R 031718Z MAY 22
MARADMIN 228/22
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC PPO PL WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/FY23 SECURITY COOPERATION OFFICER SOLICITATION MESSAGE//
REF/A/MCO/CMC PPO/20130327//
REF/B/MCO/CMC PPO/20200429//
REF/C/MCO/CMC MRA/20210510//
REF/D/CJCSI/CJCS/20200706//
REF/E/DODI/OUSD PR/20180403//
NARR/REF A IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 1520.11F, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PROGRAM. REF B IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 5710.6D, MARINE CORPS SECURITY COOPERATION. REF C IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 1300.8 CH-1, PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICY. REF D IS CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF INSTRUCTION 1330.05, JOINT OFFICER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PROCEDURES. REF E IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) INSTRUCTION 1300.19, DOD JOINT OFFICER MANAGEMENT (JOM) PROGRAM.//
POC/1/CHRISTOPHER D. DELLOW/LTCOL/CMC DC PPO PL WASHINGTON DC/DSN 312-224-4365/703-692-4365/CHRISTOPHER.DELLOW@USMC.MIL//
POC/2/CLAYTON J. FISHER/CIV/CMC DC PPO PL WASHINGTON DC/DSN 312-224-0322/703-614-0322/CLAYTON.FISHER@USMC.MIL//
POC/3/RONAL MORALES/CTR/CMC DC PPO PL WASHINGTON DC/DSN 312-224-2168/703-692-2168/RONAL.MORALES.CTR@USMC.MIL//
POC/4/ALLISON N. SMYCZYNSKI/MAJ/CMC DC MRA QUANTICO VA/DSN 312-278-9211/12/14/703-784-9211/12/14/ALLISON.SMYCZYNSKI@USMC.MIL//
POC/5/IAP OMB/IAPMARINE@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This MARADMIN solicits applications to fill fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Security Cooperation Officer (SCO) billet vacancies. The International Affairs Program (IAP) seeks qualified officers for consideration to serve in Joint SCO billets with respective geographic Combatant Commands (CCMD). The board will select officers based on their specific political-military and security cooperation experience, language, regional expertise, and cultural (LREC) skills, and performance as MAGTF officers. Per ref (b) SCOs serve in strategic-level and influential positions where they are the foremost points of contact between the Department of Defense and the host nation Ministry of Defense, other government agencies, small businesses, and academia. SCOs are located in or associated with U.S. diplomatic facilities worldwide and are responsible for overseeing and implementing in-country security cooperation, to include security assistance programs, and for facilitating cooperation in research, development, and acquisition with the allied and partner nations.
2. Eligibility.
2.A. Applicants must be on active duty.
2.B. Time on station requirements.
2.B.1. Applicants must meet minimum time on station requirements and be eligible for permanent change of station orders in FY 23, based upon current prescribed tour length.
2.B.2. Applicants may request a waiver to the requirement in 2.B.1. via Administrative Action (AA) form to be screened if they are scheduled to complete their prescribed tour length in 2024 or beyond. Requests must be endorsed by the first O-6 or equivalent in the chain of command and therein acknowledge a potential gap in staffing should the requesting Marine be selected for service as a SCO and a replacement is not supportable. AA form must be submitted to MMOA separately and adjudicated prior to submitting an application to be considered for a SCO billet vacancy.
2.C. Applicants must possess the career timing to serve a full tour of duty in the grade of the billet for which they are applying. Officers serving in a Standard Joint Duty Assignment (S-JDA) will be eligible for full joint duty credit after 24 months of service.
2.D. Applicants must meet the grade criterion (or be selected for promotion to that grade) of the associated duty for which they are applying. Officers applying for positions other than their current grade will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
2.E. Applicants selected for or currently attending programs that have a designated utilization assignment are ineligible.
2.E.1. Examples include, but are not limited to the Commandant's Career-Level Education Board, Commandant’s Intermediate-Level Education Board, Marine Attaché Board, or any other Marine Corps education Program that has a utilization tour.
2.E.2. Study track Foreign Area Officers (FAO) and Regional Affairs Officers (RAO) are eligible to apply. If selected to a position within their regional designation, this tour will count as their utilization assignment.
3. Interested applicants must submit the following requirements.
3.A. Email correspondence from their Primary Military Occupational Specialty (PMOS) monitor confirming their eligibility for this assignment. Any application without PMOS monitor confirmation will not be considered. Certain manpower considerations may preclude eligibility per ref (c).
3.B. Applicants must have a command endorsement from the O-6 Commander, or higher, in the applicant’s chain of command.
3.C. Applicants and family members must complete overseas suitability screening and be found eligible for overseas tour, and be fully deployable prior to submitting an application.
