Academic Year 2022-2023 Top Level School Selection Board Announcement

1.  Purpose.  This message announces the available Top Level Schools (TLS) and Fellowships during Academic Year (AY) 2022-2023, the eligible officer population for selection, and the established timeline through execution of the TLS selection board.<br>
1.a.  Major timeline milestones are:<br>
Date                        Milestone                           Note<br>
Release of this message     TLS questionnaire open               1<br>
18 November 2021            Completed questionnaire due          2<br>
18 November 2021            Remove by request (RBR) due          3<br>
 1 December 2021            TLS Board convenes                   4<br>
31 December 2021            TLS results released                 5<br>
21 January 2022             Declinations and deferrals due       6<br>
Note 1:  Refer to paragraph 3 of this message for additional details regarding eligibility criteria.  The eligibility roster is posted on the following website:  https:(slash)(slash)www.manpower.usmc.mil/webcenter/portal/OA3REP/pages_toplevelschoolboard.<br>
Note 2:  Eligible officers complete questionnaires by 2359 EST on 18 November 2021.  Refer to paragraph 5 of this message for additional details regarding the submission of the questionnaire.<br>
Note 3:  If an officer is eligible for the TLS Selection Board but desires not to be considered, refer to paragraph 3.d of this message for the RBR requirements.<br>
Note 4:  Manpower & Reserve Affairs (M&RA) convenes the TLS Selection Board on or about 1 December 2021 to select officers to attend the schools and fellowships.  Refer to paragraph 4 of this message for additional details regarding the available schools and fellowships.<br>
Note 5:  M&RA releases the results of the TLS Selection Board on or about 31 December 2021.<br>
Note 6:  Officers selected for TLS but who desire to defer or decline selection must submit a command endorsed AA form requesting declination and/or deferral to M&RA. Refer to paragraph 5.e and 5.f for additional information.<br>
2.  Background<br>
2.a.  TLS is the premier Professional Military Education (PME) opportunity provided to lieutenant colonels and colonels.  The purpose of the TLS Selection Board is to select the best and fully qualified lieutenant colonel selects through colonel selects to resident education programs and special duty assignments available within the Marine Corps, to include:  Department of Defense (DoD) schools, Foreign Professional Military Education (FPME), and Senior Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) Fellowships.<br>
2.b.  Marine Corps Graduate Education Program Order, reference (a), establishes the policies and procedures governing the TLS Selection Board, to include the eligibility process, board selection and slating, and requirements for participation and completion of these programs.  Officers are encouraged to review the order, found at:  https:(slash)(slash)www.marines.mil/portals/1/Publications/MCO%201524.1.pdf?ver=2019-06-03-083458-743.<br>
2.c.  Note that any requisite language training will result in the actual course attendance to occur in another AY.  Refer to appropriate notes to determine if this applies to the desired course.<br>
3.  Eligibility<br>
3.a.  Eligibility criteria<br>
3.a.1.  Lieutenant colonels and lieutenant colonels (select) who will have 24 months time on station (TOS), by 31 July 2022 or are otherwise scheduled to complete their prescribed tour control factor (TCF) in Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22).<br>
3.a.2.  Officers selected by the CY21/FY23 Colonel Promotion Board who have not yet attended TLS.<br>
3.a.3.  Lieutenant colonels currently in command of an organization identified in the Command Screening Program who are scheduled to complete their command tour in FY22.<br>
3.a.4.  Lieutenant colonels, colonels (select), and colonels who are TLS graduates are only eligible for those senior CMC fellowships and Executive Level Education found in paragraph 4.c.<br>
3.a.5.  The eligibility roster is posted on the following website:  https:(slash)(slash)www.manpower.usmc.mil/webcenter/portal/OA3REP/pages_toplevelschoolboard.<br>
3.b.  Ineligibility criteria<br>
3.b.1.  Officers selected to colonel on the CY20/FY22 or earlier Colonel Promotion Boards are ineligible for all programs with the exception of Senior CMC Fellowships and Executive Level Foreign PME list in para 4.c below.<br>
3.b.2.  Lieutenant colonels in the above zone for promotion.<br>
3.b.3.  Majors in zone for lieutenant colonel on the CY21/FY23 board.<br>
3.b.4.  Limited duty officers.<br>
3.b.5.  Officers attending or selected to attend Intermediate Level School (ILS) or Advanced ILS schools which require a follow on utilization tour.  These programs include, but are not limited to:  Naval Postgraduate School, School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW), School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS), and Maritime Advanced Warfighting School (MAWS).<br>
3.b.6.  Officers with an approved voluntary separation or retirement date.<br>
3.c.  Officers are directed to contact their primary military occupational specialty (PMOS) monitor with questions regarding eligibility.<br>
3.d.  Remove by request<br>
