R 141953Z AUG 17
MARADMIN 443/17
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG MCCDC QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/AY 2018-2019 SCHOOL OF ADVANCED WARFIGHTING APPLICATION//
POC/MS ZENA GIBBS/ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAM MANAGER/SAW/MCU/TEL: (703)432-5318/DSN 378 EMAIL: ZENA.GIBB@USMCU.EDU//
GENTEXT/RMKS/1.  Situation.  The School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) is an Advanced Intermediate Level School (A-ILS) that produces officers qualified to fill high-impact service and joint planning billets.  The program enhances officers abilities to derive critical insights from large quantities of information, make timely and effective decisions, communicate succinctly both verbally and in writing, and collaborate to produce cogent orders.  The curriculum features rigorous case studies, multiple planning exercises, extensive staff rides, and a consideration of future war.  SAW graduates earn the secondary Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 0505 Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) planner and a Masters Degree in Operational Studies.  Graduates also have a strong record of selection for promotion and command based on their well-developed capability to reason critically, solve complex problems, and apply operational art.
2.  Mission.  During 13-24 Nov 2017, Marine Corps University (MCU) will convene a selection board to select the best qualified applicants for Academic Year 2018-2019 (AY 18-19) in order to ensure the Marine Corps is supported with highly capable and effective MAGTF Planners.
3.  Execution
3.A.  Commanders intent.  Educate high-caliber officers who will serve as staff planners in key billets throughout the operating forces and supporting establishments.  A critical first step in that process is the competitive selection of qualified Marine, joint service, and international officer applicants who have excelled in intermediate level programs.  The end state is a SAW AY 18-19 student body comprised of officers who demonstrate the character, competence, and creativity to excel as planners, staff officers, and future commanders.
3.B.  Concept of operations.  Officers meeting the admissions criteria will, in accordance with this Marine Administrative Message (MARADMIN), accomplish the following:  submit an email stating intent to apply, submit all application materials, and participate in a SAW selection panel interview.  Selected applicants and alternates will be screened for eligibility, notified by MARADMIN, and issued orders to attend SAW.
3.B.1.  Officers selected by the Commandants Professional Intermediate Level Education Board and also selected by the SAW selection panel will execute orders to SAW.
3.C.  General eligibility guidelines
3.C.1.  Unrestricted officers from all MOS fields who are majors, major selects at the time of application, and those in zone for the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Lieutenant Colonel Promotion Selection Board.
3.C.2.  Security Clearance:  For United States (U.S.) officers, a SECRET clearance that will not expire during the AY, and must be Top Secret-Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS-SCI) eligible.  U.S. Marine Corps officers will be required to have or initiated a TS-SCI clearance before AY 18-19 school year begins.
3.C.3.  Officers who have fulfilled an obligated payback tour for a previously attended Commandants Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board (CPIB) program are eligible to attend A-ILS.
3.C.4.  All applicants from all U.S. services, Department of Defense, and Interagency organizations must be Intermediate Level School (ILS), or Intermediate Developmental Education (IDE) complete or currently enrolled in good standing and projected to complete resident/non-resident ILS/IDE requirements no later than (NLT) 8 Jun 2018.  Failure to complete ILS (resident or non-resident) will terminate eligibility.
3.C.5.  International officers from non-English speaking countries must have graduate-level capability to comprehend, read, speak, and write English (Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 83 on the internet based test or 560 on the paper based test).  The TOEFL score must be included on the application under the civilian education section.
3.C.6.  International officers must hold a qualifying undergraduate degree (U.S. regionally or nationally accredited bachelors degree or equivalent).  U.S. Officers with international degrees should contact MCU Registrar office for special instructions.  Registrar point of contact (POC) is mcu_registrar@usmcu.edu, 703-784-0083, DSN 278-0083.
3.C.7.  Due to Headquarters Marine Corps effort to reduce cost associated with Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, Marine officers are not eligible for consideration unless they have satisfied time on station requirements and are eligible to execute PCS orders during the Summer of 2018.  Marine officers that are not Summer of 2018 movers shall contact their primary MOS monitor to determine eligibility for PCS orders and submit an Administrative Action (AA) form to request a tour length waiver.  Officers should not delay completion or submission of their application while awaiting AA decision.
3.D.  The following are not eligible for consideration.
3.D.1.  Officers who have not fulfilled an obligated payback tour for a previously attended program.
3.D.2.  Captains who are in zone for the (FY19) Majors Selection Board.
3.D.3.  Officers may not be a lieutenant colonel or lieutenant colonel (select) at the time of application.  If the applicant is in-zone for lieutenant colonel at the time of application and fails to be selected, their SAW eligibility is terminated.
