MCBUL 1520. FY05 Foreign Area Officer (FAO) and Regional Affairs Officer (RAO) Selection Board

1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS BULLETIN IS TO SOLICIT
APPLICATIONS FOR THE FY05 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER PROGRAM VIA
THE FOREIGN AREA OFFICER (FAO) AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER (RAO)
STUDY TRACK PROGRAM.
 A. THE FY05 FAO/RAO SELECTION BOARD WILL MEET DURING THE THIRD
WEEK OF JULY 04 (13-16 JULY 2004); APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NLT 4 JUN 04.
 B. WHERE REF A AND THIS BULLETIN DIFFER, THIS BULLETIN TAKES
PRECEDENCE.
 C. EACH APPLICANT'S CAREER PATTERN WILL BE CAREFULLY 
CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS WITH REGARD TO TIMING. OFFICERS
COMPLETING TOURS WITH THE OPERATING FORCES ARE PARTICULARLY
ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.
2. FAO PROGRAM (STUDY-TRACK)
 A. THROUGH A COMBINATION OF GRADUATE EDUCATION, LANGUAGE
TRAINING, AND IN-COUNTRY TRAINING (ICT), THE FAO TRAINING PROGRAM
PRODUCES OFFICERS WITH REGIONAL, LINGUISTIC, AND CULTURAL EXPERTISE
IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS. FAO TRAINING PREPARES OFFICERS
FOR DUTY WITH THE MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES AND HIGH-LEVEL USMC,
JOINT, OR COMBINED STAFFS IN OPERATIONS/PLANNING BILLETS OR
INTELLIGENCE BILLETS WITH DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES INCLUDING
DUTY WITH THE DEFENSE ATTACHE SYSTEM.
 B. FAO TRAINING/EDUCATION INCLUDES GRADUATE STUDIES AT THE
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL LEADING TO A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN
NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS (12 MONTHS), LANGUAGE TRAINING AT THE
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE (6-15 MONTHS), AND IN-COUNTRY/REGIONAL
TRAINING/TRAVEL/EXPERIENCE (12 MONTHS).
 C. FAO'S SHOULD EXPECT TO RETURN TO A PMOS BILLET IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWING TRAINING AND SERVE A FAO UTILIZATION TOUR NLT THE SECOND
TOUR AFTER COMPLETION OF TRAINING.
 D. FY05 FAO QUOTAS. SINCE FY05 FAO SELECTEES WILL NOT BEGIN
THE IN-COUNTRY TRAINING PHASE UNTIL 2006, ICT SITE LISTINGS SHOULD
BE TAKEN AS A GUIDE ONLY. 
REGION LANGUAGE IN-COUNTRY TRAINING SITE
FORMER USSR RUSSIAN MOSCOW, RUSSIA
PRC CHINESE BEIJING, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
MIDDLE EAST ARABIC CAIRO, EGYPT 
MIDDLE EAST ARABIC MUSCAT, OMAN
EAST ASIA JAPANESE OSAKA, JAPAN
EAST ASIA KOREAN SEOUL, KOREA
EAST EUROPE GREEK THESSALONIKI, GREECE
SUB. AFRICA FRENCH DAKAR, SENEGAL
SOUTH ASIA HINDI NEW DELHI, INDIA
EAST ASIA INDONESIAN JAKARTA, INDONESIA
 E. CHINESE, ARABIC, KOREAN, AND JAPANESE PROGRAMS START 1 JAN
05, ALL OTHERS START 1 JUL 05 
 F. ELIGIBLE OFFICERS ARE THOSE WHO:
 (1) ARE UNRESTRICTED, REGULAR OFFICERS WITH 3-11 YEARS 
COMMISSIONED SERVICE AS OF 1 AUG 04. USMCR OFFICERS WHO HAVE 
APPLIED FOR AUGMENTATION ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. FAO SELECTION 
WILL BE CONTINGENT ON SELECTION/ACCEPTANCE FOR AUGMENTATION.
