R 122009Z JUL 10
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 381/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG EDCOM PRES MCU//
SUBJ/PILOT SENIOR PLANNER'S 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/RANDY D SMITH/LTCOL/UNIT: MCU/EDCOM/-/TEL:703-784-4037/EMAIL: RANDY.SMITH(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY/EDUCATION COMMAND IS SOLICITING STUDENT NOMINATIONS FOR THE PILOT SENIOR PLANNER'S COURSE (SPC) TO BE HELD 8-29 SEPTEMBER IN QUANTICO, VIRGINIA.  THE SENIOR PLANNER'S 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 IN THE OPERATIONAL ART OF PLANNING, STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGNING
2.  BACKGROUND.  THE PILOT SPC WILL BE TAUGHT BY SENIOR MENTORS/HIGHLY QUALIFIED EXPERTS AND FACULTY OF MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY AND THE MAGTF STAFF TRAINING PROGRAM USING CONTEMPORARY LEARNING METHODS (CASE STUDIES, SENIOR MENTOR PANELS, SEMINARS, STAFF RIDES, DIRECTED READINGS, ETC).  THE COURSE WILL BE PRESENTED IN THREE PHASES.
A.  PHASE I, "FOUNDATIONS", WILL OPEN WITH SENIOR MENTORS 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 JOINT PLANNING PROCESS.
B.  PHASE II, "PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL ART", WILL BE TAUGHT BY MSTP 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 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.  THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THE SPC IS THE SENIOR MARFOR/MEF BILLET HOLDER WHO IS NEW OR RECENTLY RETURNED TO THE OPERATING FORCES AND DESIRES A REFRESHER IN OPERATIONAL PLANNING. THE PILOT COURSE WILL BE LIMITED TO TEN PERSONNEL AND WILL BE FILLED ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS.
4.  SUBMIT NOMINATIONS VIA EMAIL TO THE POC NLT 23 JULY 2010 TO ENSURE EDCOM FUNDING.  MCU WILL CONFIRM NOMINATIONS AND FORWARD REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION PACKAGES TO ALL APPROVED STUDENTS VIA EMAIL BY 6 AUGUST 2010.  SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT:
A.  LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, INIT
B.  GRADE
C.  COMMAND
D.  CURRENT/FORECAST BILLET
E.  WORK PHONE (DSN AND COMM)
F.  EMAIL ADDRESS (.MIL OR WORK AGENCY EMAIL ONLY)
G.  COMMAND POC, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS (PROVIDE THE DEFENSE TRAVEL ADMINISTRATORS NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS). FUNDING WILL BE ASSIGNED VIA CROSS ORGANIZATIONAL APPROPRIATION DATA. 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 ROBERT B NELLER, PRESIDENT, MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY//