CONVENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-22 RESERVE OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION BOARD
Date Signed: 5/21/2020 | MARADMINS Number: 300/20
MARADMINS : 300/20

R 201946Z MAY 20
MARADMIN 300/20
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA RA//
SUBJ/CONVENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-22 RESERVE OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION BOARD//
REF/A/DOC/CMC/YMD:  20080125//
REF/B/DOC/CMC/YMD:  20190215//
REF/C/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM/YMD:  112035Z DEC 08//
REF/D/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM/YMD:  221924Z JAN 19//
NARR/REFERENCE A IS MCO 1553.4B, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME). REFERENCE B IS MCO 1900.16 CH 2, SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT MANUAL. REFERENCE C IS MARADMIN 703/08, OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) SUMMARY.  REFERENCE D IS MARADMIN 052/19, OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILE (OMPF) PHOTOGRAPH GUIDANCE.//
POC/NATALIE R. ALEN/MAJ/RAM-3/TEL:  703-784-1275//
POC/BRENNETT FORD/CIV/RAM-3/TEL:  703-432-9410/DSN:  278-9410/ E-MAIL:  RPME@USMC.MIL//
POC/GABRIEL COLÓN/GYSGT/RAM-3/TEL:  703-784-1276//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  IAW the refs, this MARADMIN announces the AY 2021-22 Reserve Officer Professional Military Education (RPME) Board convening 21 September 2020 and solicits applications from those desiring attendance at Full-Length Schools (FLS) for Senior Level College(SLC), Intermediate Level College (ILC), or Career Level School (CLS), Staff Training Courses (STC), Distance Education Program (DEP), Foreign Professional Military Education (FPME), and Marine Corps Fellowships (MCF).
2.  All applicants who request funded orders to FLS, STC, DEP, FPME, and MCF will be board screened.  Officers who meet any of the following criteria are ineligible to apply for FLS, STC, DEP, FPME, and MCF:
    a.  Officers are ineligible to apply if in-zone or above-zone (except for colonels) on the next scheduled promotion board.
    b.  Officers that have completed an equivalent funded FLS or DEP.
    c.  Officers with approved retirements, resignations, or pending conditional release.
    d.  FLS applicants whose mandatory removal date is 1 October 2024 or earlier.
    e.  Unrestricted Reserve (UR) officers currently in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR)/Mobilization Training Unit (MTU) that have not participated in six months or more at the time the board convenes.
    f.  Active Reserve (AR) officers who meet qualifications for career designation in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 are eligible to apply.  AR officers selected by the RPME Board who fail to be career designated will be disqualified and ineligible to attend funded opportunities.
3.  Resident FLS (SLC/ILC/CLS):
    a.  Mobilized officers are eligible to apply, but must end current mobilization orders 15 days prior to commencing FLS if selected.
    b.  Specific Eligibility:
        (1) LtCol/LtCol (sel) (SLC); Maj/Maj (sel) (ILC); and Capt/Capt (sel) (CLS).
        (2) Those applying to resident SLC must have completed Intermediate Level School (ILS) and Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) I.
        (3) AR officers applying to FLS must meet the two years time on station (TOS) requirement prior to 1 June 2021.  The TOS requirement may be waived to 22 months.
        (4) AR officers serving overseas and in a joint billet must complete obligated time.
        (5) Officers currently assigned command must complete 24 months in command prior to the course convening date.
