a finding.
Monthly Matrix
| Action | Owner | Authority | Deep page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair Force Preservation Council | CO (non-delegable) | MCO 1500.60A | Monthly FPC and CSNE |
| Attend Case Management Group | CO (non-delegable) | MCO 1752.5C | Monthly CMG |
| 72-hour victim update after CMG | CO (non-delegable) | MCO 1752.5C | Monthly CMG |
| Approve random urinalysis schedule | CO | MCO 5300.17, DoDI 1010.01 | Monthly FPC and CSNE |
| Submit DRRS-MC report with commander remarks | CO | MCO 3000.13B | Monthly FPC and CSNE |
| Verify new joins on ELEVATED status (90-day window) | CO | MCO 1500.60A Para 4.b.(3)(g)(3) | New Join Elevated Risk (FPC topic) |
| Review CIRRAS profile currency | CO | MCO 1500.60A | CIRRAS Commander Role (FPC topic) |
Quarterly Matrix
| Action | Owner | Authority | Deep page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete CMR reconciliations | CO/S-4 | 2016 Commanders Materiel Readiness Handbook | Quarterly CMR and Readiness |
| Submit unfunded equipment deficiencies | CO | 2016 Materiel Readiness Handbook | Quarterly CMR and Readiness |
| Review GTCC delinquency report | CO | DoDI 5154.31 Vol. 4 | Quarterly CMR and Readiness |
| Notify ARD Records of Capstone official changes | CDRM | MCBul 5210 (29 Aug 2025) Para 3.b.(1)(a)(3) | Quarterly CMR and Readiness |
| Update ETMS2 tasker for records changes | CDRM | MCBul 5210, MCO 5210.11F | Quarterly CMR and Readiness |
| Review fiscal/appropriations law training currency | CO | MARADMIN 350/11 | First 30 Days (Turnover topic) |
Annual Matrix
| Action | Owner | Authority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct DEOCS/CCA | CO | MARADMIN 468/23 Para 6 | Annual window 1 Aug to 30 Nov. Begin DEOCS by 31 October. Annotate in FITREP. |
| Complete safety climate survey (Ground CAS or MCAS for Aviation) | CO (O5/O6) | MCO 5100.29C Para 060402 | Annual baseline. |
| Complete unit-wide SAPR Annual Training | All personnel | MCO 1752.5C, SAPR Smart Pack | Rank-appropriate. Conducted by credentialed SAPR VA or SARC. |
| Track core vs non-core CMT cadence | CO | MARADMIN 199/26, MCO 1500.63A | Core CMT annual. Non-core CMT BIENNIAL. Track in MCTIMS. |
| Conduct annual full unit inventory synced with CMR | CO/S-4 | 2016 Materiel Readiness Handbook | Wall-to-wall. RO spot checks. |
| Revalidate ALL key appointment letters | CO | MCO 5800.16 Vol. 12, MARADMIN 350/11 | D-SAACP currency for SAPR VAs. Fund control training for Tier 1 fiscal staff. |
| Enforce MarineNet Records Management training | All personnel | MCBul 5210 Para 3.b.(1)(a) Note 1 | MarineNet M01RMT0700. |
| FY-stamped retention briefing from MMEA | CO | MMEA Commanders Retention Toolkit | Annual cycle. |
Event-Driven Items
Some obligations are triggered by events, not by the calendar. Documented here because COs habitually forget them.
| Trigger | Action | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| XO assumes command for any reason | First GO in reporting chain notifies CMC within 72 hours | MARADMIN 165/07 |
| Marine joins unit with LOW risk in MCTFS | Auto-assign ELEVATED for 90 days | MCO 1500.60A Para 4.b.(3)(g)(3) |
| DoDI 6490.08 notification received from provider | Update CIRRAS, brief next FPC | DoDI 6490.08, MCO 1500.60A |
| SAPR Unrestricted Report comes in | Open SAPR Unrestricted Report playbook | MCO 1752.5C |
| Covered offense allegation surfaces | Open Covered Offense playbook, notify regional OSTC | MARADMIN 633/24 |
| Suicide-related event | Open Suicide Response playbook, NAVMC 1720.1 follow-on | DoDI 6490.08, NAVMC 1720.1 |
| Marine receives NJP | Page 11 entry directed, UPB processed | MCO P1070.12, MCO 5800.16 Vol. 14 |
Calendar Hooks Worth Building In
The Suicide Prevention guide and Mental Readiness Playbook V3 identify periods of elevated risk. Build awareness into the calendar.
