R 081741Z JUL 25 MARADMIN 317/25 MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM// SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2027 (FY27) HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT CAMPAIGN// REF/A/MSGID: MCO/CMC/YMD: 2021MAY11// REF/B/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 281115ZNOV23// REF/C/MSGID: MCO/CMC/DTG: 2013AUG06// REF/D/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 614391ZMAY25// REF/E/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 211823ZMAY25// REF/F/MSGID: MSG/CMC/DTG: 211824ZOCT20// NARR/REF (A) IS MCO 1326.6 CHANGE-1, SELECTING, SCREENING, AND PREPARING ENLISTED MARINES FOR SCREENABLE BILLETS AND INDEPENDENT DUTY ASSIGNMENTS (SCREENMAN).  REF (B) IS MARADMIN 585/24, FISCAL YEAR 2026 ENLISTED RETENTION CAMPAIGN.  REF (C) IS MCO 7220.12R, SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT PAY, ASSIGNMENT INCENTIVE PAY, AND VOLUNTEER SUPPLEMENTAL INCENTIVE.  REF (D) IS MARADMIN 217/25, FISCAL YEAR 2027 RECRUITING STATION PREFERENCE INCENTIVE FOR RECRUITING DUTY SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT VOLUNTEERS.  REF (E) IS MARADMIN 246/25 PHASE III SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS OPPORTUNITIES BRIEF.  REF (F) IS MARADMIN 628/20 SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT PAY, ASSIGNMENT INCENTIVE PAY, AND VOLUNTEER SUPPLEMENTAL INCENTIVE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021// POC/K. L. MCCOY/CAPT/MMEA-25 UNIT HEAD/TEL: 703-784-9257/ EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/M. A. GAVEL/1STLT/MMEA-25 DEPUTY UNIT HEAD/TEL: 703-784-9257/ EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/B. M. ELSEY/GYSGT/SDA RETENTION CHIEF/TEL: 703-432-9745/ EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/B. J. WALKER/GYSGT/RECRUITING MONITOR/TEL: 703-432-9474/ EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/A. C. MORALES/GYSGT/DRILL INSTRUCTOR MONITOR/TEL: 703-432-9472/ EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/J. A. RICHARDSON/GYSGT/MSG MONITOR/TEL: 703-432-9476/ EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/B. S. WILKINS/GYSGT/COMBAT INSTRUCTOR MONITOR/TEL: 703-432-9473/ EMAIL: [email protected] GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  This message announces the FY27 Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) Special Duty Assignment (SDA) Campaign and provides coordinating instructions for requesting billets as a Recruiter, Drill Instructor, Combat Instructor, or Marine Security Guard Detachment Commander (MSG DC).  The SDA Campaign outlines the timelines and procedures of the FY27 voluntary and involuntary assignment periods. 2.  Background.  A successful SDA tour is a hallmark of a competitive Marine and makes him or her exceptionally qualified for promotion.  In addition to opportunities for meritorious promotions, financial incentives, and duty station preferences, an SDA tour is intellectually rewarding and physically and mentally challenging. 3.  Situation.  The goal of the FY27 SDA Campaign is to fulfill all SDA requirements with volunteers by building upon the sustained volunteerism of recent years and improving the reliability and quality of assignments.  The FY27 SDA Campaign will be executed via voluntary and (if required) involuntary assignment periods.  Marines approved for an FY27 SDA will have a class report date between 1  October 2026 and 30 September 2027. 4.  Concept of Operations 4.a.  Phase I: Voluntary Assignment Period (VAP) 4.a.1.  The VAP began 1 March 2025 and ends 28 February 2026. During this phase, HQMC will accept and review volunteer packages for potential assignment to an SDA of the Marine’s choice.  The intent of this phase is to fulfill as many FY27 SDA openings as possible and minimize the requirement for involuntary assignments. See paragraph 5 for eligibility information. 4.a.2.  From 11 July 2025 to 15 August 2025, the SDA monitors will conduct the SDA Opportunities Brief to promote SDA and screen-able duty opportunities; See reference (e) for details. 4.a.3.  Major Subordinate Commands (MSCs) may request monitor visits for an execution date after the SDA Opportunities Brief by completing the Manpower Management Enlisted Assignments (MMEA) Assist Visit Request Form on the MMEA Manpower and Reserve Affairs website. 4.a.4.  The SDA Monitors will conduct a second roadshow beginning in December 2025 to encourage Marines to volunteer before the involuntary assignment period.  The details of this roadshow will be published in a separate MARADMIN.  MSC career counselors can expect to receive a list of SDA-eligible Marines via the Total Force Retention System (TFRS) in December 2025 to assist with volunteer solicitation prior to the Involuntary Assignment Period (IVAP). 4.b.  Phase II:  IVAP 4.b.1.  The IVAP, commonly known as the HQMC SDA Screening Team (HSST) asignment period, will begin 1 March 2026.  The intent of this period is to assign only the minimum number of Marines needed to fulfill the remaining FY27 SDA openings.  Eligible Marines will be screened for involuntary assignment via the HSST.  The IVAP will end 31 July 2026. 4.b.2.  During the IVAP, Marines not identified for screening via the HSST may request assignment to an SDA as a volunteer.  