MCO 7220.52G governs eligibility criteria and administration of the Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus Program for Marines.
View MCO 7220.52G on armypubs.army.mil
It covers validated foreign language capabilities, MOS and billet eligibility, testing, recertification, payment by exception, and lump-sum bonuses. It requires qualifying Marines to use designated testing mechanisms and establishes payment conditions.
Applies to: FLPB intends to provide incentive bonuses for Marines who have a validated foreign language capability.
Validation is gained via official Department of Defense (DoD) testing mechanisms: Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) or Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). (paragraph 4)
To meet eligibility requirements for continuous FLPB, qualified Marines shall recertify annually. An exception to the annual recertification requirement is granted to Marines who achieve an ILR level 3 in any modality (Listening, Reading, Speaking); these Marines are authorized to recertify in that modality every two years. (paragraph 5)
Per reference (f), only the lower range, upper range, and all range DLPTs qualify Marines for FLPB; very low range DLPT scores do not. (paragraph 5)
If no DLPT exists for a language or dialect, Marines must take the OPI to receive FLPB. In these instances, the score on the OPI will be recorded as both the listening and speaking score and paid accordingly. (paragraph 5)
Marines who do not meet MOS or situational eligibility requirements, but are temporarily assigned to duties which actively utilize foreign language capabilites, may submit Exception to Policy (ETP) requests to the FLPB Program Manager for adjudication. Approved requests will be paid retroactively and only for the duration of the assignment. (paragraph 3)