GCASS Issue Papers


Commanders who have not yet entered their access ID should click here and log in, then return to this Issue Papers page. (For non-commanders, access to the contents of Issue Papers may be available by contacting ASD at 888-603-3170, or email us at surveys@advancedsurveydesign.com.)

To be added to the distribution list for future GCASS issue papers, you must be a Service member (or Federal employee) affiliated with the Marine Corps safety program. Contact the issue paper administrator at:


Summary of Issue Papers
[Issue Paper Index]
Issue Paper #146:Medical Support
Issue Paper #145:Mental Health
Issue Paper #144:Safety Toolbox
Issue Paper #143:Barracks Life
Issue Paper #142:Motorcycle Safety Program
Issue Paper #141:Members Work Well Together
Issue Paper #140:Abstracts of GCASS Issue Papers Released in CY-2023
Issue Paper #139:The Most Hazardous Activity Performed
Issue Paper #138:What is my unit doing right?
Issue Paper #137:Quality of Life
Issue Paper #136:Driving after Alcohol Consumption
Issue Paper #135:Marine Corps Climate & Culture
Issue Paper #134:Mentoring (REVISED)
Issue Paper #133:Summer Safety
Issue Paper #132:GCA Recommendations to Improve Safety
Issue Paper #131:GCA Survey Items Analyzed by Respondents' Time-in-Unit
Issue Paper #130:Survey Kickoff
Issue Paper #129:Training Conducted as Scheduled
Issue Paper #128:Adequate Resources
Issue Paper #127:Stress
Issue Paper #126:CO Survey Feedback
Issue Paper #125:Drinking & Driving
Issue Paper #124:Favoritism
Issue Paper #123:101 Days of Summer
Issue Paper #122:GCA Survey Items Analyzed by Selected Demographics (Part 2)
Issue Paper #121:GCA Survey Items Analyzed by Selected Demographics
Issue Paper #120:Trust
Issue Paper #119:Individuals are Comfortable Reporting Safety Issues
Issue Paper #118:Awareness of High-risk Members
Issue Paper #117:Fatigue Management
Issue Paper #116:Enough Experienced Personnel to Perform Tasks
Issue Paper #115:Motorcycle Safety Program
Issue Paper #114:Mission First, Marines Always
Issue Paper #113:Qualifications
Issue Paper #112:Recognizing Individual Safety Acts
Issue Paper #111:SOPs and Safety Rules Enforced
Issue Paper #110:Leaders/Supervisors Monitor Operations
Issue Paper #109:Members Work Well Together
Issue Paper #108:Substance Abuse Control Program
Issue Paper #107:Risk Management
Issue Paper #106:Forklift Safety
Issue Paper #105:Off-Duty and Recreational Activity Safety Program
Issue Paper #104:Unit Morale
Issue Paper #103:Quality of Life
Issue Paper #102:Clearly Defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Issue Paper #101:Unit Safety Representatives
Issue Paper #100:Authority to Halt Unsafe Activities
Issue Paper #99:Fatigued Driving
Issue Paper #98:Issue Paper Development and Categorization
Issue Paper #97:Well-Informed of Important Safety Information
Issue Paper #96:Relationship between Communication and Trust
Issue Paper #95:Special Staff - Part 2
Issue Paper #94:Missed Training and Make-up Training
Issue Paper #93:Special Staff
Issue Paper #92:"The next incident /mishap in my unit . . ."
Issue Paper #91:Adequate Resources
Issue Paper #90:Off Duty and Recreational Activity Safety Program
Issue Paper #89:Risk Management
Issue Paper #88:Communication
Issue Paper #87:Awareness of High-Risk Personnel
Issue Paper #86:Recognizing Individual Safety Achievement
Issue Paper #85:Forklift Operations
Issue Paper #84:Leaders/Supervisors Set a Good Example
Issue Paper #83:Fatigue and Rest (Revisited)
Issue Paper #82:Response Anonymity
Issue Paper #81:Force Preservation Councils (Revisited)
Issue Paper #80:Who Will Your Unit Select as Your Next Safety Representatives?
Issue Paper #79:Comparison of Top/Bottom Five GCA and HHQ Survey Items
Issue Paper #78:GCA Likert Survey Items Listed by Major Command
Issue Paper #77:List of GCASS Issue Papers & Issue Paper Index
Issue Paper #76:GCA Survey Items Most Strongly Correlated with GCA #21 (Unit Morale)
Issue Paper #75:Use of Special Staff to Help Manage High-Risk Personnel
Issue Paper #74:Motorcycle Survey Results (Revisited)
