Announcement of New Military Occupational Specialties in the Marine Corps Strategist Occupational Field (0505, 0507, 0508, and 0509)

1. The military occupational specialties detailed below were created
and approved in support of the Strategist Management Occupational
Field.
2. Background.  In accordance with ref (A), Deputy Commandant for
Plans, Policies, and Operations submitted the below MOSs for 
approval.  This change was thoroughly reviewed by the personnel,
organization, and training (POT) pillars of the doctrine, 
organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, facilities,
and cost working group.  After review, the POT pillar leads 
unanimously recommended that Command General (CG) Training and 
Education Command (TECOM) create MOSs 0507, 0508, and 0509.  
These MOSs are contained in the FY25 MOS Manual.
3. MOS 0507, Strategic Planner (LtCol to Maj) FMOS, DC PP&O
3.a. Summary. Strategic Planners are developed through the 
combination of advanced intermediate level education and a
utilization tour as an operational planner (0505). Their education
and professional experience prepare these officers to continue on as
advanced planners at the service level. Strategic Planners play a 
critical role in the development and implementation of service 
policy. These officers drive the strategic direction of the service
by shaping force design, force development, and force employment. 
Strategic Planners will primarily reside at the service headquarters
deputy commandant level; however, most Marine expeditionary forces 
and service components will also rate one 0507 as a senior planner.
Select joint billets may be filled by a Strategic Planner based on
available inventory.
3.b. Prerequisites. Advanced Intermediate Level Education (A-ILE) or 
Joint Advanced Warfighting School complete.
3.c. Requirements. Marine officers are awarded this MOS after 
12 months in an 0505 billet or to the satisfaction of the 
commanding officer, whichever is shorter. Requests for this FMOS
will be submitted to a servicing IPAC with an endorsement from the
first general officer in the Marine's chain of command.  
3.d. Duties. Lead strategic planning efforts for the Service 
headquarters. Conduct complex problem solving, assist senior leader
decision making, and align Service resources with 
National Strategic Guidance. 
4. MOS 0508, Strategy Advisor (LtCol to Maj) FMOS, DC PP&O
4.a. Summary. Strategy Advisors are educated in the reciprocity 
of war and strategy, warfighting, and strategic 
interagency/coalition decision-making. They provide a complex level
of analyses to assist senior leader decision making. 
Strategy Advisors represent the Marine Corps at the 
Combatant Command, Joint Staff, 
Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) levels and higher. 0508 
billets are listed as additional skills designators and maintained
by DC PP&O and DC M&RA to ensure appropriate billets are staffed 
with Strategy Advisors.
4.b. Prerequisites. Selection by the Top Level School Board to a 
program that offers Advanced Strategy Courses as defined by DC PP&O
and MCU.
4.c. Requirements. Complete one of the following Top Level School
Advanced Strategy Courses (TLS-ASC): School of Advanced Military 
Studies, Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program; Army War 
College Advanced Strategic Art Program; Air Force Grand Strategy
Seminar; Air Force Joint Warfighter Studies Seminar; Naval War 
College Advanced Strategist Program; Johns Hopkins School of 
Advanced International Studies Strategic Thinkers Program. 
This MOS will be assigned to a Marine in an appropriate Service,
Joint, or OSD planning billet by submitting a graduation certificate
through the Marine's servicing IPAC. DC PP&O is the adjudication
authority for Top Level School programs that result in this FMOS 
being awarded.
4. d. Duties. Strategy Advisors assist senior leader decision making
to address complex problems through rigorous systemic thinking. They
contextualize problems sets through lenses of past, current, and
proposed strategies, wars, and eras of competition into their larger
contexts. This analysis allows Strategy Advisors to delve into a 
problem set's myriad dimensions and offer detailed analyses. 
5. MOS 0509, Marine Corps Strategist (LtCol to Maj) FMOS, DC PP&O
5.a. Summary. Marine Corps Strategists are strategic leaders that
support senior military and civilian leader decision-making at 
service, combatant command, departmental, and national levels.
They also understand and represent Marine Corps interests in the
Joint and national strategy formulation processes, aid senior 
leaders in shaping national, defense, and military strategic
guidance, and anticipate how strategic guidance will evolve 
in near, mid, and long-term. As uniformed officers with 
doctorate level education in national security-specific areas 
(e.g., strategy, international relations, military history, 
political science), these Marines provide senior leaders with 
advanced research, writing, conceptual framing, quantitative 
and qualitative data analysis, and planning for all forms of 
strategic engagement and communication. At all levels, they 
are well-suited to help generate national, defense, military,
and service strategies designed to address current and future 
operational challenges. Marine Corps Strategists will reside 
at the Headquarters Marine Corps, combatant command, Joint Staff,
and OSD levels. 0509 billets are listed as additional skills 
designators and maintained by DC PP&O and DC M&RA to ensure 
appropriate billets are staffed with Marine Corps Strategist.
5.b. Prerequisites. Meet eligibility requirements for the
PhDP Strategist Track as laid out in ref (C). Officers must be 
selected for the PhDP Strategist program to be eligible for this 
MOS. 
5.c. Requirements. PhDP Strategists must complete all university
PhD program requirements to include defense, approval, and
submission of their dissertation. This MOS will be assigned
to a Marine in an appropriate Service, Joint, or OSD planning
billet by submitting a graduation certificate through the Marine's
servicing IPAC. 
5.d. Duties. Lead research and planning efforts for major commands
and DCs. Represent the USMC (Service and Operating forces) in 
strategy formulation at the Joint and National level. Conduct 
complex problem framing to understand existing and anticipate
future strategic guidance; ensure campaign planning efforts at
service and OPFOR level are appropriately nested. 
6. Officers who meet the eligibility requirements laid out in 
paragraphs 3, 4, or 5 of this MARADMIN are directed to submit an
electronic personnel action request to their servicing IPAC for
these FMOSs to be awarded no later than 30 Sep 2025. The EPAR text
should read: "IAW NAVMC 1200.1K, I meet the requirements for the 
[05XX] FMOS and request this FMOS be added to my record. I have 
attached the necessary documentation for this FMOS as outlined 
in NAVMC 1200.1K." The following paragraphs outline required 
documentation:
6.a. Officers seeking the 0507 FMOS must submit a diploma from an 
A-ILE program and an endorsement from the first general officer in 
their chain of command validating a successful  0505-utilization tour. 
6.c. Officers seeking the 0508 FMOS must submit a diploma from a 
TLS-ASC program to their servicing IPAC. 
6.d. Officers seeking the 0509 FMOS must submit proof of PhDP-S
completion to their servicing IPAC and include a copy of the PHDP-S
MARADMIN highlighting their selection to the CMCSP. 
6.e. NOTE TO ALL PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION CENTERS: Effective date
for all three MOSs must be NET 1 Oct 2024 IOT allow the diary entry to 
be effectively processed.
7.  This MARADMIN is published in coordination with CG TECOM. 
8. Points of contact are
8.a. Col Brian Donlon, DC PP&O, Strategy Branch Head: 703-692-4383,
email: brian.j.donlon.mil@usmc.mil
8.b. Lieutenant Colonel Rocky Dobson, DC PP&O, Strategy and Plans: 
703-692-2186, email:  andrew.n.dobson@usmc.mil.
9.  Release authorized by Lieutenant General James W. Bierman, DC PP&O