        (6) Officers applying for resident FLS must meet the security clearance required by each school.  Once selected, the officer should immediately contact his/her security manager to ensure the appropriate level of clearance is current.
    c.  Resident FLS-SLC courses available (all FLS-SLC are Joint PME II certification courses) (read in four columns):
            Crs Titles/Location    Codes     Grade     Convene Grad
        (1) Marine Corps War       MCWAR     LtCol     Jul 21-Jun 22
            College, Quantico, VA            LtCol(sel)
        (2) College of Naval       CNW       LtCol     Jul 21-Jun 22
            Warfare, Newport, RI             LtCol(sel)
        (3) U.S. Army War College  USAWC     LtCol     Jul 21-Jun 22
            Carlisle Barracks, PA            LtCol(sel)
        (4) Air War College        AWC       LtCol     Jul 21-Jun 22
            Maxwell AFB, AL                  LtCol(sel)
        (5) National War College   NWC       LtCol     Aug 21-Jun 22
            National Defense University      LtCol(sel)
            Fort McNair, Washington, DC
        (6) Dwight D. Eisenhower   ESNSRS    LtCol     Aug 21-Jun 22
            School for National              LtCol(sel)
            Security and Resource
            Strategy, National Defense
            University Fort McNair,
            Washington, DC
        (7) College of Information  CIC      LtCol     Aug 21-Jun 22
            and Cyberspace, National Defense LtCol(sel)
            University, Fort McNair,
            Washington, DC
    d.  Resident FLS-ILC courses available: 
            Crs Titles/Location    Codes     Grade     Convene Grad
        (1) Marine Corps Command   MCCSC     Maj       Jul 21-Jun 22
            and Staff College                Maj(sel)
            Quantico, VA
        (2) College of Naval       CNCS      Maj       Jul 21-Jun 22
            Command and Staff                Maj(sel)
            Newport, RI
        (3) U.S. Army Command      CGSC      Maj       Jul 21-Jun 22
            and General Staff                Maj(sel)
            College, Fort
            Leavenworth, KS
        (4) Air Command and Staff  ACAS      Maj       Jul 21-Jun 22 
            College Maxwell                  Maj(sel)
            AFB, AL
        (5) The Judge Advocate Generals      LtCol     Aug 21-Jun 22
            Legal Center and School          Maj
            (TJAGLCS) Restricted to AR
            Officers with 4402 PMOS
            (Does not provide TLS/ILS credit)
    e.  Resident FLS-CLS course available:
            Crs Titles/Location    Codes     Grade     Convene Grad
        (1) Marine Corps           MCEWS     Capt      Jul 21-May 22
            Expeditionary Warfare            Capt(sel)
            School, Quantico, VA
    f.  Resident FLS is approximately 10 months in length.  The months listed above are approximate to include reporting dates and school convening dates.  Exact dates will be provided once received from the schools.  Officers being considered for resident FLS must ensure they are available to attend if selected.
    g.  UR officers participating in any funded PME program of study (excluding 2 week STC) will incur a Selected Reserve (SelRes) drilling affiliation obligation for 24 continuous months following the completion of a program of study.  This requirement is to ensure a return on the investment made in educating officers through these programs.  To more effectively enforce this requirement, the following applies:
        (1) UR officers will sign a Separate Written Agreement to Train (SWAT) at the time of application to all funded PME programs of study to acknowledge and accept the Selected Reserve (SelRes) drilling affiliation requirement.  Applications submitted without a signed SWAT will not be accepted.
        (2) Within ninety days following graduation, each officer must be joined to either a Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) unit or an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) billet that matches his or her grade and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).
        (3) Subsequent failure to affiliate following graduation will be handled in accordance with the SWAT signed at the time of application.
    h.  Per reference (a), all resident FLS listed in this MARADMIN are subject to change based on final allocation and validation of school seats.
4.  DEP.  UR officers in the Ready Reserve (SMCR, AR, IMA, and IRR) are eligible for consideration if they meet the specific eligibility criteria listed with each opportunity below.
    a.  DEP Senior Level Course:
            Crs Titles/Location    Codes    Grade      Convene Grad
        (1) U.S. Army War College  USAWCDEP Col/LtCol  Jun 21-Jun 23
            Distance Education              Col(sel)
            Course, Carlisle                LtCol(sel)
            Barracks, PA                    must have
            Format:  first year             pinned on
            correspondence,                 LtCol NLT
            resident phase and              orientation date
            second year
            correspondence and
            resident phase, graduation.
    b.  DEP Senior Joint PME II Level Course:
            Crs Titles/Location   Codes   Grade      Convene Grad
        (1) Joint and Combined            Maj(sel)   1. Jan - Oct 21
            Warfighting School            thru Col   2. Jan - Oct 21
            Hybrid                                   3. Feb – Nov 21
            Joint Forces Staff
            College, Norfolk, VA
            Must be JPME I complete.
