The SES was established by Title IV of the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 and became effective on July 13, 1979. In creating the SES, the CSRA envisioned a senior executive corps whose members have shared values, a broad perspective of government, and solid executive skills. The SES is a separate and distinct personnel system, set up as a "third" service, completely separate from the competitive and excepted services. The SES covers most managerial, supervisory, and policy-making positions above grade 15, or positions in level IV or V of the Executive Schedule, or an equivalent position, that are not required to be filled by Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation.

Most SES operational responsibilities are assigned by law to the agencies. Agencies are accountable for managing their SES resources in compliance with law and regulation (reference (a)). Reference (b) establishes and provides policies and procedures governing management of the Department of the Navy (DON) SES program. The SES in the Marine Corps is an integral element of the DON SES program. It is our policy that the management of the SES shall be responsive to the needs, policies, and goals of the Department of Defense (DoD), the DON, and the Marine Corps.

In addition to the SES, the Marine Corps has designated other senior executive positions, which while classifiable above the GS-15 grade level, do not meet the strict criteria for inclusion in the SES. These positions include: Senior Level (SL) positions; Scientific and Professional (ST) positions; and Nonappropriated Fund (NAF) senior executive positions. The Marine Corps also has designated positions in the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service (DISES) and Defense Intelligence Senior Level (DISL). The Marine Corps goal is to have superior leadership in our civilian executive positions to provide experience, vision, innovative ideas,