3.D.4.  Selected Marine Corps Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve, Active Reserve, Joint Service Reserve, and National Guard officers are not eligible.
3.D.5.  Officers selected to assume command of a recruiting station during FY18 are not eligible to apply.
3.E.  Tasks
3.E.1.  SAW
3.E.1.A.  Establish a selection panel in order to select the best-qualified applicants for AY 18-19.
3.E.1.B.  Coordinate with Manpower Management Officer Assignments (MMOA) branch to ensure only eligible officers are selected.
3.E.1.C.  Coordinate with College of Distance Education and Training (CDET) on Command and Staff College Distance Education Program (CSCDEP) submissions.
3.E.1.D.  Coordinate with Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group to ensure only eligible international military students are selected.
3.E.2.  CDET:  Assist CSCDEP SAW applicants with acquiring adjunct faculty application endorsements.
3.F.  Application and Selection process
3.F.1.  NLT 8 Sep 2017, applicants will send an “intent to apply” via email to SAWs organizational mailbox:  mcu_saw_applications@usmcu.edu.  Subject line should read “LAST NAME, F.M. - INTENT TO APPLY”.
3.F.1.A.  In the body of the email, provide first name, middle initial, last name, rank, branch of service, military email, personal email, and personal and work contact phone numbers.  Applicants will be sent a reply email with a link to application instructions, forms, and the essay prompt.  If reply email is not received within 48 hours, contact SAW POC.
3.F.1.B.  The application package consists of instructions, several forms, a list of reports, and an essay prompt that must be submitted.  The forms and instructions are found on the SAW applicant webpage at https:(slash)(slash)www.usmcu.edu/saw.  Applicants should begin the application process as soon as possible.  Applicants should submit a completed application package NLT 29 Sep 2017.
3.F.2.  Marine officers attending Joint Service Resident Professional Military Education at Newport, Fort Leavenworth, and Maxwell Air Force Base may apply for SAW.  However, Marine officers at joint service schools who desire to attend SAW are highly encouraged to apply to all other year-long Advanced Intermediate Level Schools (i.e., School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), or School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS)).  Likewise, Marine officers in the National Capital Region (NCR) who desire to attend SAMS or SAASS should also apply to SAW.  Applications that do not conform to this guidance will be considered on a case-by-case basis with coordination between MMOA and the SAW selection panel.
3.F.3.  Eligible and competitive applicants will be contacted to schedule an individual panel interview between 10 Oct and 10 Nov 2017.  In-person interviews for out-of-area applicants are not required but recommended.  Applicants outside the Washington, District of Columbia area who cannot make an in-person interview will be scheduled to conduct a video teleconference (VTC) or phone interview.  Out-of-area applicants who prefer a face-to-face interview in Quantico will be responsible for travel, lodging, and incidental costs.  Temporary additional duty (TAD) solely to conduct the interview is highly discouraged.
3.F.4.  Between 11 Nov 2017 and early Jan 2018, SAW will ensure selected students are approved for attendance by their respective service or nation.  Nominated international officers are invited through the International Military Training office, which in turn coordinates with the officers military assignment staff.  Once approved, selection results will be announced via separate MARADMIN with a goal for release of the selection message in early Jan 2018.
3.F.5.  Follow-on assignments.  0505 MAGTF planners are a low density, high-demand MOS in critical billets.  0505 assignments are normally 36 month assignments.  In order to maintain an adequate 0505 inventory and ensure a two year minimum utilization tour, Marine A-ILS students and graduates (SAW, SAMS, SAASS, Maritime Advanced Warfighting School (MAWS)) are ineligible to be screened for command during the school year and the first year of their utilization tour.
3.G.  Coordinating instructions
3.G.1.  Website problems should be reported to SAW POC, Ms. Zena Gibbs.
3.G.2.  Deadline for all applications is 29 Sep 2017.
3.G.3.A.  Interview dates for SAW selection:  10 Oct - 10 Nov 2017.
3.G.3.B.  Interview location:  Warner Center, Bldg 2044, Suite 2122, South Street, Quantico, VA, 22134.  No on-site interviews will be conducted at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Naval War College, or Air Command and Staff College.  Joint service applicants from these sites will conduct VTC or phone interviews.  Marine POCs at the above locations, listed in paragraph 5, will assist in the scheduling of VTC interviews.
3.G.3.C.  SAW will coordinate with MMOA and sister service personnel branches to ensure selected primary and alternate applicants are endorsed by their services prior to official notification of selection.
4.  Administration and logistics
4.A.  If interested in applying to the United States Army (SAMS) contact Mrs. Anna White, communication (comm) (913) 758-3300/DSN 585.  Alternate is Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Eckerberg, United States Marine Corps, comm (913) 684-4552/DSN 552-4552.
