Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) and Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Security Cooperation Organization (SCO) Selection Board Announcement

1.  This message solicits applications to fill FY26 
and FY27 SCO billet vacancies.  All applicants must be prepared to 
move in the early summer of FY26, if selected.  The International 
Affairs Program (IAP) seeks qualified officers to serve in Joint SCO
billets with respective Combatant Commands (CCMD).  The board will 
select officers based on their specific political-military and 
security cooperation experience, language, regional expertise, and 
cultural (LREC) skills, and performance as Marine Air Ground Task 
Force officers.  Per ref (b), SCOs serve in influential 
strategic-level positions where they are the foremost points of 
contact between the Department of Defense and the host nation 
Ministry of Defense, other government agencies, small businesses, 
and academia.  SCOs are located in or associated with U.S. 
diplomatic facilities worldwide and are responsible for overseeing 
and implementing in-country security cooperation events, to include
security assistance programs, and for facilitating cooperation in 
research, development, and acquisition with allied and partner 
nations.
1.a.  Major timeline milestones are (read in two columns):
Date                        Milestone                         
18 April 2025               Applications due                     
5 May 2025                  Board convenes
2 June 2025                 Release of results
2.  Eligibility
2.a.  Eligibility requirements
2.a.1.  Applicants must be on active duty.
2.a.2.  Must receive monitor concurrence.
2.a.3.  Time on station requirements. 
2.a.4.  Applicants must meet minimum prescribed tour control factor
(TCF) and be eligible for permanent change of station (PCS) orders 
in FY26.  All FY27 SCO billets require language training in FY26 
unless a selectee already possess the required language skills.  
Those selected for FY26 SCO billets will move in FY26 and not attend
language training.
2.a.4.a.  If an applicant does not meet their prescribed TCF 
requirements in paragraph 2.a.4, they must submit a exception to 
policy (ETP), endorsed by the first O-6 in the chain of command, via
NAVMC 10274 (AA-Form), with their application.  Transfer inside of 
the prescribed TCF will result in a gap for that command until the 
TCF has concluded.  If an officer is selected prior to his/her 
normal rotation date, Manpower Management Officer Assignments (MMOA)
will attempt to provide a backfill.  A commander's endorsement of 
the AA Form is considered acknowledgement of this situation.  MMOA
will adjudicate the ETP separately from the board process and must 
be approved by MMOA before a Marine will be considered for a SCO
billet vacancy.  An officer with an approved ETP will be a FY26
mover regardless of selection to the SCO program.   
2.a.5.  Applicants must meet the grade criterion (or be selected for 
promotion to that grade) of the associated duty for which they are 
applying and must possess the career timing to serve a full tour of 
duty in the grade of the billet for which they are applying.  
Lieutenant Colonel applicants must plan to opt-out of 
consideration for promotion if selected if they enter the in-zone 
population at any time during their anticipated tour of duty and
must agree to do so in their application if selected.  Officers 
serving in a Standard Joint Duty Assignment (S-JDA) will be
eligible for full joint duty credit after 24 months of service.
2.a.6.  Applicants must already have a completed Tier Five (T-5) 
investigation and have Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) 
eligibility.  Application to serve as a SCO is not sufficient 
justification for an investigation eligibility determination.  T-5
investigation requests will not be submitted as part of the SCO 
application.
2.a.7.  Study track Foreign Area Officers (FAO) and Regional Affairs
Officers (RAO) are eligible to apply.  If selected to a position 
within their regional designation, this tour will count as their 
utilization assignment.
2.b.  Ineligibility criteria
2.b.1.  Officers with an established separation or retirement date.
2.b.2.  Officers in the above zone.  Captains and Majors offered 
continuation and Lieutenant Colonels in the above-zone may be 
considered on a case-by-case basis.
2.b.3.  Applicants selected for or currently attending programs that
have a designated utilization assignment are ineligible. 
2.b.4.  Those officers currently serving in a S-JDA who will not 
have completed a full tour (24 months) prior to July 2026.
3.  The FY26 and FY27 SCO selection board will screen for the 
following SCO positions.  This list is subject to change up until 
the conclusion of the board based on IAP and CCMD requirements.  For
the most current list, visit the website listed in paragraph 5.c.1.
3.a.  FY26 SCO billet vacancies (read in eight columns).
Grd   BMOS    Country      Language    RptDate  MCC  JDAL      Note
O5    8248    Philippines  Tagalog     Jul 26   NAL  00007277  1,3,4         

3.a.1.  FY27 SCO Billet vacancies (read in eight columns)
Grd   BMOS    Country      Language    RptDate  MCC  JDAL      Note
O4    8241    Mexico       Spanish     Jul 27   NCH  00009633  1,2,5 
O5    8241    Brazil       Portuguese  Jul 27   M90  00006093  1,3,6

