R 061526Z MAY 11
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 275/11
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG EDCOM PRES MCU QUAN VA//
SUBJ/SENIOR PLANNERS COURSE STUDENT NOMINATIONS//
REF/A/MSIGID:DOC/MCO 1553.4B//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/JFTR/-//
NARR/REF A IS THE USMC PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) ORDER.  REF B IS THE JOINT FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (JFTR).//
POC/TWAYNE HICKMAN/CIV/UNIT: EDCOM/MCU/MIG/TEL:703-432-5630/EMAIL: TWAYNE.HICKMAN(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  EDUCATION COMMAND/MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY IS SOLICITING STUDENT NOMINATIONS FOR THE SENIOR PLANNERS COURSE (SPC) 2-11 TO BE HELD 7-28 SEPTEMBER 2011 IN QUANTICO, VIRGINIA.  THE SENIOR PLANNERS COURSE IS AN ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION COURSE DESIGNED TO FILL THE FORMAL PME VOID/SPAN BETWEEN O-5 (TOP LEVEL SCHOOL) AND O-7 (SENIOR LEVEL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM) FORMAL PME.  IT IS INTENDED TO REFRESH AND EDUCATE OUR COLONELS (O-6) IN THE OPERATIONAL ART OF PLANNING, STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGNING.
2.  BACKGROUND.  THE SPC WILL BE TAUGHT BY MENTORS/HIGHLY QUALIFIED EXPERTS AND FACULTY OF MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY, THE MAGTF INSTRUCTIONAL GROUP (MIG) AND THE MAGTF STAFF TRAINING PROGRAM (MSTP) USING CONTEMPORARY LEARNING METHODS (CASE STUDIES, MENTOR PANELS, SEMINARS, STAFF RIDES, DIRECTED READINGS, ETC).  THE COURSE WILL BE PRESENTED IN THREE PHASES.
A.  PHASE I, "FOUNDATIONS", WILL OPEN WITH HIGHLY QUALIFIED EXPERTS 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, GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYING FORCES AND THE PLANNING PROCESS.
B.  PHASE II, "PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL ART", WILL BE TAUGHT BY MSTP AND THE MIG AND WILL FOCUS ON OPERATIONAL DESIGN, PLANNING AND ART.  TOPICS INCLUDE MARINE CORPS AND RELATED JOINT DOCTRINE, THE MARINE CORPS PLANNING PROCESS, COMPONENCY AND COMMAND RELATIONSHIPS, COALITION OPERATIONS, FIGHTING THE MAGTF, MAGTF C2 AND C4, STAFF ACTIONS/BATTLE RHYTHM/INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, CCIRS AND OTHER INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS, ASSESSMENTS, INFORMATION OPERATIONS, 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.  THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THE SPC IS THE SENIOR MARFOR/MEF BILLET HOLDER (O-6) WHO IS NEW OR RECENTLY RETURNED TO THE OPERATING FORCES AND DESIRES A REFRESHER IN OPERATIONAL PLANNING.  TWELVE PRIMARY ATTENDEES WILL BE CHOSEN (NINE ACTIVE AND THREE RESERVE COMPONENT) AND THREE PRIORITIZED ALTERNATES WILL BE IDENTIFIED.  PRIORITY WILL GO TO MEF CG NOMINEES, FOLLOWED BY FLAG OFFICER NOMINEES.  CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO SELF-NOMINEES FOR OPEN SEATS.
4.  SUBMIT NOMINATIONS VIA EMAIL TO THE POC NLT 17 JUNE 2011. EDCOM/MCU WILL CONFIRM NOMINATIONS AND FORWARD REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION PACKAGES TO ALL APPROVED STUDENTS VIA EMAIL BY 15 JULY 2011.  SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT:
A.  LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, INIT/ EMAIL ADDRESS (.MIL OR WORK AGENCY EMAIL ONLY).
B.  GRADE/MOS/DOR.
C.  COMMAND/ WORK PHONE (DSN AND COMM).
D.  CURRENT/FORECASTED BILLET.
E.  BIOGRAPHY (AS AN ATTACHMENT).
F.  ILS/TLS AND OTHER SCHOOLS (SAW, SAMS, SASS) AND DEGREES.
G.  SLATED COMMAND BILLETS/JOINT BILLETS.
H.  CURRENT ACTIVE CLEARANCE INFORMATION WITH EXPIRATION DATE.
I.  COMMAND POC, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS (PROVIDE THE DEFENSE TRAVEL SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS).  FUNDING INFORMATION WILL FOLLOW AT A LATER DATE.  STUDENTS AND DTS ADMINISTRATORS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL, THEREFORE ENSURE ACCURATE INFORMATION IS SUBMITTED TO AVOID A DELAY IN PROCESSING.
5.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY MAJOR GENERAL T. M. MURRAY, COMMANDING GENERAL, EDUCATION COMMAND, PRESIDENT, MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY.//