 (2) MEET MINIMUM TIME-ON-STATION REQUIREMENTS PER REF B 
AS OF 1 JUN 05 (FOR THOSE SELECTED FOR CHINESE, JAPANESE,
ARABIC, OR KOREAN, MUST MEET TOS AS OF 1 DEC 04).
 (3) HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED A FULL-TIME USMC-FUNDED 
GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
 (4) ATTAIN A DLAB SCORE OF 100 OR HIGHER WITHIN THE LAST
THREE YEARS, AND/OR DEMONSTRATE A LANGUAGE CAPABILITY BY OBTAINING
A MINIMUM SCORE OF L2/R2 ON ANY DLPT II, OR L2/R2/S2 ON ANY DLPT
III OR DLPT IV. THE DLPT IS ADMINISTERED AT APPROVED MARINE CORPS
TESTING FACILITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF C.
 (5) MEET OTHER REQUIREMENTS AS SPECIFIED IN REF A.
 G. OFFICERS WITH A CRITICALLY SHORT PMOS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY
FOR THE STUDY-TRACK PROGRAM; HOWEVER, THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS
WILL ULTIMATELY DICTATE WHETHER AN APPLICANT IS SELECTED. 
3. RAO PROGRAM (STUDY-TRACK)
 A. THROUGH GRADUATE EDUCATION, THE RAO PROGRAM PRODUCES
OFFICERS WITH REGIONAL/CULTURAL EXPERTISE IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL
REGIONS. RAO TRAINING PREPARES OFFICERS FOR DUTY WITH THE MARINE
EXPEDITIONARY FORCES AND HIGH LEVEL USMC, JOINT, OR COMBINED STAFFS
IN OPERATIONS/PLANNING BILLETS.
 B. THE RAO TRAINING PROGRAM CONSISTS OF GRADUATE STUDIES AT THE
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL LEADING TO A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN
NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS (18 MONTHS). LANGUAGE TRAINING IS NOT
ROUTINELY A PART OF THE RAO TRAINING.
 C. RAO'S SHOULD EXPECT TO BE ASSIGNED TO A UTILIZATION TOUR
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF TRAINING.
 D. FY05 RAO QUOTAS. THERE IS ONE QUOTA FOR EACH OF THE
FOLLOWING REGIONAL CURRICULA AND ALL COURSES CONVENE IN JAN 05:
LATIN AMERICA
FSU/EASTERN EUROPE
MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
SOUTHWEST ASIA
EAST ASIA
WESTERN EUROPE
THERE ARE TWO QUOTAS FOR MIDDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA
 E. ELIGIBLE OFFICERS ARE THOSE WHO:
 (1) ARE UNRESTRICTED, REGULAR OFFICERS WITH 9-15 YEARS 
COMMISSIONED SERVICE AS OF 1 AUG 04. 
 (2) MEET MINIMUM TIME-ON-STATION REQUIREMENTS PER REF B 
AS OF 1 DEC 04.
 (3) HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED A FULL-TIME USMC-FUNDED
GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
 (4) MEET OTHER REQUIREMENTS AS SPECIFIED IN REF A.
4. APPLICATIONS FOR THE FY05 FAO/RAO (STUDY-TRACK) PROGRAM
BOARD MUST BE RECEIVED BY 1 JUN 04. APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED
IN THE FORMAT PRESCRIBED BY REF A, PARAGRAPHS 3 AND 4 OF THIS
MESSAGE, AND THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:
 A. APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED VIA THE CHAIN OF
COMMAND. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION MAY BE INCLUDED AS ENCLOSURES TO
THE APPLICATION. MEANINGFUL ENDORSEMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE A
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICANT'S POTENTIAL NOT ONLY AS A
FAO/RAO BUT ALSO LONG TERM POTENTIAL IN THEIR PRIMARY MOS.