Issue Paper #73:Personnel Qualifications
Issue Paper #72:Training
Issue Paper #71:Cell Phone Use While Driving - Use of Handheld/Hands-Free Devices (Revisited)
Issue Paper #70:GCA Survey Means Sorted by Time-in-Unit and by Rank
Issue Paper #69:Resource Availability -vs- OPTEMPO & Readiness
Issue Paper #68:What Are Your Marines Doing This Summer? (Revisited)
Issue Paper #67:Leaders/Supervisors are Actively Engaged in the Unit Safety Program
Issue Paper #66:Quality of Life (Revisited)
Issue Paper #65:Recognizing Individual Safety Achievement (Revisited)
Issue Paper #64:Force Preservation Councils
Issue Paper #63:What Are Your Marines Doing This Summer?
Issue Paper #62:Resources
Issue Paper #61:Fatigue and Rest
Issue Paper #60:Marine Corps Arrive Alive Program
Issue Paper #59:Unit Members Work Well Together
Issue Paper #58:A Dozen Reasons Marines Gave for Not Wearing Their Seatbelts
Issue Paper #57:Motorcycle Survey Results
Issue Paper #56:DUI Prevention Initiative
Issue Paper #55:Communication (Revisited)
Issue Paper #54:Substance Abuse Control Program Effectiveness
Issue Paper #53:Don't Know Responses to GCA Survey Items
Issue Paper #52:Safety Representatives are Effective in Promoting Safety
Issue Paper #51:SOPs and Safety Rules are Enforced
Issue Paper #50:SOPs and Safety Rules are Clearly Defined
Issue Paper #49:Cutting Corners to Accomplish the Job/Mission (Revisited)
Issue Paper #48:Qualifications
Issue Paper #47:Individuals are Comfortable Reporting Safety-Related Issues
Issue Paper #46:Authority to Halt Unsafe Activities
Issue Paper #45:ORM, On-line Surveys, & Safety Standdowns: A Powerful Combination
Issue Paper #44:Operational Risk Management (ORM)
Issue Paper #43:Overview of GCASS Survey Process
Issue Paper #42:Unit Morale
Issue Paper #41:Quality of Life
Issue Paper #40:Quick Look At Seatbelt Use by Marines
Issue Paper #39:GCA / HHQ Survey Response Comparisons
Issue Paper #38:My Unit's Off Duty & Recreational Safety Program is Working Well to Reduce Injuries
Issue Paper #37:Would You Buy Your Car?
Issue Paper #36:Rank Bias in the Marine Ground Climate Assessment (GCA) Survey
Issue Paper #35:Marine CO/OIC Feedback -- Intervention Strategies
Issue Paper #34:Cell Phone Use While Driving(Revisited)
Issue Paper #33:Time to Start Thinking About the "101 Critical Days of Summer"
Issue Paper #32:Risk Homeostasis
Issue Paper #31:List of GCASS Issue Papers & Issue Paper Index
Issue Paper #30:Comparison of Two Age Groups' D&D Survey Favorable Responses II
Issue Paper #29:Comparison of Two Age Groups' D&D Survey Favorable Responses
Issue Paper #28:Drinking & Driving (D&D) Survey Favorable Responses (Revisited)
Issue Paper #27:Supervisor Compliance with Policies, Rules, and Regulations
Issue Paper #26:Violations in My Unit are Rare
Issue Paper #25:Cell Phone Use While Driving -- Use of Hands-Free Devices
Issue Paper #24:Cell Phone Use While Driving
Issue Paper #23:My Unit is Over-Committed
Issue Paper #22:Supervisor Favoritism Regarding DUIs (sorted by Rank)
Issue Paper #21:Supervisor Favoritism Regarding DUIs
Issue Paper #20:Trust in Supervisors
Issue Paper #19:Top/Bottom Five Higher Headquarters (HHQ) Survey Responses
Issue Paper #18:Fatigue (Revisited)
Issue Paper #17:Communication III (Are Unit Leaders Listening?)
Issue Paper #16:Communication II (Job Safety Information)
Issue Paper #15:Communication
Issue Paper #14:Morale
Issue Paper #13:Using Special Staff to Help Manage High-Risk Personnel
Issue Paper #12:Unit Leaders React Well to Unexpected Changes
Issue Paper #11:Getting the Most from Your Survey Data
Issue Paper #10:Conflicts Between Members Degrade Performance
Issue Paper #9:CO/OIC Feedback
Issue Paper #8:Fatigue
Issue Paper #7:Top/Bottom Five GCA Survey Items
Issue Paper #6:Cutting Corners to Get a Job Done
Issue Paper #5:Individual Safety Acts are Recognized Through Awards & Incentives
Issue Paper #4:What Are Your People Doing This Summer?
Issue Paper #3:Private Motor Vehicle (PMV) Survey Response Rates
Issue Paper #2:Motorcycle Survey Feedback
Issue Paper #1:Drinking & Driving Survey Favorable Response Rates