However, these volunteers will no longer have priority for assignment and may be restricted by Primary Military Occupational Specialty (PMOS) requirements. 5.  Eligibility 5.a.  Reference (a) contains the complete listing of eligibility and screening criteria. 5.b.  Marines with six or more months time on station (based on geographical location) are eligible to volunteer and encouraged to contact their career counselors and monitors for more information. 5.c.  Marines who have executed a lateral move into their present MOS are not eligible to submit for voluntary assignment unless they have completed a minimum of 24 months in that MOS prior to the FY27 class start date. 5.d.  Marines who have previously completed an SDA are eligible to serve on a second tour.  Marines must have been in the Fleet Marine Forces for a minimum of 24 months prior to their class start date. 5.e.  Marines who wish to volunteer for assignment to an SDA must submit an “SDA Reenlistment, Extension, Lateral Move (RELM)” via TFRS to HQMC with the assistance of the unit career counselor. Career counselors should include a comment in the RELM about the Marine’s duty and class preference. 5.f.  To be considered an SDA volunteer, Marines must have a completed "SDA RELM" submitted in TFRS with a "Submitted Date" of 28 February 2026 or earlier and be requesting assignment to one of the following duties: Recruiter, Drill Instructor, Combat Instructor or MSG Detachment Commander.  Marines desiring to volunteer should plan accordingly as package signature dates will not be used to determine a Marine's volunteer status. 5.f.1.  Marines with a request for a non-SDA screen-able duty (i.e. MSG Watch Stander) that are still pending in TFRS after 1 March 2026 will not be considered SDA volunteers and may be required to submit HSST screening materials.  Marines submitting for these duties should plan to submit early to receive prompt adjudication or submit these requests with an SDA duty as a secondary preference. 5.f.2.  The majority of Combat Instructor billets are restricted to infantry PMOSs.  As such, Infantry Marines are more likely to receive directed assignments to Combat Instructor duty and should request an assignment early in the volunteer period to secure volunteer status. 5.f.3.  Only a small portion of Combat Instructor billets are open to Marines of any PMOS and these are regularly filled with volunteers.  Marines seeking this duty are encouraged to volunteer early in the volunteer period to secure their assignment as these billets will likely not be available near or during the IVAP. 6.  Volunteer Cancellations and Modifications 6.a.  To increase the reliability of volunteer assignments, volunteer cancellation and modification requests prior to the IVAP will be considered on a case-by-case basis, based upon the needs of the Marine, the PMOS, the SDA, and the Marine's command.  Marines should provide full justifications for these requests. 6.b.  All cancellation and modification requests, for volunteers and non-volunteers alike, occurring after publication of the HSST screening list will be scrutinized.  Marines and commands should provide thorough justifications, detailing why the Marine is no longer eligible and/or the risks incurred if the Marine remains in their future SDA assignment. 7.  Financial Incentives.  Per reference (f), all Marines who earn the additional MOS for their SDA and are assigned to the corresponding SDA billet MOS will receive SDA Pay (SDAP) and Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP).  In addition to SDAP and AIP, volunteers for Recruiting, Drill Instructor, and MSG DC duty will receive a Voluntary Supplemental Incentive (VSI) of $10,000.00 paid  in monthly payments of $278.00 or in lump sum.  Note, Combat  Instructors will not receive VSI. 7.a.  Lump Sum AIP Agreement.  Commanders will ensure proper  documentation via NAVMC 118 (11) for all Marines electing single  lump sum payment in accordance with reference (f). 7.b.  Current volunteer financial incentives per reference (f): Duty                 Total (monthly VSI)    Total (lump sum VSI) Recruiter            $703 per month         $425 monthly and $10,000 Drill Instructor     $578 per month         $300 monthly and $10,000 MSG DC               $578 per month         $300 monthly and $10,000 7.c.  Current non-volunteer financial incentives per reference (f): Duty                 Total (SDAP and AIP only) Recruiter            $425.00 per month Drill Instructor     $300.00 per month MSG DC               $300.00 per month 7.d.  Financial incentives for all Combat Instructors per reference (f): Duty                 Total (SDAP and AIP only) Combat Instructor    $300.00 per month 8.  Volunteers seeking assignment to Recruiting Duty will be eligible to apply for a recruiting station (RS) of their choice via the Recruiting Station Incentive (RSI) program pending RS availability, as outlined in reference (d) MARADMIN 217/25. 8.a.  Marines that submitted for an FY27 recruiting assignment prior to the release of MARADMIN 217/25 will need to submit an "SDA ONLY" RELM requesting an RSI, as outlined in reference (d). RSIs are first come, first serve.   9.  Questions regarding the FY27 SDA Campaign should be referred to the POCs listed above. 10.  Release authorized by MajGen Ryan S. Rideout, Director, Manpower Management Division.//