Fiscal Year 2004 Joint Civilian Orientation Conference Announcement and Nomination Procedures

1. THIS MESSAGE SOLICITS NOMINATIONS FOR THE FY2004
JOINT CIVILIAN ORIENTATION CONFERENCE (JCOC-67 AND 68) PROGRAM. 
2. THE FY2004 JCOC PROGRAM CONSISTS OF TWO, WEEK-LONG, MULTI-SERVICE
CONFERENCES FOR CIVILIAN PUBLIC OPINION LEADERS WITH LIMITED
KNOWLEDGE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE ISSUES. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO
ACQUAINT PARTICIPANTS WITH THE STRENGTH AND READINESS OF THE U.S.
ARMED FORCES THROUGH PERSONAL OBSERVATION AND INTERACTION WITH ARMY,
NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINE CORPS AND COAST GUARD ACTIVITIES. JCOC
PARTICIPANTS WILL ATTEND BRIEFINGS IN THE PENTAGON GIVEN BY THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) CIVILIAN AND MILITARY
LEADERSHIP. PARTICIPANTS WILL THEN SPEND THE REST OF THE CONFERENCE
IN THE FIELD WITH ALL OF THE MILITARY SERVICES OBSERVING EXERCISES,
FIRING WEAPONS AND PARTICIPATING IN TRAINING. THE SECRETARY OF 
DEFENSE TAKES A PERSONAL INTEREST IN THIS PROGRAM AND IT IS THE ONLY
CIVILIAN ORIENTATION PROGRAM HE SPONSORS. JCOC IS THE OLDEST EXISTING
PENTAGON PROGRAM, HAVING BEEN HELD 66 TIMES SINCE 1948. 
3. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, OPINION LEADERS RETURN TO THEIR COMMUNITIES
AND SHARE FIRSTHAND OBSERVATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED DURING THE
CONFERENCE. JCOC PROVIDES A VENUE FOR UNPRECEDENTED EXPOSURE AND
INSIGHT INTO THE COMPOSITION, STRENGTH AND READINESS OF OUR
NAVY-MARINE CORPS TEAM. IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF DOD AND
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PUBLIC OUTREACH EFFORTS. I SHARE THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S AND SECRETARY OF THE NAVY'S ENTHUSIASM FOR
JCOC AND ENCOURAGE ALL COMMANDS TO SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR THIS IMPORTANT
AND BENEFICIAL PROGRAM. 
4. TWO 60-MEMBER GROUPS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM
(JCOC-67 AND JCOC-68), FROM MORE THAN 400 EXPECTED NOMINATIONS. FOR
THE FY2004 PROGRAM, THE MARINE CORPS IS ALLOCATED A TOTAL OF 20
NOMINATIONS. THE SELECTION PROCESS HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN VERY 
COMPETITIVE, WITH SELECTION BASED UPON QUALIFICATIONS OF NOMINEES AS
DETERMINED BY AN INTER-SERVICE PANEL. 
5. NOMINEES SHOULD BE INFLUENTIAL CITIZENS, WITH A GOAL OF REACHING
THOSE WITH NEUTRAL, NEGATIVE OR UNFORMED OPINIONS ON THE U.S.
MILITARY. INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNIFICANT MILITARY KNOWLEDGE WILL NOT
BE CONSIDERED. JCOC ALUMNI ARE INELIGIBLE, WHILE OTHER EXCLUDED
PERSONS INCLUDE THOSE WORKING FOR, RETIRED FROM, OR DRAWING ANY KIND
OF PAYCHECK FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND EMPLOYEES OF
CONTRACTORS WHOSE PRIMARY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY IS MILITARY
RELATED. FEDERALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE INELIGIBLE, AS ARE LOCAL, 
STATE OR REGIONAL CANDIDATES IN A CAMPAIGN STATUS. 
6. IN SELECTING NOMINEES, NOMINATORS SHOULD FOCUS PARTICULAR
ATTENTION ON LEADERS OF INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO, BOTH
PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, COMMUNICATE ON AN ONGOING BASIS WITH
KEY AUDIENCES. EXAMPLES OF APPROPRIATE NOMINEES INCLUDE, BUT ARE
NOT LIMITED TO: PRESIDENTS OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES; PUBLISHERS
AND EDITORS OF NEWSPAPERS, AND OTHERS WITH MANAGEMENT POSITIONS IN 
PRINT AND BROADCAST MEDIA; PUBLISHED AUTHORS AND SYNDICATED
COLUMNISTS; NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AND REGIONAL LEADERS OF
PROFESSIONAL, MINORITY AND WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS; RISING STATE AND 
LOCAL ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS; AND CEOS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS
OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISES WITH REGIONAL OR NATIONAL REACH. NOMINATORS
SHOULD FOCUS PARTICULARLY ON YOUNGER AND EMERGING LEADERS WHO HAVE
THE POTENTIAL TO RISE TO FUTURE POSITIONS OF INCREASED
RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY. ALL NOMINEES MUST BE IN GOOD HEALTH
AND ABLE TO WITHSTAND 12-HOUR DAYS OF MODERATE CLIMBING, WALKING, 
DRIVING AND WEAPONS FIRING. 
