CONVENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-26 RESERVE OFFICER  PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION BOARD
Date Signed: 7/15/2024 | MARADMINS Number: 319/24
MARADMINS : 319/24

R 151114Z JUL 24
MARADMIN 319/24
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA RA//
SUBJ/CONVENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-26 RESERVE OFFICER 
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION BOARD//
REF/A/DOC/CMC/YMD:  20190215//
REF/B/DOC/CMC/YMD:  20080125//
REF/C/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM/YMD:  112035Z DEC 08//
REF/D/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM/YMD:  252010Z AUG 20//
REF/E/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA RA/YMD:  141336Z JAN 21//
NARR/REFERENCE A IS MCO 1900.16 CH 2, SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT 
MANUAL.  REFERENCE B IS MCO 1553.4B, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY 
EDUCATION (PME).  REFERENCE C IS MARADMIN 703/08, OFFICER 
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) SUMMARY.  
REFERENCE D IS MARADMIN 491/20, REMOVAL OF PHOTOGRAPHS 
FROM CONSIDERATION BY PROMOTION BOARDS AND SELECTION PROCESSES 
PERTAINING TO ASSIGNMENT, TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND COMMAND.  
REFERENCE E IS MARADMIN 022/21, POLICY FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
TOURS BY RESERVE AFFAIRS DIVISION.//
POC/CLAYTON J. EAST/MAJ/RAM-3/TEL:  703-784-1275//
POC/BRENNETT FORD/CIV/RAM-3/TEL:  703-432-9410/9021//
POC/JOSHUA C. MCKAY/MSGT/RAM-3/TEL:  703-784-1276//
DSN:  278-9410/E-MAIL:  RPME(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  This MARADMIN announces the AY 2025-26 Reserve 
Officer Professional Military Education (RPME) Board convening 9 
September 2024 and solicits applications from those desiring
attendance at Full-Length Schools (FLS) for Senior Level College
(SLC), Intermediate Level College (ILC), Career Level School 
(CLS), Foreign Professional Military Education (FPME), and Distance
Education Programs (DEP).  Major timeline milestones are (read in
two columns):
Date                       Milestone
Release of this message    RPME questionnaires open
30 August 2024             RPME questionnaires closes
9 September 2024           RPME Board convenes
TBD October 2024           RPME results released
TBD November 2024          Declinations and deferrals due
2.  All applicants who request funded orders to FLS, FPME, and DEP
will be board screened.  Officers who meet any of the following 
criteria are ineligible to apply for FLS, DEP, and FPME:
2.a.  Officers (except Colonels) who are in zone or above zone on 
the next scheduled promotion board.
2.b.  Officers who have completed an equivalent resident funded 
FLS or DEP.
2.c.  Officers with an approved retirement, resignation, or who are
pending conditional release.
2.d.  Officers who have been approved for continuation beyond their
mandatory removal/retirement date.
2.e.  Active Reserve (AR) officers who meet qualifications for 
career designation in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 are eligible to apply.  
Officers selected by the RPME Board who fail to be career designated 
will be disqualified and ineligible to attend.
2.f.  Officers who are Top Level School (TLS) and Joint Professional
Military Education (JPME) II complete are ineligible for NATO Defense
College and Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid (JCWS-H).
3.  Resident FLS (SLC/ILC/CLS): 
3.a.  Reserve officers on Active Duty for Operational Support 
(ADOS) orders are eligible to apply, but must end current orders 
15 days prior to commencing FLS if selected.
3.b.  Specific Eligibility Criteria:
3.b.1.  LtCol/LtCol (sel) (SLC); Maj/Maj (sel) (ILC); and 
Capt/Capt (sel) (CLS).  
3.b.2.  Those applying to resident SLC must have completed 
Intermediate Level School (ILS) and JPME I.
3.b.3.  AR officers applying to FLS must meet the two years 
time on station (TOS) requirement prior to the convening of the
course for which they are applying.  Any waivers for this requirement
must be approved by Director, Reserve Affairs prior to the convening
of the board.
3.b.4.  Officers currently assigned command must complete 24 months 
in the billet prior to the course convening date. 