3.d.1.  Eligible officers desiring to remove their name from consideration must submit an administrative action (AA) form, endorsed by the first Marine in their fitness report routing chain, requesting to RBR.  If there is no Marine in the officer's fitness report routing chain, the officer may use the senior Marine representative or administrative reviewer.  Refer to paragraph 5.d for the procedures to submit the endorsed AA form to MMOA.<br>
4.  Allocations<br>
4.a.  The AY22-23 TLS Board will select officers to attend the DOD schools listed below.  Schools, quotas, and convening dates are subject to change.  Officers who complete one of the following DoD schools will obtain joint PME (JPME) phase II credit.<br>
Course Title/School            Quota   Convenes  Graduates      Note<br>
Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program<br>
     (Fort Leavenworth, KS)     1       Jun 22    Jun 23         7<br>
Air War College (AWC)<br>
     (Montgomery, AL)           8       Jul 21    Jun 23<br>
Army War College (USAWC)<br>
     (Carlisle, PA)             14      Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
College of Naval Warfare (CNW)<br>
     (Newport, RI)              16      Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
College of International Security Affairs (CISA)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy<br>
     (Washington, DC)           12      Jul 22    Jun 23         8<br>
College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           2       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           3       Jul 22    Jun 23         9<br>
Marine Corps War College (MCWAR)<br>
     (Quantico, VA)             11      Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
National War College (NWC)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           14      Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Note 7:  Graduates of this program will complete a mandatory one year assignment at Fort Leavenworth as a seminar leader.<br>
Note 8:  Two students with an acquisition background (PMOS 8059/61) will be identified to participate in the acquisition curriculum.<br>
Note 9:  Graduates of this program will complete a mandatory utilization assignment to designated billets on the joint duty assignment list.<br>
4.b.  The TLS Selection Board will select officers for assignment to the following foreign senior service colleges and fellowships listed below.  Officers interested in a foreign, non-English speaking service school must take the defense language aptitude battery (DLAB) and have it included in their record or have an established defense language proficiency test (DLPT) score on record for the target language.  The minimum DLAB score required to attend language training is 100.  However, programs taught in level IV languages (e.g. Japanese, Mandarin, etc.) require a DLAB score of 110 or higher.  Officers completing a foreign PME assignment receive service TLS credit and JPME phase I credit except as noted.  Fellowships grant service TLS PME credit only.<br>
4.b.1.  Foreign Professional Military Education.  Additional details regarding FPME is located at the following website:  https:(slash)(slash)www.usmcu.edu/Academic-Programs/CMC-Fellows-Strategists-Foreign-PME-Olmsted-Scholars/Foreign-Professional-Military-Education/<br>
Course Title/School            Quota   Convenes  Graduates      Note<br>
Argentine National Defense School Senior Course<br>
     (Buenos Aires, Argentina)  1       Jan 24    Dec 24         10<br>
Inter-American Defense College<br>
     (Ft McNair)                1       Jul 23    Jun 24         11<br>
Israeli National Defense College<br>
     (Tel Aviv, Israel)         1       Jun 22    Jul 23         12<br>
Japanese National Institute for Defense Studies<br>
     (Tokyo, Japan)             1       Jul 24    Jun 25         13<br>
NATO Defense College (Rome, Italy)<br>
     1st Session                1       Sep 22    Feb 23<br>
     2nd Session                1       Feb 23    Jul 24<br>
Pakistani National Defense University<br>
     (Rawalpindi, Pakistan)     1       Aug 22    Jul 23       12,14<br>
Note 10:  Spanish language training (approx. March – November 2023, DLI-Monterey, CA).<br>
Note 11:  Spanish language training, if required (approx. January-June 2023, Washington, DC).<br>
Note 12:  No language training required.<br>
Note 13:  Language training (approx. February 2023 – June 2024, DLI-Washington, DC).<br>
Note 14:  Dependents restricted/unaccompanied assignment.<br>
4.b.2.  CMC Fellowships.  Additional details regarding CMC Fellowships is located at the following website:  https:(slash)(slash)www.usmcu.edu(slash)Academic-Programs(slash)CMC-Fellows-Strategists-Foreign-PME-Olmsted-Scholars(slash)Commandant-of-the-Marine-Corps-Fellowships(slash)<br>
Course Title/School            Quota   Convenes  Graduates      Note<br>
Center for a New American Security (CNAS)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Department of State (DOS)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23         15<br>
Hoover Institution<br>
     (Stanford University)      1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
International Security Studies Program<br>
     (Yale University)          1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
JFK School of Government<br>
     (Harvard University)       1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Lincoln Laboratory (Massachusetts<br>
     Institute of Technology)   1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Logistics Fellowship (Pennsylvania<br>
