MEMORANDUM.
business
Description
IMEMORANDUM
To: Professor Ellen Blumner
From: Winston Labriel
Date: September 22, 2016
Subject: Mandatory 30-day respite post deployment for the post combat
Summary
The Marine Logistics Center has a rising need to take a mandatory 30-days off period.
The decline of the command climate rating and Off-Duty incidents is the reason this proposed
memo is being written. Informing the senior committee of the current condition and also
providing some recommendations moving forward in alleviating off-duty mishaps requires
critical approach and review.
What the Problem Is
Due to combat exposure throughout a nine-month deployment, upon return, off-duty
issues such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, domestic violence, and suicide have been trending
among the service members. Moreover, service members are going on leave without any post-
combat mental screening. This leaves fellow service members and civilians exposed to the threat
of an untreated person inflicting harm on an unsuspected individual.
Why This Problem needs to be investigated
This problem requires the attention of the Commanding Officer in an effort to prevent, to
prevent Marines from causing harm to themselves and to others. The command currently has a
mandatory 15-day respite, but service members are failing to complete mental health screenings
prior to going on leave. The Post Deployment Health Assessment is a vital piece to the command
climate.
It is important the command correct this discrepancy. The overall health and attrition of
all service members is vital to the commands’ success. There is a growing concern that the
impact these rash of incidents have on the overall morale of the Marines is a negative one.
A proactive approach to this issue is being requested. Emphasis on keeping our service
members in uniform benefits the command far greater than the process of expulsion. Failure to
address these issues could lead to an increase in mishaps, hence an increase in Court Martials,
and Non-Judicial Punishments. Moreover, these accumulated command problems cause undue
stress and trauma among the chain of command. The commands “zero tolerance” policy on
domestic violence alone will see an increase in Marines processed out the military under
dishonorable conditions.