3.c.  Resident FLS-SLC Courses.  All FLS-SLC are JPME II 
certification courses and read as follows:  Line (a) Course Title,
Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, Line (d) Course Dates:
        (1) (a) Marine Corps War College (MCWAR)
            (b) Quantico, VA
            (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (2) (a) College of Naval Warfare (CNW)
            (b) Newport, RI
            (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (3) (a) U.S. Army War College (USAWC)
            (b) Carlisle Barracks, PA
            (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel) 
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (4) (a) Air War College (AWC)
            (b) Maxwell AFB, AL 
            (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (5) (a) National War College (NWC)
            (b) Fort McNair, Washington, DC
            (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26 
        (6) (a) Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security
                and Resource Strategy (ESNSRS)
            (b) Fort McNair, Washington, DC 
            (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (7) (a) College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC)
            (b) Fort McNair, Washington, DC 
            (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
3.d.  Resident FLS-ILS Courses.  All FLS-ILS are JPME I 
certification courses and read as follows:  Line (a) Course Title,
Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, Line (d) Course Dates:
        (1) (a) Marine Corps Command and Staff College (MCCSC)
            (b) Quantico, VA
            (c) Maj/Maj (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (2) (a) College of Naval Command and Staff (CNCS) 
            (b) Newport, RI
            (c) Maj/Maj (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (3) (a) U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC)
            (b) Fort Leavenworth, KS
            (c) Maj/Maj (sel)       
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26
        (4) (a) Air Command and Staff College (ACAS)
            (b) Maxwell AFB, AL
            (c) Maj/Maj (sel)
            (d) Jul 25-Jun 26  
3.e.  Resident FLS-CLS course available and read as follows:  
Line (1) Course Title, Line (2) Location, Line (3) Grade, Line 
(4) Course Dates:
        (1) Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School (MCEWS)
        (2) Quantico, VA
        (3) Capt/Capt (sel)
        (4) Jul 25-May 26
3.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.  
3.g.  SMCR/IMA/IRR officers participating in any funded PME program 
of study will incur a Selected Reserve (SelRes) drilling affiliation
obligation for 24 continuous months following the completion of a 
program of study.  AR officers in any funded PME program of study 
will incur a 24 month service obligation in the AR following the 
completion of the program of study.  This requirement is to ensure a
return on the investment made in educating officers through these 
programs and is not waiverable.
3.g.1.  Reserve officers (excluding AR) 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 SelRes 
drilling affiliation requirement.  Applications submitted without a 
signed SWAT will not be accepted.
3.g.2.  Within 90 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 their
grade and Military Occupational Specialty.
3.g.3.  Subsequent failure to affiliate following graduation will
be handled according to the SWAT signed at the time of application.
3.h.  Per reference (b), all resident FLS listed in this MARADMIN
are subject to change based on final allocation and validation of 
school seats.
4.  DEP SLC Courses.  Reserve officers in the Ready Reserve 
(SMCR, AR, IMA, and IRR) are eligible for consideration if they meet 
the specific eligibility criteria listed for each opportunity below.
All DEP SLC are JPME II certification courses and read as 
follows:  Line (a) Course Title, Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, 
Line (d) Course Dates, (e) Course details:
        (1) (a) U.S. Army War College Distance Education Program 
                (USAWCDEP)
            (b) Carlisle, PA
            (c) LtCol (sel) – Col
            (d) Jun 25-Jun 27
            (e) Format: 2 year program - 51 weeks of correspondence,
                1 week resident phase, 50 weeks of correspondence, 
                and 2 weeks resident/graduation.
        (2) (a) Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid (JCWS-H)
            (b) Norfolk, VA
            (c) Maj (sel) - Col
            (d) Dec 24-Sep 25/Jan-Oct 25/Feb-Nov 25 
                (three course date options) 
            (e) Format: 40 week program - 12 weeks DEP, 1 week 
                resident, 25 weeks DEP, and 2 weeks resident
5.  Marine Corps FPME.  Reserve officers in the SMCR, IMA and IRR are
eligible for consideration if they meet the specific eligibility
criteria listed with each opportunity below.  The below reads as
follows:  Line (a) Course Title, Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade,
Line (d) Course Dates, Line (e) PME/JPME credit:
        (1) (a) NATO Defense College       
            (b) Rome, Italy                
            (c) LtCol (sel) - Col
            (d) Sep 25-Feb 26 
            (e) TLS and JPME I credit
        (2) (a) Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation
                (WHINSEC) - Must be proficient in Spanish
            (b) Fort Benning, Columbus, GA
            (c) Maj/Maj (sel)
            (d) Jun 25–Jun 26
            (e) ILS and JPME I credit
6.  Application process
6.a.  The deadline for submitting the application and update material
is 2359 Eastern Standard Time on 30 August 2024.  Late submissions 
will not be accepted.  The web-based, online RPME application is the 
only method to apply.  Applicants must go to the RPME application 
website at https: (slash) (slash) www2.manpower.usmc.mil/application_
cac/edu/index.jsp.  Common Access Card (CAC) certification is not 
required to access the site.  Officers with an MRA portal account 
will proceed to the login process.  Upon login, the system will 
validate basic individual eligibility for 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 school preference options via drop-down
boxes.
