R 011414Z APR 25
MARADMIN 173/25
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG EDCOM PRES MCU QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/CONVENING OF ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026 COLLEGE OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE AND EXPEDITIONARY
WARFARE SCHOOL BLENDED SEMINAR PROGRAM SELECTION BOARD FOR RESERVE
OFFICERS//
REF/A/DOC/CMC/YMD: 20131126//
REF/B/DOC/CMC/YMD: 20080125//
REF/C/MSG/CMC/YMD: 20081211//
REF/D/MSG/CMC/YMD: 20190716//
REF/E/MSG/CMC/YMD: 20201229//
NARR/REF A IS MCO P1900.16G, MARINE CORPS SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT
MANUAL. REF B IS MCO 1553.4B, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION. REF
C IS MARADMIN 703/08, OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION
SUMMARY. REF D IS MARADMIN 396/19, EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE SCHOOL
DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM CURRICULUM TRANSITION FROM 8660 TO 8670
SERIES. REF E IS MARADMIN 772/20, EXCESS BILLET IDENTIFICATION CODE
FOR SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE MARINES ENROLLED IN NON-RESIDENT
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION.//
POC/TAYLOR ADAMS/MAJ/RESERVE LIAISON OFFICER/COLLEGE OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION AND TRAINING/-/TELEPHONE: (703) 784-3015
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This Marine Administrative Message (MARADMIN)
announces the convening of the Academic Year (AY) 2025-2026 Command
and Staff College (CSC) and Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS)
funded Blended Seminar Program (BSP) selection board for reserve
officers. The intent of this MARADMIN is to solicit applications
from reserve officers desiring to attend the funded BSP Distance
Education Program (DEP) and to detail the application process.
1.b. The College of Distance Education and Training (CDET)
EWSBSPs and CSCBSPs are located at the following Marine Corps
University (MCU) regional campuses: Camp Pendleton, California
(CPCA); Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (CLNC) and Quantico, Virginia
(QUAN).
2. Application
2.a. All applicants must submit their application via the
Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) and Manpower and Reserve Affairs
(M&RA) website. Officers who are board-selected for a BSP will be
registered in the Marine Corps Training Information Management
System by CDET Reserve Liaison Officer (RLO). Officers who meet any
of the following criteria are ineligible to apply for the funded BSP
DEP:
2.b. Officers who are in the above zone on the next scheduled
promotion board.
2.c. Officers that have completed an equivalent Formal Level School
(FLS) or DEP.
2.d. Officers with approved retirements, resignations, or pending
conditional release.
2.e. Officers applying for FLS who have a mandatory removal date of
1 October 2027 or earlier.
2.f. Officers who have more than 18 years of creditable service
towards a reserve retirement.
3. Requirements
3.a. Reserve officers participating in any funded Professional
Military Education (PME) program of study (excluding two-week staff
training courses) will incur a selected reserve (SELRES) drilling
affiliation obligation for 24 continuous months following the
completion of the program of study. This requirement is to ensure
that the reserve component effectively realizes a return on the
investment made in funding the education of officers through these
programs. To more effectively enforce this requirement, the
following applies:
3.a.1. Officers will sign a Separate Written Agreement to Train
(SWAT) at the time of application to all funded DEP PME programs of
study to acknowledge and accept the SELRES drilling affiliation
requirement. DEP applications submitted without a signed SWAT will
not be accepted.
3.a.2. 90 days following graduation, officers must be joined to
either a Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) drilling unit or an
Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Billet Identification Code
(BIC) that matches his or her grade and military occupational
specialty.
3.b. Subsequent failure to affiliate following graduation will be
handled in accordance with the SWAT signed at the time of
application.
4. BSP prerequisites. Officers in the ready reserve (SMCR and IMA)
or Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) are eligible for consideration if
they meet the specific eligibility criteria listed for each
respective program below:
4.a. The following personnel are eligible to participate in EWSBSP
(in order of priority).
4.a.1. Captains (unrestricted and limited duty)
4.a.2. Captain selects and Chief Warrant Officer 3s
4.a.3. Format. EWSBSP is designed for delivery in three stages:
stage one is a 29-day resident period, stage two is a 12-week online
period, and stage three is a 6-week resident period.
4.b. EWSBSP class dates (read in three columns):
Class Number/Location Report 1st Report 2nd
Resident Period Resident Period
601-602/CLNC 6 Jul 25(601) 26 Oct 25(602)
603-604/CPCA 6 Jul 25(603) 26 Oct 25(604)
605-606/QUAN 4 Jan 26(605) 26 Apr 26(606)
607-608/CLNC 4 Jan 26(607) 26 Apr 26(608)
609-610/CPCA 4 Jan 26(609) 26 Apr 26(610)
5. Course prerequisites. Prospective students must complete the
8670 prerequisite described in reference (d) prior to applying to the
EWSBSP. Students will submit enrollment requests for the 8670
prerequisite through MARINENET, Course Code: EWSDEPPREQ.
