FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- The Marine Corps is transitioning from Marine Online’s Training Management System, or MOL, to the Marine Corps Training Information Management System, or MCTIMS, beginning Sept. 1, 2014.
MCTIMS is replacing MOL as the Marine Corps’ platform for tracking, recording, and reporting all annual and support training requirements because of its simpler design and usability.
“We’ve taken the functionality from the MOL training management system, we’ve brought that over into MCTIMS, and we’ve actually beefed it up,” Capt. Jason L. Bullis, unit training supervisor at the Training Education Branch with the Training and Education Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., said.
MOL uses the Training Management System, or TMS, to record all annual requirements. With MOL, training and recording of annual requirements are in two separate locations, which can be time consuming and confusing. Many commanders were looking for a simpler system, Bullis said.
MCTIMS uses the Unit Training Management Module to perform all functions of MOL, but keeps it in one place.
“We wanted to combine two systems into one,” Bullis said, “Now commanders can go to one place, plan all their training, all their collective and individual events, as well as their annual requirements then report, and track all of that in one place.”
The new system was designed to reduce confusion and to benefit Marines, Bullis said.
“Time is money, money is time,” he said. “Everything now can be documented in one system, so you are not doing duplicate training.”
The unit commander can now see which Marines still need training by percentage and plan accordingly, Bullis said.
Bullis said, he and his team have put a lot of preparation into the transition. The plan is to begin the transition with unit levels, so they in return will train the lower levels.
The training includes Marine management, managing rosters for the physical and combat fitness test, how to track Marines’ records and how the role of reporting works.
“We focus on ensuring the units know how to report their information, especially anything promotional,” Bullis said.
Units are required to receive training about MCTIMS from MCTIMS Field Support Representatives before being authorized to make the transition. The training will be conducted at the regimental and group levels. Each unit is responsible for making sure their Marines are trained in a timely manner.
The transition will begin with I and II Marine Expeditionary Force on Sept. 1, 2014. They will be the first to transition followed by III MEF Jan 1, 2015, and Marine Corps Forces Reserve May 1, 2015. All Marines will be required to move to the new platform no later than Oct. 1, 2015.
With the transition to the new system, MCTIMS’ simpler functions only add to the efficiency and fluidity of the Marine Corps. The system was tested, fixed and perfected. Feedback from Marines that tested the system revealed a good review.
“They loved it,” Bullis said.