U.S. Marine Corps Aviation Survey System (MCASS) Issue Papers

U.S. Marine Corps Command Climate Survey (CCS) Issue Papers



Issue Paper Index
[Summary of Issue Papers]

TOPIC ASSOCIATED ISSUE PAPER #
101 Critical Days of Summer4, 33, 37, 38, 53, 56, 57, 60, 63, 68, 74, 123, 133
Accountability138
Alcohol1, 3, 4, 14, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 38, 54, 56, 60, 92, 108, 125, 136
Anonymity82, 121, 122
Barracks137, 143
Camaraderie 109, 141
Cell phone use3, 24, 25, 34, 71
Cliques109, 141
CO Feedback7, 9, 35, 43, 126, 130
CO Survey Feedback126
Collateral Duties/Multiple Jobs101
Command climate/culture26, 46, 47, 49, 61, 62, 69, 76, 103, 127
Communication (tools, barriers, passdowns)10, 15, 16, 17, 23, 38, 46, 47, 55, 88, 96, 97, 104, 109, 126, 129, 138
Community122
Complacency92
Compliance with standards6, 21, 22, 26, 27, 48, 49, 50, 51, 72
Conceals Adverse Incidents119
Conflicts between unit members7, 10, 59, 109, 141
Considerations/Interventions126
Cutting corners6, 23, 48, 49, 62, 72
Drinking & Driving (D&D)1, 3, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 56, 60, 63, 68, 123, 125, 133, 136
Driving (tired/fatigued)3
Driving to/from work3, 28, 29, 58, 139
Drug/Substance abuse1, 14, 54, 56, 60, 108, 125, 136
Empowerment101, 120, 138
Envrionmental factors 106, 107
Experienced personnel availability116
Fatigue Management3, 7, 8, 18, 23, 40, 41, 49, 53, 54, 56, 58, 61, 62, 66, 69, 72, 83, 92, 99, 117, 126
Fatigued (driving)106
Favoritism124, 141
Flight surgeon75
Force Preservation Councils64, 81, 87, 93, 117, 118
Forklifts85, 106
Gender - Differences in survey responses121
Grade/Rank122
Hand-free cell phones3, 24, 25, 34, 71
Hazard perception139
Hazard reporting119
High risk personnel1, 13, 53, 61, 64, 75, 81, 87, 93, 118
Higher headquarters (HHQ)19, 39, 79
Human Factors Council/Force Preservation Board/Force Preservation Council64, 75, 81
Incident/Mishap (Next)125
Know your people121, 122, 125, 127, 132, 133, 137
Leadership1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 38, 41, 42, 43, 48, 49, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 75, 76, 84, 93, 97, 103, 104, 105, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 120, 124, 126, 127, 130, 132, 134, 137, 138
Mental health107, 127, 145, 146
Mentoring/counseling1, 28, 29, 30, 55, 126, 132, 134
Micromanagement110, 120, 127
Morale & motivation11, 14, 19, 23, 41, 42, 54, 62, 66, 69, 76, 103, 104, 124, 127, 132, 137, 138, 143
Motorcycle Program2, 4, 25, 53, 57, 63, 68, 74, 115, 123, 133, 142