7. NOMINATORS SHOULD SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH INDIVIDUALS PRIOR TO
NOMINATION TO ESTABLISH THAT BASIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ARE MET
AND TO ENSURE THAT IF SELECTED THEY WILL ACCEPT THE INVITATION,
BARRING AN EMERGENCY. NOMINEES MUST ALSO BE CLEARLY INFORMED THAT
THEIR NOMINATION IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF SELECTION. NOMINEES WILL ALSO
BE INFORMED OF THE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED DATES FOR THE FY2004
PROGRAM AND COST TO THE NOMINEE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM. 
SELECTED NOMINEES WILL RECEIVE OFFICIAL INVITATIONS TO THE PROGRAM
FROM THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DURING JANUARY 2004. HQMC, DIVISION 
OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DIV PA) WILL NOTIFY ALL MARINE-AFFILIATED NOMINATORS
OF THE STATUS OF THEIR NOMINEES AFTER SELECTIONS ARE MADE BY THE
INTER-SERVICE PANEL IN JANUARY 2004.
8. THE FIRST CONFERENCE, JCOC-67, IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR APRIL
25 TO MAY 1, 2004 AND WILL VISIT SITES ASSIGNED TO PACIFIC COMMAND.
THE SECOND CONFERENCE, JCOC-68, IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR
SEPTEMBER 19 TO SEPTEMBER 24, 2004, AND WILL VISIT SITES ASSIGNED TO
EUROPEAN COMMAND. NOMINATORS MAY IDENTIFY A PREFERENCE FOR ONE
CONFERENCE OVER ANOTHER, BUT THE SELECTION PANEL WILL DETERMINE
WHICH CONFERENCE NOMINEES ATTEND. FOR BOTH CONFERENCES,
PARTICIPANTS WILL INITIALLY RECEIVE BRIEFINGS IN THE PENTAGON,
FOLLOWED BY FIELD VISITS WITH ALL MILITARY SERVICES. 
9. THE TOTAL COST TO PARTICIPANTS IS A PROGRAM FEE OF $2,500 TO
COVER MEALS, LODGING, RECEPTIONS AND INCIDENTAL EXPENSES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE CONFERENCE. A NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT OF $400 WILL BE DUE
AT THE TIME OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S FORMAL
INVITATION (NOT AT THE TIME OF NOMINATION). THE $400 DEPOSIT IS
INCLUDED AS PART OF THE OVERALL $2,500 PROGRAM FEE. EACH PARTICIPANT
IS ALSO REQUIRED TO PAY THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION TO WASHINGTON, DC
FOR THE START OF JCOC, AND COST FOR TRANSPORTATION BACK TO THEIR 
PLACE OF ORIGIN. 
10. ALL NOMINATIONS WILL BE SENT TO DIV PA FOR ROUTING TO DOD. ALL 
NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY DIV PA NLT 3 NOV 03. NOMINATION 
FORMS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE MARINE CORPS WEBSITE AT
WWW.USMC.MIL/JCOC <http: www.usmc.mil jcoc>. DIV PA WILL FAX OR 
EMAIL FORMS TO NOMINATORS UPON REQUEST. DUE TO DELAYED DELIVERY 
CAUSED BY THE MAIL SECURITY SCREENING PROCESS AT THE PENTAGON, 
FORMS SHOULD NOT BE SENT TO DIV PA VIA REGULAR MAIL. FORMS CAN 
BE SENT TO DIV PA VIA FAX OR EMAIL. NOMINATION FORMS CAN BE 
SUBMITTED VIA FAX TO HQMC, DIVISION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS-COMMUNITY
RELATIONS AT (703) 614-2358. FORMS CAN BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL TO
COXSA@HQMC.USMC.MIL. 
11. POINT OF CONTACT IS MAJOR STEVE COX, HEAD, COMMUNITY RELATIONS
BRANCH, DIV PA, HQMC AT (703) 614-4308/1034.