6.a. The following personnel are eligible to participate in CSCBSP
(in order of priority).
6.a.1. Majors (unrestricted and limited duty)
6.a.2. Major selects
6.a.3. Captains (complete with PME for
grade and two years time in grade)
6.a.4. Chief Warrant Officer 5s, Chief Warrant Officer 4s
6.a.5. Chief Warrant Officer 4s select and Chief Warrant Officer 3s
(complete with PME for grade and three years time in grade)
6.a.7. Format. CSCBSP is designed for delivery in three stages:
stage one is a 4-week resident period, stage two is a 28-week online
period, and stage three is a 6-week resident period.
6.b. CSC BSP class dates (read in three columns):
Class Number/Location Report 1st Report 2nd
Resident Period Resident Period
601-602/QUAN 13 Jul 25(601) 19 Apr 26(602)
603-604/CLNC 27 Jul 25(603) 5 Apr 26(604)
605-606/CPCA 27 Jul 25(605) 5 Apr 26(606)
607-608/CLNC 25 Jan 26(607) 13 Sep 26(608)
609-610/CPCA 25 Jan 26(409) 13 Sep 26(610)
7. Application process
8.a. The deadline for submitting the application and updated
material for the BSPs is 1 May 2025, 2359 Eastern Daylight Time
(EDT). The online website for submission of all applications and
materials is
https:(SLASH)(SLASH)www2.manpower.usmc.mil/application_cac/.
Officers with an M&RA portal account will proceed to the login
process. Officers who do not have a Manpower and Reserve Affairs
portal account will receive a 404 access error. Within the error
message are instructions on how to register for a Manpower and
Reserve Affairs portal account. Any active or reserve component
Marines requesting a portal account will be automatically approved.
Upon login, the system will validate the application for which the
officer is qualified. Click "RPME-C" and complete the Reserve
Professional Military Education (RPME) application for the desired
program. Officers are strongly advised to read the instructions in
their entirety before completing the application form. 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 proper document type (e.g., Reserve Qualification Summary
(RQS) documents upload into RQS file type). Officers must complete,
sign (digitally or physically), and attach their RQS NAVMC 10476
(Rev. Sep 2016), which is the current version located on the online
application and on the Reserve Affairs Management-3 webpage in order
for their application to be considered. All applicants applying for
funded BSP must also attach a signed SWAT which is located on the
application website, in order for their application to be considered.
Once submitted, officers will receive a confirmation email their
application has been received. Hard copy applications will not be
accepted. All submitted material will be destroyed upon completion
of the selection process. If unable to access the portal, email the
CDET RLO at mcu_cdet_rlo@usmcu.edu. Active Reserve program members
will not submit applications through the M&RA portal and must apply
via the CDET RLO.
8.b. Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) material. Any
documents that an officer feels should be part of his or her OMPF,
other than fitness reports, must be forwarded to HQMC (MMRP-20) by
30 April 2025, 2359 EDT. Email is the preferred and fastest way to
update OMPF. Email updated material to
smb.manpower.mmsb-20@usmc.mil. In the text of the email, indicate
"AY 25-26 RPME-C" selection process as the program being considered
for. A single black and white multi-page attachment in Adobe
Portable Document Format will expedite filing. Ensure all materials
contain full name and electronic data interchange personal
identifier. Personally identifiable information privacy is the
responsibility of the sender.
9. Administration
9.a. Ensure email addresses and telephone numbers are current and
are provided on the application. Update any changes to point of
contact information promptly.
9.b. Excess Billet Identification Code (BIC). To avoid a break in
SELRES affiliation while enrolled in nonresident PME, SMCR Marines
may elect to request transfer to an excess BIC within their unit in
accordance with reference (e).
9. Notification of selection. The selection panel will select a
number of officers as primaries equal to the number of school seats
available. The selection panel will also select a sufficient number
of officers as alternates to meet quota requirements when officers
decline or otherwise cannot accept. Once the results are approved by
CDET, primary selectees for the BSP will be notified via email. The
email will provide administrative guidance for orders processing and
issuance.
10. Withdrawal from course. Officers withdrawing from a course for
which they were selected must do so 60 days prior to the commencement
of the course. Withdrawal within 60 days of the commencement of the
course will be documented in the officer’s OMPF with a non-punitive
page 11 entry.
11. This MARADMIN is applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve (AR,
SMCR, IMA, and IRR) and has been coordinated with Marine Forces
Reserve.
12. Release authorized by Brigadier General Matthew W. Tracy,
President, Marine Corps University.//