Note 1:  TS/SCI security clearance is a mandatory requirement.
Note 2:  Joint tour length for this position is 24 months.
Note 3:  Joint tour length for this position is 36 months.
Note 4:  Language proficiency is not required, but highly desirable.
Note 5:  Language proficiency at the 3/3 level is a mandatory 
requirement.
Note 6:  Language proficiency at the 2/2/2 level is a mandatory 
requirement. 
4.  The language requirement is based on Defense Language 
Proficiency Test (DLPT) and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores,
as required.  If the selected candidate does not meet DLPT and OPI 
requirements, language training will take place at the Defense 
Language Institute (DLI).
4.a.  Applicants requiring foreign language training must have a 
minimum Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) score for the 
respective language as follows:
4.a.1.  95 for category I languages: Portuguese and Spanish.
4.b.  Applicants requiring language training must take into 
consideration DLI course length to ensure minimum time on station
requirements will be met before applying.  Language training occurs 
at either Monterey, CA or in Washington D.C.  DLI course length are
as follows: 
4.b.1.  Category I languages:  Portuguese (DLI Washington), 
26 weeks.  Spanish (DLI Monterey), 36 weeks.
5.  Application process.  This section provides an overview of the
application process and requirements.
5.a.  Families and overseas screening.  Families are an important 
element of SCO assignments.  Applicants with dependents enrolled in
the Exceptional Family Member Program are eligible to apply, but may
not be able to participate pending availability of required care.  A
full medical screening is not required for the application process, 
however, all applicants must provide a certification of suitability 
for overseas assignment, found on the website in para 5.c.1. for 
themselves and all family members.  It is imperative applicants 
disclose ongoing conditions to ensure the applicant and family 
members' needs can be met.  Once selected, SCO candidates and their
families must complete a full medical overseas screening within 90 
days of acceptance. 
5.b.  Security cooperation experience and language proficiency are 
highly desirable but are not prerequisites to submit an application.
5.c.  Application timeline and method
5.c.1.  Interested officers must submit their application to the IAP
Office.  Applications must arrive to the IAP Office no later than 
2359 Eastern Standard Time on 18 April 2025 to be considered by the 
board.  Applicants can find templates and additional information on
the IAP website at:  http:(slash)(slash)www.ppo.marines.mil/Units/
Strategy-and-Plans-Division/International-Affairs-Branch/
International-Affairs-Program/Resources/
5.c.2.  Applications must be submitted in a single portable document
format (PDF) to IAPMarine@usmc.mil and to POCs listed above with the
following naming convention EDIPI_LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_MI_RANK_SCO
(e.g.1234567890_SMITH_JOHN_A_CAPT_SCO).  Each file cannot be larger
than 800 KB.  
5.c.3.  OMPF update material.  Officers should submit OMPF update 
requests via OMPF-Records Management Application (O-RMA). If 
assistance is required, contact your unit S-1 or local IPAC. 
Officers are responsible for ensuring their OMPF and Master Brief
Sheet is accurate at all times.  Board members will have access to
the OMPF during the board.   
5.d.  Application procedures.  The application must include the 
following:
5.d.1.  Completed application form for the SCO positions listed 
under paragraphs 3.a.  The application template is located at the 
website listed in paragraph 5.c.1.  This application will include 
all billet preferences, previous political-military, security 
cooperation, LREC experiences, DLAB scores, and DLPT scores.
5.d.2.  Command endorsements through the first O-6.  Command 
endorsement shall annotate that if selected, the parent unit shall
support selectee's time away from the unit to attend training in a 
temporary additional duty status in the national capital region for
eight weeks prior to arriving to SCO assignment.  Upon selection, 
funding and SCO training course dates will be provided and 
coordinated by PLU POCs above.  
5.d.3.  At least one letter of recommendation.  Any letters of 
recommendation shall include an assessment of the applicant's 
potential to serve in joint billets as part of the CCMD staff and 
U.S. embassy country team.
5.d.4.  Correspondence from PMOS monitor confirming eligibility.
5.d.5.  Certification of security clearance from security officer.
5.d.6.  Certification of suitability for overseas assignment.
5.e.  The board will not consider incorrect or incomplete packages.
6.  Officers selected to serve as SCOs may be eligible to receive 
the FAO or RAO additional MOS (AMOS) for their respective regions.  
Upon meeting the criteria for experience track AMOS designation, 
officers must notify the IAP Office to request designation of 
appropriate AMOS.  The assignment of this AMOS may make officers 
eligible for further service utilization of their 
political-military, security cooperation, and LREC skills gained 
through their joint SCO assignments.
7.  Completion of a tour of duty in a Joint Duty Assignment List 
(JDAL) position that meets all statutory requirements will result in
joint credit.  Those positions not considered an S-JDA with an 
assigned JDAL will require an experience-based joint credit 
submission via separate correspondence within the corresponding 
calendar year.  A separate message will address the Experience-based
Joint Duty Assignment requirements.
8.  When applying for SCO you will be able to submit country 
preference but should understand that the board may slate an 
individual for any country being screened, and those countries being
screened may change through the duration of the board.  Any officers
who decline a SCO position will be ineligible for future SCO boards 
unless otherwise approved by Director, Manpower Management.
9.  Release authorized by MajGen Ryan S. Rideout, Director, Manpower
Management Division.