- Pre-deployment work-up: Bi-weekly FPC recommended.
- Post-deployment 90 days: Sustained elevated leadership attention to reintegration.
- Holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Year): Historically elevated risk. Increase touchpoint frequency.
- Tax season (Jan to Apr): Financial stressors peak.
- Promotion announcements: Failure-to-promote is a documented critical stressor.
- End-of-fiscal-year drawdown: Fiscal-law training currency, FLIPL closures, budget-execution status.
- PCS season: Elevated transition risk for joiners and leavers. Sponsor program discipline tightens.
What Goes Wrong in Battle Rhythm
The most-missed items, ranked by frequency.
- 72-hour victim case-status update. Easy to forget. Non-delegable. The MCO penalty is the highest among recurring items.
- Habitual XO chair on FPC. No MfR in the file. Pattern visible across multiple months.
- Quarterly CMR reconciliations slip past quarter-end. Treated as a flexible deadline.
- GTCC delinquency report unread. APC handles it. CO never reviews. IGMC FAC #10 finding waiting.
- DEOCS started in November. 31 October begin date missed. Annual FITREP annotation suffers.
- Non-core CMT still annual. MARADMIN 199/26 changed to biennial. Unit calendar not updated.
- MfR for unavailable FPC not retained 3 years. Filed and lost. The MCO requires the 3-year retention period.
- Capstone changes not pushed to ARD Records via ETMS2. Quarterly tasker missed. CROSS records out of sync.
How This Page Differs from the Turnover 90-120-and-Recurring Page
Both pages cover recurring obligations. The differences:
- Turnover page is anchored to the post-CoC window. Frames recurring items as the sustainment phase of the turnover.
- This page is anchored to steady-state lookup. Designed for the CO at month 6 or month 18 who wants the calendar.
The deep procedures live on the dedicated pages (Monthly CMG, Monthly FPC, Quarterly CMR). This is the index.
Related Pages
- Monthly CMG (this topic, order 2) - the CMG attendance and 72-hour update procedure
- Monthly FPC and CSNE (this topic, order 3) - FPC chair in the steady-state cadence
- Quarterly CMR and Readiness (this topic, order 4) - quarterly material and fiscal obligations
- FPC Overview (Force Preservation topic) - council role and non-delegable rules
- 90 to 120 Days and Recurring Battle Rhythm (Turnover topic) - the post-CoC anchoring of the same items
Same topic, other roles
References
- MCO 1752.5C SAPR
- DoDI 6495.02 SAPR Program Procedures
- MCO 1500.60A Force Preservation
- MCO 3000.13B DRRS-MC
- MCO 5354.1G
- MARADMIN 468/23 DEOCS/CCA
- MARADMIN 199/26 CMT biennial
- MCO 1500.63A
- MCO 5300.17 Substance Abuse
- DoDI 1010.01 Urinalysis
- MCO 5100.29C Safety
- DoDI 5154.31 Vol. 4 GTCC
- MCBul 5210 (29 Aug 2025) CROSS
- MCO 5210.11F Records Management
- 2016 Commanders Materiel Readiness Handbook
- Commanders Readiness Handbook
Related Pages
- Commander
Quarterly CMR, GTCC, and Records Management
same topic - Multiple - 3 shared references
- Commander
Monthly FPC and Commander Standing Notification Events
same topic - 4 shared references
- Commander
Monthly Case Management Group (CMG)
same topic - 2 shared references
- Commander
90 to 120 Days and Recurring Battle Rhythm
5 shared references
- Commander
Outgoing CO Master Checklist
4 shared references