Fiscal Year 2005 Joint Civilian Orientation Conference Announcement and Nomination Procedures

1. THIS MESSAGE SOLICITS NOMINATIONS FOR THE FY2005
JOINT CIVILIAN ORIENTATION CONFERENCE (JCOC-69) PROGRAM. 
2. JCOC-69 IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, 24 APRIL TO SUNDAY,
1 MAY 2005 AND WILL VISIT SITES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. 
THE FOLLOWING TENTATIVE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN DETERMINED:
THE PENTAGON, WASHINGTON D.C.
U.S. ARMY, FT. BRAGG, NC
U.S. MARINE CORPS, CAMP LEJEUNE, NC
U.S. COAST GUARD, YORKTOWN, VA
U.S. AIR FORCE, LANGLEY AFB, VA
U.S.NAVY, NAVAL STATION SAN DIEGO
USNORTHCOM, PETERSON AFB, CO
3. THE FY2005 JCOC PROGRAM CONSISTS OF ONE, WEEK-LONG, MULTI-SERVICE
CONFERENCE FOR CIVILIAN PUBLIC OPINION LEADERS WITH LIMITED
KNOWLEDGE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE ISSUES. THE #1 GOAL OF JCOC-69 IS TO
PROVIDE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR A DIVERSE CROSS-SECTION OF NON-FAMILIAR, INFLUENTIAL
U.S. OPINION LEADERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND STATESIDE MISSIONS AND
GOALS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, INCLUDING THE ROLES THE
SERVICES HAVE IN HOMELAND DEFENSE AND TO MEET THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO
FORM THE BACKBONE OF OUR MILITARY. 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 AND DEMONSTRATIONS, 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 68 TIMES SINCE 1948. 
4. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, OPINION LEADERS ARE ABLE TO 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. MARINE CORPS
LEADERSHIP SHARES THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S AND SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY'S ENTHUSIASM FOR JCOC AND ENCOURAGES ALL COMMANDS TO SUBMIT
NOMINATIONS FOR THIS IMPORTANT AND BENEFICIAL PROGRAM. 
5. ONE 60-MEMBER GROUP WILL PARTICIPATE IN JCOC-69, FROM
APPROXIMATELY 500 EXPECTED NOMINATIONS. FOR THE FY2005 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. 
6. 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, ANYONE WHO HAS SERVED IN
THE ARMED FORCES AFTER 1973 AND EMPLOYEES OF CONTRACTORS WHOSE
PRIMARY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY IS MILITARY RELATED. FEDERALLY
ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR STAFF MEMBERS ARE INELIGIBLE, AS ARE
LOCAL, STATE OR REGIONAL CANDIDATES IN A CAMPAIGN STATUS AT THE TIME
OF NOMINATION OR DURING THE CONFERENCE. 
7. 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 WITH POTENTIAL TO RISE
TO POSITIONS OF INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY. ALL NOMINEES MUST BE IN
GOOD HEALTH, CAPABLE OF ENDURING 12-HOUR DAYS OF STRENUOUS ACTIVITY,
INCLUDING CLIMBING, WALKING, DRIVING AND WEAPONS FIRING. 
8. 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 BE CLEARLY INFORMED THAT THEIR
NOMINATION IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF SELECTION. NOMINEES WILL ALSO BE
INFORMED OF THE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED DATES FOR THE FY2005 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 NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 2005. 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 2005.
9. THE TOTAL COST TO PARTICIPANTS IS A PROGRAM FEE OF $2,100 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 $2,100 PROGRAM FEE. EACH PARTICIPANT
IS ALSO REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION FROM THEIR
PLACE OF ORIGIN TO WASHINGTON, DC FOR THE START OF JCOC-69, AND THE
COST FOR TRANSPORTATION BACK TO THEIR PLACE OF ORIGIN. 
10. ALL NOMINATIONS WILL BE SENT TO HQMC DIV PA FOR ROUTING TO DOD.
DIV PA MUST RECEIVE ALL NOMINATIONS NLT 1 DECEMBER 2004. NOMINATION
FORMS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE MARINE CORPS WEBSITE AT
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 DIV PA 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.