6.b.  Officers who do not have an MRA portal account will receive a
404 access error.  Within the error message are instructions on how 
to register for an MRA portal account, which is available to all 
officers.  Any officer who cannot access the application should 
contact the RPME POC listed in this MARADMIN.
6.c.  Ensure documents are uploaded as the appropriate document type.
All uploaded documents must be in portable document format (PDF).  
The submitted name of the files must be in the following format: 
EDIPI_FileDescription.pdf.
6.d.  Reserve Qualification Summary.  Officers are encouraged to 
submit a signed Reserve Qualification Summary (RQS).  The RQS NAVMC 
10476 is located on the online application. 
6.e.  Letter to the Board.  Officers are encouraged to submit a 
letter to the board (template located on the online application). 
6.f.  SWAT.  Reserve officers (excluding AR) applying for funded RPME
courses must submit a signed SWAT located on the application website 
in order for their application to be considered by the board.  
6.g.  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. 
6.h.  Photographs.  Per reference (d), Official Photographs are no 
longer permitted in board packages.  No submitted documents will have
a photo attached (i.e. Bio’s, Resumes, etc).
6.i.  Fitness Reports.  Marines may confirm receipt of their fitness 
reports via the MMRP website by accessing https: (slash) (slash) 
www.manpower.usmc.mil/wordpress/?active_marine=
active-marines-home/manpower-management-division/manpower-managment-
performance-branch-mmpb/records-performance-mmpb-2/mmpb-23-
performance-evaluation-section.  Incomplete Fitness Reports will not 
be accepted. 
6.j.  Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) Material.  Officers
are responsible for ensuring their OMPF is accurate and updated.
All OMPF material will be updated through the OMPF-Records Management
Application (O-RMA) located on the Manpower MMPB-22 page by 
accessing: https: (slash) (slash) www.manpower.usmc.mil/wordpress/?ac
tive_marine=active-marines-home/manpower-management-division/manpower
-managment-performance-branch-mmpb/records-performance-mmpb-2/mmpb-22
-records-management/ompf-records-management-o-rma.
7.  Administration
7.a.  Ensure e-mail addresses and telephone numbers are current 
and provided on the application.  
7.a.1.  Notification of selection.  The board will select a primary
for each school seat and opportunity available.  The board will also
select enough alternates to meet quota requirements if selectees
decline or otherwise cannot accept.  Selection to complete a RPME 
opportunity is considered a privilege that is highly advantageous to
officer development.  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 RA 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 Manpower and Reserve Affairs RAM-3 webpage at on the 
RAM-3 webpage at https: (slash) (slash) 
www.manpower.usmc.mil/wordpress/?reserve_marine=test-reserve-
marine-page/test-reserve-marine-child-page/personnel-managment-
ram/programs-and-boards-ram-3/reserve-officer-pme-2.  Additional 
allocations and unanticipated RPME vacancies will be filled by 
alternates.
7.a.2.  Officers selected by the board who subsequently decline 
the opportunity to attend are required to submit their declination
in writing via their chain of command.  Alternates selected to fill 
vacated quotas are also required to formally decline, via the 
procedure described above if they decline the opportunity.
7.a.3.  Per Department of Defense Instruction 1332.43, all officers
who participated in the Voluntary Separation Pay (VSP) program may
face recoupment of the full amount of VSP if they voluntarily return
to active-duty status for a period greater than 180 days.
8.  Per reference (e), officers who complete resident FLS or FPME may
be offered an opportunity to conduct a 12 month Professional
Development Tour (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 interest for 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.  PDT
opportunities are assigned based on the needs of the Service and are
dependent on the availability of funds.
9.  Return to Active Duty (RAD) Program.  All board-selected 
reserve officers who apply for or transition to the Active Component 
will forfeit the opportunity to attend any selected RPME school.
10.  To consult with a Career Counselor via the Career Management 
Team (CMT), Reserve Affairs Division, please call commercial 
703-784-0583, DSN 278-0583, or e-mail:  smb_manpower_cac@usmc.mil.
The CMT can be found on the Manpower and Reserve Affairs webpage at 
https: (slash) (slash) 
www.manpower.usmc.mil/wordpress/?reserve_marine=test-reserve-marine-
page/test-reserve-marine-child-page/career-management-team-cmt.
11.  This MARADMIN is applicable to the Reserve Component.
12.  Release authorized by Major General Karl D. Pierson, Director,
Reserve Affairs Division.//