Effective immediately, all unaccompanied Sailors serving
with Marine Corps units in Okinawa and Iwakuni, Japan, will
fall under Marine Corps policy that requires a two-year
tour rather than a one-year stint, according to the Navy
Personnel Command. Sailors on accompanied orders will
serve three-year tours. Sailors currently assigned to the
Third Marine Expeditionary Force or Marine Corps Bases
Japan on one-year unaccompanied tours will have their
current Projected Rotation Date honored, as will Sailors
who have orders to Third MEF or MCBJ and have already
departed from their detaching command. Sailors who have
not yet left detaching commands will receive an order
modification lengthening their tours to two years. Married
Sailors on their first enlistment serving a one-year
unaccompanied tour may elect to change to a three-year
accompanied tour, as long as they obtain command approval
and sponsorship for their spouses.