3.D. Applicants with dependents in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) must also receive a positive endorsement from the EFMP manager prior to submitting an application.
3.E. Applicants must already have a completed Tier Five (T-5) investigation and have Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) eligibility. Application to serve as a SCO is not sufficient justification for an investigation eligibility determination. T-5 investigation requests will not be submitted as part of the SCO application.
3.F. Security cooperation experience and language proficiency are highly desirable but are not prerequisites to submit an application.
4. The 2023 SCO selection panel will screen for the following SCO positions.
GRD BMOS Country Language Date MCC JDAL Note
O5 8006 Philippines Tagalog Jul 23 NAL 00007277 1, 2, 4
O5 0302 Colombia Spanish Jul 23 N04 00006147 1, 2, 5
O4 8245 Angola Portuguese Aug 23 NFB 00108945 1, 3, 6
Note 1: TS/SCI security clearance is a mandatory requirement.
Note 2: Joint tour length for this position is 24 months.
Note 3: Joint tour length for this position is 36 months.
Note 4: Language proficiency is not required, but highly desirable.
Note 5: Language proficiency at the 3/3 level is a mandatory requirement.
Note 6: Language proficiency at the 2/2/2 level is a mandatory requirement.
5. The language requirement is based on Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores, as required. Candidates requiring foreign language training must have a minimum Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) score of 95 for Portuguese and Spanish. If the selected candidate does not meet DLPT and OPI requirements, Spanish language training will take place at the Defense Language Institute - Monterey, and Portuguese language training will take place at the Defense Language Institute – Washington. Training is estimated to begin and end on the following dates:
Language Start End
Portuguese Jan 2023 Jun 2023
Spanish Oct 2022 Jun 2023
6. Submission timeline and method.
6.A. Interested officers must submit their application to the IAP Office no later than 15 July 2022.
6.B. Applications must be submitted in Portable Digital Format (PDF) to IAPMarine(at)usmc.mil and to POCs listed above with the naming convention LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_MI_RANK (e.g. SMITH_JOHN_A_CAPT).
6.C. The application will include the following:
6.C.1. Command endorsements.
6.C.2. Application for SCO positions as outlined. This will include all billet preferences, previous political-military, security cooperation, and (LREC) experiences, DLAB scores, DLPT scores. Application template can be found on the IAP website at: http:(slash)(slash)www.hqmc.marines.mil/ppo/Units/Strategy-and-Plans-Division-PL/International-Affairs-Branch-PLU/International-Affairs-Programs/IAP-Resources.
6.C.3. At least one letter of recommendation. Letter(s) of recommendation shall include an assessment of the applicant's potential to serve in joint billets as part of the CCMD staff and U.S. embassy country team.
6.C.4. Correspondence from PMOS monitor confirming eligibility.
6.C.5. Certification of security clearance from security officer.
6.C.6. NAVMED 1300/1 for applicant and dependents.
6.C.7. Certificate of suitability for overseas assignment.
6.D. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
7. Selection Panel. The selection panel will be composed of representatives from Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Manpower Management Officer Assignments, Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations, International Affairs Branch, and Regional Marine Corps Forces (MARFORs).
7.A. Regional MARFORs are invited, but not required to send a representative to the panel. MARFOR representatives will vote on all billets that fall within their Area of Responsibility. Funding for travel and per diem is the responsibility of the respective MARFOR.
7.B. The panel will select the best and most fully qualified Marine for each available SCO billet. The career path of each applicant will be carefully considered during the selection process. Selection panel results will be published via MARADMIN.
7.C. One primary and one alternate may be selected for each billet. Alternates will be contacted via separate correspondence in the event the primary candidates are unavailable for assignment. Applicants will be selected based on joint requisition requirements, career development, professional potential, and suitability as a service representative.
8. Officers selected to serve as SCOs may be eligible to receive the FAO or RAO additional MOS (AMOS) for their respective regions. Upon meeting the criteria for experience track AMOS designation, Officers must notify the IAP Office to request designation of appropriate AMOS. The assignment of this AMOS will make Officers eligible for further service utilization of their political-military, security cooperation, and LREC skills gained through their joint SCO assignments.
9. Completion of a tour of duty in a Joint Duty Assignment List (JDAL) position that meets all statutory requirements will result in joint credit. Those positions not considered an S-JDA with an assigned JDAL will require an experience-based joint credit submission via separate correspondence within the corresponding calendar year. A separate MARADMIN will address the Experience-based Joint Duty Assignment requirements.
10. Release authorized by BGen Sean M. Salene, Director Strategy and Plans Division, Plans, Policies and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps.//