R 271244Z JUN 12
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 347/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG EDCOM PRES MCU QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/SENIOR PLANNERS COURSE STUDENT NOMINATIONS//
REF/A/MCO 1553.4B//
REF/B/JFTR/-//
NARR/REF A IS THE USMC PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION ORDER. REF B IS THE JOINT FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS.//
POC/TWAYNE HICKMAN/CIV/UNIT: MCU/EDCOM/MIG/TEL: 703-432-5541/DSN: 378-5541/EMAIL: TWAYNE.HICKMAN(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  EDUCATION COMMAND/MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY (MCU) IS SOLICITING STUDENT NOMINATIONS FOR THE SENIOR PLANNERS COURSE (SPC) 1-13 TO BE HELD 3-24 OCTOBER 2012 IN QUANTICO, VIRGINIA.  THE SENIOR PLANNERS COURSE IS AN ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) COURSE FOR O- 6'S DESIGNED TO FILL THE FORMAL PME VOID/SPAN BETWEEN O-5 (TOP LEVEL SCHOOL) AND O-7 (SENIOR LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM) FORMAL PME.  IT IS INTENDED TO REFRESH AND EDUCATE OUR COLONELS IN THE OPERATIONAL ART OF PLANNING, STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGNING.
2.  BACKGROUND.  THE SPC WILL BE TAUGHT BY HIGHLY QUALIFIED EXPERTS FROM MSTP, MCU FACULTY, JOINT AND INTERAGENCY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, AND THE MAGTF INSTRUCTIONAL GROUP USING CONTEMPORARY LEARNING METHODS (CASE STUDIES, PANELS, SEMINARS, STAFF RIDES, DIRECTED READINGS, ETC).  PRESENTATION WILL BE IN THREE PHASES.
A.  PHASE I, "FOUNDATIONS", WILL OPEN WITH FRAMING THE STRATEGIC AND CURRENT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT WITH FOLLOW-ON SESSIONS DELVING INTO THE JOINT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT, CRITICAL THINKING, NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY, NATIONAL MILITARY STRATEGY, EMPLOYING FORCES AND THE PLANNING PROCESS.
B.  PHASE II, "PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL ART", WILL FOCUS ON OPERATIONAL DESIGN, PLANNING, AND OPERATIONAL ART.  TOPICS INCLUDE MARINE CORPS AND RELATED JOINT DOCTRINE, THE MARINE CORPS PLANNING PROCESS, COMPONENCY AND COMMAND RELATIONSHIPS, COALITION OPERATIONS, FIGHTING THE MAGTF, STAFF ACTIONS/BATTLE RHYTHM/INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, CCIR AND OTHER INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS, ASSESSMENTS, INFORMATION OPERATIONS AND CYBER WARFARE AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY/STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS.
C.  PHASE III, "APPLICATION", WILL REINFORCE THE PREVIOUS PHASES WITH A COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EXERCISES, CASE STUDIES, AND STAFF RIDES.
3.  STUDENT ELIGIBILITY.  A SENIOR O-6 WHO HAS RECENTLY RETURNED TO OR WILL BE RETURNING TO THE OPERATING FORCES MEETS THE FIRST ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR THIS COURSE.  THE COURSE WILL BE LIMITED TO TEN TO TWELVE PERSONNEL AND WILL BE FILLED BY MATCHING ATTENDEES, EXPERIENCES, AND MARINE CORPS NEEDS. FIRST PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO MEF CG NOMINEES.  THERE WILL BE THREE BILLETS ALLOCATED TO MARFORRES.  THIS COURSE REQUIRES GENERAL OFFICER NOMINATION.
4.  SUBMIT NOMINATIONS VIA EMAIL TO THE POC NLT 1 AUGUST 2012.  MCU WILL CONFIRM NOMINATIONS AND FORWARD REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION PACKAGES TO ALL APPROVED STUDENTS VIA EMAIL BY 20 AUGUST 2012.  SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT AND INCLUDE AN ATTACHED PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY:
A.  LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, INIT
B.  GRADE
C.  COMMAND
D.  CURRENT AND FOLLOW-ON BILLET (IF KNOWN)
E.  WORK PHONE (DSN AND COMM)
F.  CURRENT CLEARANCE INFORMATION AND EXPIRATION DATE
G.  EMAIL ADDRESS (.MIL OR WORK AGENCY EMAIL ONLY)
H.  NOMINATING ENTITY AND COMMAND POC FROM THAT HEADQUARTERS, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS.
5.  FUNDING WILL BE PROVIDED BY MCU FOR ACTIVE DUTY MARINES. RESERVE MARINES ARE FUNDED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMANDS, FUNDING INFORMATION TO FOLLOW AT A LATER DATE.
6.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY MAJGEN T. M. MURRAY; COMMANDING GENERAL, EDUCATION COMMAND; PRESIDENT, MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY.//