R 251521Z AUG 25
MARADMIN 395/25
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2026 NAVAL RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS PROFESSOR
OF NAVAL SCIENCE SELECTION BOARD ANNOUNCEMENT//
REF/A/MSGID: MCO/CMC/20210307//
REF/B/MSGID: MCO/CMC/20210203//
NARR/REF A IS MCO 1300.8 CH-2, MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT
POLICY. REF B IS MCO 1001.65A, ACTIVE COMPONENT OFFICER RETENTION
AND PRIOR SERVICE ACCESSIONS.//
POC/R. J. AYER/MAJ/MMOA/TEL: 703-784-9276/
EMAIL: RYAN.J.AYER@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This message announces Naval Reserve Officer
Training Corps (NROTC) Professor of Naval Science (PNS) assignments
available in fiscal year 2026 (FY26), eligibility criteria, and the
application process for interested officers.
2. Major timeline milestones are below:
Date Milestone
10 October 2025 NROTC PNS application deadline
29 October 2025 FY26 NROTC PNS board convenes
3. Background. NROTC units are an essential component in the
training of prospective naval officers. Officers serving at NROTC
units mentor, develop, and shape the future officer corps and must
therefore be of the highest caliber. Officers aspiring to serve on
NROTC duty must possess superlative leadership and academic
qualities, be of sound moral character, and demonstrate superior
physical fitness.
4. Eligibility
4.a. Eligibility Criteria. Colonels and Selected Colonels from the
Calendar Year (CY) 2024/Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 promotion board who
will satisfy their prescribed Tour Control Factor (TCF) by 31 July
2026.
4.b. Ineligibility Criteria
4.b.1. Colonels selected on the CY25/FY27 promotion board.
4.b.2. Limited duty officers.
4.b.3. Officers with an approved separation or retirement date.
4.b.4. Officers with a mandatory separation or retirement date
prior to 30 April 2029.
4.b.5. Officers who previously declined command.
4.b.6. Officers in receipt of orders to report in FY26.
4.c. All interested officers must receive approval to apply from
their Primary Military Occupational Specialty (PMOS) monitor who
will ensure officers meet all eligibility criteria. This
correspondence must be included as an attachment in the application
package submission.
4.d. Officers that do not meet the eligibility criteria who wish to
become eligible should reach out to their PMOS monitor to discuss
the Exception to Policy (ETP) process.
5. Recommended applicant attributes
5.a. Academics. Minimum requirement is a master’s degree and a
3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA). Select schools waive
this requirement to 2.5 undergraduate GPA if the applicant's record
is otherwise outstanding.
5.b. Physical fitness. High first class Physical Fitness Test and
Combat Fitness Test.
6. Assignment Considerations
6.a. MMOA makes every effort to match selected officers with their
preferences. By applying for PNS, officers volunteer and
agree to be assigned to any available NROTC billet. Requests for
declination by officers who applied and were selected will not
normally receive favorable consideration.
6.b. Assignments to PNS are for a TCF of 36 months. Requests to
retire prior to the completion of the 36-month tour will not
normally receive favorable endorsement. Final authority for
requests to resign or retire is the Deputy Commandant, Manpower and
Reserve Affairs.
7. Application process
7.a. Officers interested in NROTC duty who meet the above
eligibility criteria must complete the FY26 NROTC application
questionnaire by submitting the documents listed below no later than
2359 on 10 October 2025. The questionnaire is located at:
https:(slash)(slash)www2.manpower.usmc.mil/application_cac/edu/index
.jsp
7.b. Electronic packages must be submitted in a single portable
document format (.pdf) file with the following naming convention:
“EDIPI_LASTNAME_FY26NROTC.pdf”. The document must be less than
800KB in size.
7.c. The applications must include:
7.c.1. Document 1 - Personal statement. Submit this letter in
standard naval letter format from the Marine to MMOA-3. Applicants
are encouraged to submit personal statements of two pages or less.
This is the officer’s opportunity to express in writing their desire
to serve on NROTC duty and elaborate on relevant personal strengths
and experiences.
7.c.2. Document 2 - Command endorsement. Submit this letter in
standard naval letter format from the first General Officer or Flag
Officer in the chain of command.
7.c.3. Document 3 – Letter of Recommendation. At least one but no
more than three letters of recommendation.
7.c.4. Document 4 - Official college transcripts. Official college
transcripts are to be sent directly from the university or officer
and be uploaded to the officer's Official Military Personnel File
(OMPF). Officers should submit OMPF update requests via OMPF-
Records Management Application (O-RMA) which can be accessed through
Marine Online (MOL). If assistance is required, contact your unit
S-1 or local Instillation Personnel Administration Center. Officers
are responsible for ensuring their OMPF is accurate. If legible
college transcripts are already included in the officer's OMPF, a
duplicate submission is not required.
8. Billet vacancies. Below are the billets available in FY26
(read in four columns):
MCC University Location Note
H07 The Citadel Charleston, SC 1
H19 Norwich University Northfield, VT 1
H89 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 1
Note 1: Master’s degree required. If an applicant does not possess
a graduate degree, an enrollment, or an accepted status, into a
graduate degree program is required.
Note 2: Waives GPA requirement to 2.5.
Note 3: This university is associated with a consortium. Local
travel will be required between the university locations.
9. MMOA will release a selection MARADMIN as soon as feasible after
the conclusion of the board. MMOA will not issue permanent change
of station orders until they receive approval by the NROTC units or
universities of selected officers.
10. Points of contact:
10.a. MMOA Company Grade Center Desk
Maj R. J. Ayer
Email: ryan.j.ayer@usmc.mil
Comm: 703-784-9276
10.b. MMOA-1 Ground Colonels Monitor
Col M. D. Simon
Email: michael.d.simon.mil@usmc.mil
Comm: 703-432-9012
10.c. MMOA-2 Aviation Colonels Monitor
Col R. B. Tompkins
Email: ralph.tompkins@usmc.mil
Comm: 703-432-9011
11. This message is not applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve.
12. Release authorized by BGen Fridrik Fridriksson, Director,
Manpower Management Division.//