Off duty & Recreational Activities (OD&R)1, 3, 4, 33, 38, 53, 54, 63, 68, 90, 105, 123, 133, 139
Open-ended responses132, 138
Operational Risk Management (ORM)32, 44, 45, 56, 68, 89
OPTEMPO8, 14, 18, 23, 42, 49, 59, 61, 66, 69, 72, 73
Organizational commitment8, 18, 23, 69
Over-committed7, 8, 18, 19, 23, 49, 59, 61, 66, 69, 72, 73, 101
Overviews of prior issue papers140
Parts91
Peer enforcement111
Personal qualifications11, 23, 48, 72, 73, 106
Private Motor Vehicle (PMV)123, 133, 139
Process126
Qualifications & licensing11, 23, 48, 57, 73, 113, 116
Quality of Life62, 66, 69, 76, 103, 104, 126, 132, 137, 143, 146
Rank bias5, 6, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 36, 39, 55, 67, 70, 110, 122
Reactive mindset12, 32
Recognition/rewards and incentives for individual safety achievements5, 19, 46, 47, 65, 86, 112
Reporting hazards119
Reporting violations26, 47, 57, 119
Resource adequacy7, 8, 18, 19, 23, 41, 49, 62, 69, 91, 127, 128, 132
Rewards and incentives for safety achievement86
Risk Management89, 107
Safety culture6, 19, 46, 47, 49, 55, 60, 65, 67, 100, 119, 132, 135, 138
Safety department46, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 57, 58, 60, 61, 65, 67, 68, 74, 80, 97, 101
Safety Officer23, 46, 47, 52, 55, 56, 65, 67, 80, 101
Safety program management1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 19, 21, 28, 29, 30, 40, 43, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 60, 64, 65, 67, 68, 74, 75, 80, 97, 101, 112, 115, 119, 123, 126, 132, 133, 142, 144
Safety Standdown1, 2, 4, 8, 18, 19, 21, 25, 28, 29, 30, 33, 45, 53, 55, 57, 61, 63, 68, 71, 74
Seat belt use3, 32, 40, 58
SOPs102, 111
Special staff13, 14, 64, 75, 93, 95, 145, 146
Standards6, 7, 26, 27, 48, 49, 50, 51, 72, 102
Stress127
Substance Abuse Control Officer (SACO) 108, 125, 136
Suicide14, 64
Supervisory1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37, 41, 42, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 59, 60, 61, 64, 65, 67, 68, 73, 84, 110, 124, 132, 143
Survey quality130
Teamwork79, 103, 104, 109, 141
Time-in-Unit Bias121, 131
Tool Control91
Top/Bottom five responses (Higher Headquarters)7, 19, 135
Training6, 7, 11, 19, 23, 48, 49, 50, 51, 60, 61, 69, 72, 73, 94, 101, 102, 106, 107, 129, 132, 138
Training inhibitors113, 115, 116, 129
Trust7, 20, 96, 109, 120, 124, 132
Unexpected changes12, 23, 129
Vehicle Operation1, 3, 24, 25, 32, 37, 40, 53, 57, 58, 60, 63, 71, 111, 125, 136, 139
Weapons Handling111, 132, 139
What is my unit doing right and why?138
Work-Life Balance107, 114, 118, 137