4.B.  If interested in applying to the United States Air Force (SAASS) contact Ms. Sheila McKitt, comm (334) 953-5155/DSN 493 or sheila.mckitt@us.af.mil.
4.C.  If interested in applying to United States Navy (MAWS) contact Colonel Rob Gardner, USMC (RET), comm (401) 841-2534/DSN 841-4862, or robert.gardner@usnwc.edu.
5.  Command and signal
5.A.  POCs at SAW:
5.A.1.  SAW Deputy Director:  Lieutenant Colonel J. R. Kenney, USMC, comm (703) 784-6890/DSN 278 or jeffrey.kenney@usmcu.edu.
5.A.2.  SAW Operations Officer:  Lieutenant Colonel C. B. Lynn, USMC, comm (703) 432-5411/DSN 378 or charles.lynn@usmcu.edu.
5.A.3.  SAW Administrative Program Manager:  Ms. Zena Gibbs, comm (703) 432-5318/DSN 378 or zena.gibbs@usmcu.edu.
5.A.4.  SAW Administrative Noncommissioned Officer:  Corporal D. Estes, comm (703) 432-5420/DSN 378 or denise.estes@usmcu.edu.
5.B.  POC at Naval War College:  Colonel Paul Muller, USMC, comm (401) 841-4862/DSN 948 or paul.muller@usnwc.edu, alternate is Colonel Rob Gardner, USMC (RET), comm (401) 841-2534/DSN 841-4862 or robert.gardner@usnwc.edu.
5.C.  POC at Army Command and General Staff College is Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Eckerberg, USMC, comm (913) 684-4552/DSN 552-4552 or aaron.d.eckerberg.mil@mail.mil.
5.D.  POC at Air Force Artillery Command Systems Operator is Lieutenant Colonel Tate Buntz, USMC/comm (334) 953-6592/DSN 493-6592 or tate.buntz@us.af.mil.
5.E.  CDET Regional Directors POC information is below.  Class locations are subject to change.
5.E.1.  POC at CDET:  Operations Officer, Mr. Wilfrid Kirkbride, comm (703) 784-5971/DSN 278-5971 or wilfrid.kirkbride@usmcu.edu.
5.E.2.  Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune: Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, Norfolk, VA, and MCAS Cherry Point, NC, Mr. Cesare Cardi, email at cesare.cardi@usmc.mil, comm (910) 451-9309/DSN 751-4796.
5.E.3.  Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola:  NAS Meridian, MS, NAS Whiting Field, FL, Southern Command, Miami, FL, Central Command and Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany, GA, Atlanta, GA, MCAS Beaufort, SC, Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island, SC, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, MI, and Memphis, TN, Mr. Art Adkins, email at arthur.adkins@usmc.mil, comm (850) 452-9460 ext. 3052/DSN 922-9460 ext. 3052.
5.E.4.  MCB Camp Pendleton, CA:  MCLB Barstow, CA, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA and Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport, CA, Mr. Jeff Willis, email at jeffrey.r.willis@usmc.mil, comm (760) 725-8422/DSN 365-8422.
5.E.5.  MCB Hawaii:  MCB Kaneohe Bay, HI, Mr. Cos Spofford, email at cosmas.spofford@usmc.mil, comm (808) 257-1956/DSN 457-1956.
5.E.6.  MCAS Miramar, CA:  MCAS Yuma, AZ, MCRD San Diego, CA, San Bruno, CA, and Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, Mr. Gary Dahl, email at conrad.dahl@usmc.mil, comm (858) 577-1373/1374/DSN 267-1373/1374.
5.E.7.  MCB Okinawa, Japan:  Marine Corps Forces Korea, MCAS Iwakuni, Japan and Camp Fuji, Japan, Mr. Chet Jolley, email at chester.jolley@usmc.mil, comm +81-98-970-2230 (94, 315-645-2230) DSN 645-2230.
5.E.8.  MCB Quantico, VA:  United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, Arlington, VA, Columbia, MD, Indian Head, MD, Patuxent River, MD, Garden City, NY, Buffalo, NY, and Fort Devens, MA, Mr. Mark Shigley, email at mark.shigley@usmc.mil, comm (703) 784-2625/DSN 278-2625.
5.E.9.  Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas:  Marine Corps Forces Reserve, New Orleans, LA, Dallas, TX , Chicago, IL, and Detroit, MI, Mr. Michael Maciel, email at michael.maciel@usmc.mil, comm (817) 782-3207/DSN 739-3207.
6.  Release authorized by Lieutenant General, Robert S. Walsh, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command.//