 B. APPLICANTS SHOULD SPECIFY WHETHER THEY DESIRE TO BE 
CONSIDERED FOR FAO, RAO, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE TWO PROGRAMS
PROVIDED THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. APPLICANTS SHOULD
ALSO LIST THEIR REGIONAL LANGUAGE PREFERENCES. OFFICERS MAY ALSO
STATE THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT ANY REGION/LANGUAGE FOR WHICH
THEY ARE CHOSEN. 
 C. APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS OF ALL GRADUATE
AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDY. TRANSCRIPTS CONTAINED IN THE APPLICANT'S
OMPF ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.
 D. APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE AN OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH PER
REF D.
 E. APPLICATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ADD A PARAGRAPH
DESCRIBING ANY SIGNIFICANT, RELEVANT EXPERIENCE THAT IS NOT ALREADY
DOCUMENTED IN THEIR FITNESS REPORTS.
 F. OFFICERS WITH A CRITICALLY SHORT PMOS ARE ELIGIBLE TO
APPLY FOR THE FY05 STUDY-TRACK PROGRAM; HOWEVER, THE NEEDS OF THE
MARINE CORPS WILL ULTIMATELY DICTATE WHETHER AN APPLICANT IS
SELECTED.
 G. APPLICATIONS MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: 
 "IF SELECTED I AGREE TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR AT 
 LEAST FIVE YEARS (FAO) OR THREE YEARS (RAO) AFTER 
 COMPLETION OF MY TRAINING. I AGREE NOT TO TENDER 
 RESIGNATION OR REQUEST SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT WHILE 
 PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND 
 THAT THIS OBLIGATION BEGINS UPON COMPLETION OF STUDIES 
 IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF A." 
 H. MAIL APPLICATIONS TO: 
 HQMC, MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS (MMOA-5) 
 ATTN: GRADUATE EDUCATION OFFICER 
 3280 RUSSELL RD
 QUANTICO, VA 22134-5103
5. OFFICERS WHO BELIEVE THEY ALREADY POSSESS EXPERTISE EQUIVALENT
TO THAT DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPHS 2.B AND 3.B ABOVE MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO
APPLY FOR THE EXPERIENCE TRACK FAO/RAO ADDITIONAL MOS (AMOS) AND ARE
ENCOURAGED TO APPLY AS DIRECTED IN REF A. ALL USMC AND USMCR
UNRESTRICTED COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE
FAO/RAO AMOS'S BASED ON EXPERIENCE VIA EXPERIENCE TRACK BOARDS
CONVENED QUARTERLY IN PLU, PP&O. APPLICATIONS FOR THE FAO/RAO AMOS
BASED ON EXPERIENCE CAN BE SUBMITTED AT ANY TIME TO THE CMC (PLU-8),
STRATEGY AND PLANS DIVISION, PP&O, 2 NAVY ANNEX, WASHINGTON, DC
20380-1775. APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE IN THE FORMAT PRESCRIBED IN REF
A, AND INCLUDE A THOROUGH DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPERIENCE ON WHICH THE
APPLICATION IS BASED. 
6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROGRAM CAN BE FOUND ON
THE GRADUATE EDUCATION WEBSITE WHICH IS LINKED TO THE MMOA HOME
PAGE. QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE FAO/RAO PROGRAMS AND CAREER TIMING
CAN ALSO BE DIRECTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER PROGRAM
COORDINATOR, LTCOL J.F. MAY; (PLU-8); DSN 222-4365; COMM (703)
692-4365; E-MAIL MAYJF@HQMC.USMC.MIL. QUESTIONS REGARDING
APPLICATION PACKAGES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO MMOA-5, MAJ J.M. MORGAN
E-MAIL MORGANJM@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL OR MR. D.L. ELLIS E-MAIL
ELLISDL@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL. DSN 278-9284 COMM (703) 784-9284. 
7. THIS BULLETIN IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE.