Fiscal Year 2025-03 Test Pilot School (TPS) Selection Panel Announcement

1.  The FY25-03 TPS Selection Panel will convene
on or about 20 August 2024.
1.a.  Major timeline milestones are:
Date                        Milestone                           Note
Release of this message     TPS questionnaire open               1 
6 August 2024               Completed questionnaire due          2
20 August 2024              FY 25-03 TPS Panel Convenes
Note 1:  Refer to paragraph 9 of this message for additional details
regarding questionnaire completion.
Note 2:  Applicants must complete the questionnaire by 2359 EST on
6 August 2024.
2.  The FY25-03 TPS Selection Panel will consider applicants for
assignment to United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) Class 
168 or Air Force Test Pilot School (AFTPS) Class 25-02, commencing 
July 2025.  Additionally, applicants will be considered for USNTPS 
Class 169 commencing January 2026.  The Selection Panel will 
convene on or about 20 August 2024. The panel will be considering
the best, and most fully qualified aviators for primary and 
alternate selection.  If no applicants are selected, a subsequent
panel will be held.
3.  Aviators from the following type-model-series MOSs are highly
encouraged to apply (read in four columns) to support the following
anticipated test team types listed.  Applicants will be selected and
classed according to the primary needs of the test team program 
schedule and priorities and may not reflect the below schedules.  
Any selected prospective test pilot should expect to fly and test
their primary TMS platform after graduation. 

   MOS                  TYPE            CLASS                QUANTITY
   FW MOS (7518/23/09)  F-35            USNTPS CLASS 168        1
   RW MOS (7532)        MV-22           USNTPS CLASS 168        1
   FW MOS (7523/25)     F/A-18          AFTPS CLASS 25-02       1
   FW MOS (7518/23/09)  F-35            AFTPS CLASS 25-02       1
 
   RW MOS (7563/7565)   H-1             USNTPS CLASS 169        1
   FW MOS (7557)        C-130           USNTPS CLASS 169        1
   FW MOS (7518/23/09)  F-35            USNTPS CLASS 169        1
   FW MOS (7318)        MQ-9            USNTPS CLASS 169        1

4.  Eligibility
4.a.  Eligibility criteria
4.a.1.  Active component commissioned officers on active duty.
4.a.2.  Regular commissioned officers in the rank of First
Lieutenant and above.
4.a.3.  Designated Naval Aviators or Naval Flight Officers.
4.a.4.  Have a minimum of 750 flight hours by the projected class 
convening date.
4.a.5.  Must have successfully completed college physics or 
mechanics and college level mathematics through calculus.  Although
not a requirement, a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, 
physical science, computer science, or mathematics fields is highly
desirable.
4.a.6.  Must meet anthropometric requirements for TPS syllabus 
aircraft.  Applicants that fall outside the below requirements may 
contact the Marine Aviation Detachment for additional guidance.
4.a.6.a.  Weight:  136-213 lbs (may be waved up to 103-245 lbs).
4.a.6.b.  Sitting height:  32.0" through 40.9".
4.a.6.c.  Buttock-knee length:  21.0" through 27.4".
4.a.7.  All Captain candidates shall be Professional Military
Education (PME) complete for grade by the projected class convening
date.
4.a.8.  Security clearance:  All selected officers must have at
least a Secret clearance that will not expire during the next four
Fiscal Years, and all selected officers must be eligible for a Top
Secret-Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS-SCI).
4.a.9.  Must meet the time on station requirements described in
paragraph 5.
4.b.  Ineligibility criteria
4.b.1.  Reserve component commissioned officers.
4.b.2.  Officers in the above-zone for promotion on the convening
date of the TPS 168 selection board.
4.b.3.  Officers serving in a joint billet that have not met their
minimum time on station requirements at least three months prior to
class convening date.
4.b.4.  Officers pending any medical or legal action that would
preclude successful completion of the period of instruction and 
subsequent tour of duty.
4.b.5.  Officers who have not completed their Commandants Career-
Level Education Board (CCLEB) utilization tour by 1 January 2025.
4.b.6.  Officers who do not meet the time on station requirements
described in paragraph (5).
5.  Time on station requirements:
5.a.  Applicants must meet the minimum 24-month time-on-station 
(TOS) requirement for continental United States (CONUS) assignment
or be able to complete their tour control factor for outside the 
continental United States (OCONUS) assignments for their respective
class date.  If an applicant does not meet TOS requirements, they 
must submit a command-endorsed waiver, via NAVMC 10274 (AA-Form), 
with the application.  Transfer inside of the normal 24-months 
permanent change of station TOS obligation will result in a gap for
that command until the 24-month period has concluded.  If an officer
is selected prior to his/her normal rotation date, Manpower 
Management Officer Assignments branch will attempt to provide a 
backfill.  A commander's endorsement of the applicant's letter of
intent is considered acknowledgement of this situation.  Questions
about TOS and tour control factors should be directed to primary MOS
monitors.  
5.b.  Those officers in a joint billet must meet their minimum TOS
requirements by 1 January 2025 (168) or 1 July 2025 (169).
5.c.  Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTIs) must serve a minimum
of 18 months in their unit upon successful completion of Weapons and
Tactics Instructor Course prior to executing a PCS or PCA.  This
requirement does not preclude WTIs from applying to TPS, and
orders can be adjusted on a case-by-case basis to ensure this
prerequisite is satisfied.
6.  Because of extensive pre-arrival training requirements
associated with this curriculum, officers selected for TPS should
expect to receive orders to report for duty approximately four
months prior to the official course convening date provided in
paragraph (2).
7.  Officers should plan to report with a current Naval Air Training
and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) and instrument
check in their primary Type/Model/Series.
8.  Eligibility Waivers.  If a waiver is required for section (4.a)
requirements, it shall be annotated on the online application
questionnaire mentioned in paragraph (10.a).  All waivers will be
processed during the selection board.  The requirement for a waiver
should not be considered a disqualifier for favorable endorsements
by the chain of command.
9.  Application Requirements
9.a.  Applicants shall complete the entire online application
questionnaire by navigating to: 
https:(slash)(slash)forms.osi.apps.mil/r/8rHqM8aF2F
9.a.1.  Applicants shall disclose if they were subject to a Field
Flight Performance Board and the results of the board.
9.a.2.  Applicants shall electronically submit a scanned "Letter
of Intent" to apply for TPS to the Commanding Officer, Marine
Aviation Detachment, Patuxent River.  The letter of intent shall
be submitted via the applicant's chain of command with endorsements
through the first colonel (or O-6 equivalent) in Naval letter
format.  A sample letter of intent is provided in the survey
containing the online application questionnaire.
9.a.3.  Command endorsements should specifically address the
flying abilities and aviation leadership qualities of the
applicant.  In cases where the endorsing officer has no firsthand
knowledge of the applicant's flying ability, a letter of
recommendation shall be included from one or more officers who
have supervised the applicant in an operational flying billet
within the past three years. 
9.a.4.  In the event an officer submits an application and is
subsequently transferred, endorsements from the gaining command
shall also be forwarded.
9.b.  Digital copies of the following documents shall be submitted
in a single PDF document, in the following order to MMOA-3 via
SMBMMOAPLANSO@USMC.MIL.
9.b.1.  Letter of intent (refer to paragraph 9.a.2) and all
endorsements.
9.b.2.  Email correspondence from PMOS monitor confirming
applicant's eligibility.
9.b.3.  1-page applicant military biography without photograph.  
Biography should summarize military school experience,
operational, flight and leadership experience, as well as other
noteworthy personal experiences that would be of interest to the
selection panel.
9.b.4.  Legible copies of official college transcript(s).  There
is no requirement to have official copies sent directly to the
selection panel from the educational institutions.  Transcript(s)
shall show type of degree conferred and date conferred.  Do not
submit copies of diplomas.
9.b.5.  Letters of recommendation (optional, maximum of three).
9.b.6.  As required, legible copies of Field Flight Performance
Board material and/or any other legal matters.
9.b.7.  All digital documents shall be combined into a single PDF
document and uploaded to the survey with the nomenclature:
EDIPI_LastName_TPS_168/169.
10.  Application procedures
10.a.  The application deadline is 2359 Eastern Standard Time on
6 August 2024.
10.b.  Those applicants unable to submit applications online may
submit an administrative action form application to the Executive
Officer, Marine Aviation Detachment, Patuxent River, listed in the
POC paragraph.  Submit hard copy applications to:
   Marine Aviation Detachment
   Attn:  FY25-03 TPS Selection Board
   22401 Cedar Point Road, Building 102
   Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland 20670-1186
11.  Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Executive
Officer, Marine Aviation Detachment, Patuxent River for assistance 
during the application preparation process.
12.  All applicants shall submit a complete application package.
Information contained in previous applications is not retained
after the selection panel.
13.  Points of contact:
Fixed Wing Majors Monitor
   Major Jesse Simmermon
   Comm:  (703) 784-9267
   Email:  jesse.simmermon@usmc.mil
Fixed Wing Company Grade Monitor
   Captain Maverick Santamaria
   Comm:  (703) 784-9267
   Email:  maverick.santamaria@usmc.mil
Rotary Wing Majors Monitor
   Major Brandon Thompson
   Comm:  (703) 784-9267
   Email:  brandon.k.thompson@usmc.mil
Rotary Wing Company Grade Monitor
   Major Anthony Emberger
   Comm:  (703) 784-9268
   Email:  anthony.emberger@usmc.mil
14.  This MARADMIN is not applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve.
15.  Release authorized by BGen Ryan S. Rideout, Director,
Manpower Management Division.