Section Records Cadence

The Four Cadences

Each cadence has a different depth and scope. The four together cover the section.

The Quarterly MCTFS Audit

Schedule on a fixed quarter mark. Same week each quarter.

• Pull each Marine's MCTFS data.
• Cross-check the standard fields.
• Document discrepancies.
• Route corrections.

Quarterly cadence catches errors before they compound over a year.

The Annual OMPF Audit

Schedule on a fixed month each year. Common choices: October (start of fiscal year), January (calendar year), or section anniversary.

• Each Marine pulls their own OMPF.
• Section leader cross-checks.
• Discrepancies flagged for correction.

Annual depth catches the entries that quarterly MCTFS does not surface.

Trigger-Based Audits

Specific events trigger immediate audits regardless of cadence.

• Marine joins the section. Inbound records cleanup within 90 days.
• Marine PCSes out. Outbound cleanup before sign-out.
• Marine returns from deployment. Within 60 days of return.
• Marine in pre-board zone. 6 months out.
• Marine in transition window. Pre-EAS cleanup.
• Life event triggering MCTFS update. Verify the update landed.
• FitRep approved. Verify OMPF entry within 60 days.
• Award approved. Verify OMPF entry within 60 days.

Document the trigger and the audit completion in the leader notebook.

Pre-Board Deep Audit

For Marines in the promotion zone, a 6-month pre-board audit covers.

• Every FitRep present and current.
• Every award entered.
• Every Page 11 (commendatory and adverse) present.
• PME completion documented.
• Specific qualifications documented.
• Citation language verified.

The deep audit takes hours per Marine. Schedule it.

The Section Records Calendar

Build a single calendar covering all four cadences.

• Quarterly MCTFS dates.
• Annual OMPF date.
• Standing trigger response process.
• Pre-board deep audit dates per zone Marine.

Print it. Hand it to the company-level leader. Keep it visible.

Findings Tracking

Maintain a section findings log.

Closed findings demonstrate the audit cadence is working. Open findings drive the next routing push.

When the Cadence Catches Patterns

Repeated findings of the same type across Marines surface a structural issue.

• Multiple Marines missing the same FitRep type. S-1 routing problem.
• Multiple Marines missing the same unit award. Original submission gap.
• Multiple BAH errors in the same housing area. PAC system issue.

Bring patterns to S-1 for systemic fix rather than running individual corrections forever.

Common Cadence Failures

• Calendar built but never followed.
• Audits run but findings never routed.
• Findings routed but never re-verified.
• Pattern recognition never applied.
• New section leader inherits the calendar but does not refresh.

Where to Go Next

• MCTFS review for the quarterly audit detail.
• OMPF audit walkthrough for the annual audit detail.
• Awards records cleanup for trigger-based award audits.