Report of Changes to the Reserve Officer Professional Military Education Selection and Assignment Process

1. A REVIEW GROUP WAS FORMED AND
CHARTERED ON 1 MAY 06 BY THE DIRECTOR, 
RESERVE AFFAIRS TO EXAMINE THE RESERVE OFFICER PROFESSIONAL 
MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) SELECTION AND ASSIGNMENT PROCESS. 
THE REVIEW GROUP WAS COMPRISED OF MARINES/CIVILIANS REPRESENTING 
MARFORRES, HQMC (RAP), MMOA, MCU, AND HQMC (RA). 
THE BOARD WAS DIRECTED TO REVIEW THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL AREAS: 
(A) SOLICITATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS TO INCLUDE THE 
METHOD, CONTENT OF SOLICITATION TO DEVELOP APPLICANT POOL,
INFORMATION REQUESTED OF APPLICANTS, AND DISQUALIFYING FACTORS; 
(B) BOARD PROCEDURES TO INCLUDE CONDUCT OF VOTING AND FACTORS 
THAT GOVERN SELECTION TO FULL-LENGTH SCHOOL AND SHORT-DURATION 
COURSE; AND (C) NOTIFICATION PROCESS BY WHICH OFFICERS ARE 
NOTIFIED OF SELECTION. 
2.THE DIRECTOR, RESERVE AFFAIRS HAS APPROVED THE FOLLOWING
RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE RESERVE OFFICER PME SELECTION 
AND ASSIGNMENT PROCESS: 
A.FULL LENGTH SCHOOL (FLS) SEATS WILL BE ALLOCATED BY COMPETITIVE
CATEGORY, ACTIVE RESERVE IN ONE CATEGORY AND SMCR/IMA/IRR 
IN ANOTHER CATEGORY. IN THE PAST, APPLICANTS WERE SELECTED FOR 
THESE COURSES WITHOUT REGARD TO COMPETITIVE CATEGORY, RESULTING AT 
TIMES IN AN IMBALANCE IN THE MIX (AR/SMCR/IMA/IRR) OF 
OFFICERS ATTENDING FLS. 
B.OFFICERS DECLINING FLS AFTER BEING SELECTED TO ATTEND WILL BE
REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO CMC (RAM) WHICH WILL 
BECOME PART OF HIS/HER OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILE (OMPF). 
C.SUBMISSION OF THE RESERVE QUALIFICATION SUMMARY (RQS) IS NO
LONGER REQUIRED AS PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR RESERVE PME. 
D.AN ACTIVE COMPONENT MARINE OFFICER REPRESENTING THE MARINE CORPS 
UNIVERSITY WILL BE A STANDING BOARD MEMBER. 
3.THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR APPLICATION FOR FLS HAS
BEEN ESTABLISHED: 
A.MARINES WHO ARE IN SANCTUARY FOR RETIREMENT PRIOR TO THE BOARD
CONVENING, OR WHOSE ATTENDANCE AT FLS WILL PLACE THEM IN 
SANCTUARY, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. 
B.NON-SELECTS FOR PROMOTION WILL BE INELIGIBLE FOR ATTENDANCE TO
FLS BUT REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR ANY TWO-WEEK COURSE. 
C.OFFICERS IN COMMAND BILLETS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FLS UNTIL
COMPLETION OF THEIR COMMAND TOUR. 
D.IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FLS, AR OFFICERS MUST HAVE
TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS TIME ON STATION (TOS) PRIOR TO THE 
COURSE CONVENING DATE. 
E.ONLY LTCOL'S AND COL SELECTS AS OF THE DATE THE PME BOARD
CONVENES, WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION FOR TLS. 
4.DEFERMENTS FOR FLS WILL BE FOR ONE YEAR ONLY. DEFERMENTS WILL
BE REVIEWED BY THE FOLLOWING YEAR'S BOARD AND RE-SLATED AS REQUIRED. 
5.THESE CHANGES TO POLICY ARE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. THE FY07
RESERVE OFFICER PME BOARD WILL CONVENE 15 AUGUST 20O6. 
A MARADMIN DETAILING THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS FORTHCOMING. 
OFFICERS DESIRING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON RESERVE OFFICER PME 
SHOULD REFER TO THE RAM-4 WEBSITE AT WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL