Fiscal Year 2026 Air Officer Applications for Service with Marine Forces Special Operations Command
This MARADMIN announces the Fiscal Year 2026 application process for Air Officer positions with Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARFORSOC). Active and reserve component officers with 73xx or 75xx MOS who are Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers, or UAS Officers in the ranks of Captain through Lieutenant Colonel are eligible to apply for 24-month tours. Applications are due by 16 May 2025, with the selection panel convening on 29 May 2025.
Issued: March 20, 2025
1. Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARFORSOC) is seeking interested active or reserve component officers that are assigned 73xx or 75xx Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) to serve in 24-month length Air Officer tours. The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) MARFORSOC Air Officer Selection Panel will convene on or about 29 May 2025. This message announces the eligibility criteria for interested applicants, the process for application, and establishes the timeline for application and execution of the panel. Major timeline milestones (read in 2 columns): Date Milestone Message release MARFORSOC Air Officer application window open 16 May 2025 MARFORSOC Air Officer application deadline 29 May 2025 Selection Panel convenes 2. Application and selection overview. MARFORSOC seeks applicants with the experience, maturity, judgement, leadership ability, and tactical acumen that match the gravity of the missions they are being selected to perform. Applicants should possess a strong fires integration background. Previous Air Officer and Forward Air Controller tours are highly encouraged. Aircraft qualifications such as Forward Air Controller (Airborne) and instructor qualifications/designations are highly competitive. Experience, both inside and outside of the cockpit, will help to build a picture of the whole Marine, which will be used as a basis for panel selection. 3. Eligibility 3.a. Eligibility Criteria 3.a.1. Active or reserve component commissioned officers in the rank of lieutenant colonel, major, or captain. Reserve component officers must be willing to be appointed to the active component if selected for this duty, in accordance with reference (c). 3.a.2. Designated Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers, or Unmanned Aerial Systems Officers. 3.a.3. Active duty applicants must have completed minimum time-on-station requirements per reference (a) and be eligible for permanent change of station orders in FY26. Applicants must notify their PMOS monitor of their intent to apply and must receive email confirmation of their eligibility to apply. 3.a.4. Applicants must be able to successfully complete Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Atlantic/Pacific (EWTGLANT/PAC) Tactical Air Control party (TACP) school and be awarded the additional MOS of 7502 prior to check-in. 3.a.5. Applicants must be medically qualified to attend Full Spectrum Level C SERE upon assignment to MARFORSOC, if not already SERE Level C complete. Applicants shall submit a letter signed by a medical provider to certify this qualification, or SERE Level C completion certificate. 3.a.6. Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTIs) applying to MARFORSOC must be scheduled to have served a minimum of 18 months with their unit following graduation from WTI course by 30 September 2025. This requirement does not preclude WTIs from applying to MARFORSOC, and MMOA can adjust orders on a case-by-case basis to ensure this prerequisite is satisfied. Route waiver requests to HQMC (MMOA) NLT the application deadline using a NAVMC 10274 (AA form). Waiver requests must be endorsed by the applicant's chain of command and appropriate approval authority per reference (b). 3.b. Ineligibility Criteria. Officers unable to be world-wide deployable while assigned to MARFORSOC. 4. Selection and approval 4.a. Selectees will be approved by MMOA prior to notification. 4.b. Reserve component officers must submit a return to active duty (RAD) package along with their application, and will be approved for RAD if selected by the panel. 5. Application Process 5.a. Interested personnel should contact the MARFORSOC Air/Fires Officer, LtCol Andrew Behrends, via the email listed in paragraph (6) to receive a Prospective Air Officer Resume and Prospective Air Officer Information Sheet, as well as further information on required documents. 5.b. Reserve component officers must submit a RAD package as part of the application process. These officers shall submit a RAD package directly to the MMOA-3 Retention and Release Officer (RRO). The RRO will provide correspondence confirming the completeness of the package and the applicant's eligibility for RAD. The applicant shall provide the MARFORSOC Air/Fires Officer with this correspondence. 5.c. Applicants will submit all required documents via email in portable document format (PDF), unless otherwise indicated. Applicants shall carbon copy (CC) their Primary Military Occupational Specialty (PMOS) monitors on all correspondence when submitting application documents to MARFORSOC Air/Fires Officer. 6. Points of contact: MARFORSOC Air/Fires Officer LtCol Andrew Behrends Comm: (910) 440-0864 Email: andrew.v.behrends.mil@socom.mil MARFORSOC JTAC PM Mr. Michael Menchio Comm: (910) 440-0862 Email: michael.j.menchio.civ@socom.mil Aviation Lieutenant Colonel Monitor Col Jason Potter Comm: (703) 784-9267/8/9/70 Email: jason.w.potter@usmc.mil Fixed Wing Majors Monitor LtCol Jesse Simmermon Comm: (703) 784-9267/8/9/70 Email: jesse.simmermon@usmc.mil Fixed Wing Company Grade Monitor Capt Maverick Santamaria Comm: (703) 784-9267/8/9/70 Email: maverick.santamaria@usmc.mil Rotary Wing Majors Monitor Maj Brandon Thompson Comm: (703) 784-9267/8/9/70 Email: brandon.k.thompson@usmc.mil Rotary Wing Company Grade Monitor Maj Anthony Emberger Comm: (703) 784-9267/8/9/70 Email: anthony.emberger@usmc.mil 7. This MARADMIN is applicable to the total force. 8. Release authorized by MajGen Ryan S. Rideout, Director, Manpower Management Division.