            Format:  40 week program
            12 weeks DEP, 1 week
            resident, 25 weeks DEP,
            and 2 weeks resident
            90 percent of the course
            is online.
            Students must have access
            to a computer.
5.  Marine Corps Foreign PME and Fellowships:
    a.  Foreign PME:
            Crs Title/Location           Grade    Convene     Grad
        (1) NATO Defense College         Col      1. Feb 21 - Jul 21
            (Rome, Italy)                Col (sel)2. Sep 21 – Feb 22
                                         LtCol
                                         LtCol (sel)
            (TLS and JPME I credit)
        (2) Western Hemisphere Institute  Maj       Jun 21 – Jun 22
            For Security Cooperation      Maj (sel)
            (WHINSEC)Fort Benning,
            Columbus GA.
            (Must be proficient in Spanish)
            (ILS and JPME I credit)
     b.  Marine Corps Fellowships:
        (1) Department of Homeland         LtCol     Jul 21 – Jun 22
            Security (DHS) Washington DC   LtCol (sel)
            (Must be able to obtain a TS clearance)
            (TLS credit only not JPME I or II)
        (2) Office of Foreign Disaster     Maj       Jul 21 – Jun 22
            Assistance (OFDA) Washington DC Maj (sel)
            (No PME credit)
     c. (3) Defense Advanced Research      MAJ       Jul 21 – Jun 22
            Projects Agency                MAJ (sel)
            Arlington, VA
            (No PME credit)
6.  Staff Training Course (STC).  UR officers in the Ready Reserve (SMCR, IMA, and IRR) are eligible to apply for the following resident two week STC opportunity if they meet the specific  eligibility criteria listed below.  Those selected for STC who accept and later decline will have an official letter placed in their OMPF.
        Crs Titles/Location.    Codes     Grade           Convene
    a.  Reserve Senior Staff    RSSC      Col/Col (sel)   Jul 21
        Course, Quantico, VA              LtCol/LtCol(sel)
7.  Application process:
    a.  The deadline for submitting the application and update material is 28 August 2020, 2359 (EST).  Late submissions will not be accepted.  The web-based, online RPME application is the primary mechanism for officers to communicate with the board.  Officers applying for RPME must go to the RPME application website at www.manpower.usmc.mil/application.  Officers with a Manpower and Reserve Affairs (MRA) portal account will proceed to the login process.  Officers who do not have an MRA portal account will receive a 404 access error message.  The error message contains instructions on how to register for an MRA portal account.  Any Active Duty or Reserve Marine requesting a portal account is automatically approved.  Upon login, the system will validate the board(s) or survey(s) for which the officer is qualified.  Click “RPME” and complete the RPME application.  Officers are advised to read the instructions in their entirety before completing the application.  The web-based application allows for the attachment of documents and offers RPME preference options via drop-down boxes.  Ensure upload of documents into the appropriate document type.
    b.  Reserve Qualification Summary.  Officers are encouraged to submit a signed Reserve Qualification Summary (RQS).  The RQS NAVMC 10476 is located on the online application.
    c.  Letter to the Board.  Officers are encouraged to submit a letter to the board (template located on the online application).
    d.  Separate Written Agreement to Train.  All UR officers applying for funded RPME courses (except STC) must submit a signed SWAT located on the application website in order for their application to be considered by the board.  Once submitted, officers will receive a confirmation email that their application has been received.  Hard-copy applications will not be accepted.  All material submitted to the board will be destroyed upon Completion of the board.
    e.  Photographs.  Officers have a personal responsibility to ensure their photograph is submitted and received by the board.  Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, OMPF photographs taken in calendar year 2019 will be considered current for the board.  Marines with photographs taken before calendar year 2019 should attempt to update their OMPF photograph within Department of Defense and Service COVID-19 policy.  Marines with an OMPF photograph taken before calendar year 2019 who are unable to update their OMPF photograph should submit a letter to the president of the board from their parent command stating the Marine is within height and weight standards and justification for not having a current OMPF photo.  Digital photographs are to be electronically filed in the OMPF per reference (D).  Officers who submit digital photographs to the OMPF may confirm receipt of the digital photograph by contacting MMRP-60 and by verifying OMPF inclusion in Marine OnLine under the “My OMPF” tab.  If electronic transmission of digital photographs is not possible, officers must submit a hard-copy photograph to the board.
    f.  Fitness Reports.  Only fitness reports included in an officer’s OMPF will be considered.  Incomplete fitness reports will not be accepted; this consists of those fitness reports missing signatures and/or reviewing officer certification.  Information regarding fitness reports can be viewed on the Manpower and Reserve Affairs website at www.manpower.usmc.mil.  Look under “Top Requests” and click on “Fitreps and Official Military Personnel File (OMPF).”  Click on “MMRP-30 Performance Evaluation Section.”  The status of your fitness report can be viewed on the Automated Performance Evaluation System (A-PES) website at https:(slash)(slash)apes.mmrp.usmc.mil.  Then click on “MMRP.”
    g.  OMPF Material.  Any document(s) an officer believes should be part of his or her OMPF, other than fitness reports, must be forwarded to HQMC (MMRP-20) before the board convenes.  E-mail is the preferred and fastest way to update your OMPF.  E-mail your update material to smb.manpower.mmrp-20@usmc.mil.  In the text of the e-mail, indicate the AY 2020-21 RPME Board for which you are applying.  A single black and white multi-page attachment in Adobe PDF format will expedite filing.  Ensure all materials contain grade, full name, and Electronic Data Interchange Personal Identifier (EDIPI).
8.  Administration
    a.  Ensure e-mail addresses and telephone numbers are current and provided on the application.
    b.  Notification of selection.  The board will select a primary for each school seat and opportunity available.  The board will also select a sufficient number of alternates to meet quota requirements if selectees decline or otherwise cannot accept.  Once the board results are approved, primary selectees will be announced via MARADMIN.  Applicants selected as primaries and approved by CMC (RA) will receive correspondence from this HQ with specific information regarding school selection to include dates.  The results MARADMIN will provide administrative guidance for orders processing and issuance.  Alternates will be listed on the Reserve Officer PME website under “Top Requests” at  www.manpower.usmc.mil. Unanticipated RPME vacancies will be filled by alternates.
    c.  Officers selected by the board who subsequently decline the opportunity to attend are required to submit their declination in writing via chain of command.  Alternates selected up to fill vacated TLS quotas are also required to formally decline via the procedure described above if they decline the opportunity to attend school.
9.  Professional Development Tour (PDT)
    a.  Officers who complete resident FLS, FPME, and MCF will be offered an opportunity to conduct a 12 month PDT to utilize their recent PME experience on a strategic or operational level Marine Corps Staff (HQMC, MEF, and MARFOR level) serving in a staff/planning billet.  The purpose of the tour is to allow officers to gain a valuable professional development and career-enhancing experience to complement their recent PME.  Eligible officers will be contacted after the convening date of their course to solicit their interest in a PDT.  For those officers who accept these ADOS orders, the orders will run concurrent to the 24 month  payback obligation associated with a drilling SMCR/IMA billet.
10.  This MARADMIN is applicable to the Reserve Component.
11.  Release authorized by Major General H. G. Pratt, Director, Reserve Affairs Division.//