     State University)          1       Jul 22    Jun 23       16,17<br>
Security Studies Program (Massachusetts<br>
     Institute of Technology)   1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
School of Advanced International Studies<br>
     (Johns Hopkins University) 1       Jul 22    Jun 23         17<br>
SECDEF Executive Fellowship     4       Jul 22    Jun 23       18,19<br>
SECDEF Strategic Thinkers Program (Johns Hopkins University)     20<br>
     (Washington, DC)           2       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Security Studies Program (Massachusetts<br>
     Institute of Technology)   1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
United States Institute of Peace (USIP)<br>
     (Washington, DC)           1       Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Note 15:  Only open to PMOS 4402.<br>
Note 16:  Only open to PMOS 0402 and 3002.<br>
Note 17:  Master's program.<br>
Note 18:  Corporation/company/location determined following selection.<br>
Note 19:  Two quotas are allocated for PMOS 8059/8060 and two quotas are allocated for any PMOS.<br>
Note 20:  Additional details regarding this program is located on the following website https:(slash)(slash)www.usmcu.edu(slash)Academic-Programs(slash)SECDEF-Strategic-Thinkers-Program(slash)<br>
4.c.  Manpower Management Officer Assignments (MMOA) branch will independently assign officers to Executive Level Education opportunities.  MMOA will select and assign these positions from those officers who are TLS graduates.  Officers desiring consideration for these assignments should contact their PMOS monitors.<br>
Assignment                     Quota   Report    Rotate         Note<br>
Atlantic Council of the United States<br>
     (Washington, DC)            1     Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Brookings Institution<br>
     (Washington, DC)            1     Jul 22    Jun 23<br>
Council on Foreign Relations<br>
     (New York, NY)              1     Jul 22    Jun 23          21<br>
Royal College of Defense Studies (RCDS)<br>
     (United Kingdom)            1     Aug 22    Jul 23<br>
Note 21:  Must be a colonel.  CMC nomination.<br>
5.  Board communication and updating official military personnel file (OMPF) material.<br>
5.a.  The online questionnaire is the only mechanism for board communication, and for which all eligible officers are to communicate their preferences.  Questionnaire responses are provided to the selection board for their consideration.<br>
5.a.1.  The TLS questionnaire is accessed through the max.gov website at https:(slash)(slash)go.max.gov(slash)dod(slash)TLS.<br>
5.a.2.  CAC certification is not required to access the site.  Eligible officers may upload additional material electronically through the questionnaire.  Instructions on how to upload material are included on the questionnaire.<br>
5.a.3.  The questionnaire will open upon release of this message and will close at 2359 EST on 18 November 2021.<br>
5.a.4.  If a known operational commitment will preclude an officer from beginning the academic year (July 2022), officers are directed to disclose such information in the questionnaire.<br>
5.b.  Updating OMPF material.  Officers should submit material for entry into their OMPF to the following email address:  SMB.Manpower.MMRP@usmc.mil.<br>
5.c.  Fitness reports.  Completed fitness reports must be submitted to MMRP for inclusion into the OMPF via automated performance evaluation system (A-PES).  The board will not accept incomplete fitness reports.<br>
5.d.  RBR.  Officers who wish to remove their name from consideration must complete the applicable portions of the online questionnaire and submit the endorsed AA form via an attachment to the online questionnaire at submission.  Failure to attach a properly endorsed AA form will result in the officer being screened for TLS.  A template AA form is available on the upload page of the questionnaire.<br>
5.e.  Deferrals.  Officers selected for TLS by the board who are unable to execute orders are afforded the opportunity to request deferral.  MMOA-3 must receive requests for deferral no later than 2359 EST on 21 January 2022.  If approved, officers may be slated to off-cycle TLS slots based upon availability.<br>
5.f.  Declinations.  MMOA considers the TLS results Marine administrative message (MARADMIN) as official notification of orders.  Officers selected for TLS by the board who subsequently decline the opportunity to attend are required to submit their declination in writing with chain of command endorsement to include the first general officer to CMC via MMOA-3.  Command endorsed declinations must be received by MMOA-3 no later than 2359 EST on 21 January 2022.  The declination letter will become part of the officer's OMPF.  Alternates fleeted up to fill vacated TLS quotas are also required to formally decline via the procedure described above if they decline the opportunity to attend school.<br>
6.  Points of Contact<br>
Col G. E. Beals, Branch Head, MMOA<br>
  DSN:  278-9300, Comm:  (703) 784-9300<br>
  Email:  ginger.beals@usmc.mil<br>
Col I. D. Stevens, Aviation Col Monitor<br>
  DSN:  278-9300, Comm:  (703) 784-9300<br>
  Email:  ian.stevens@usmc.mil<br>
Col G. P. Gordon, Ground Col Monitor<br>
  DSN:  278-9300, Comm:  (703) 784-9300<br>
  Email:  gregory.p.gordon@usmc.mil<br>
LtCol R. G. McCarthy III, Ground LtCol Cbt Arms Monitor<br>
  DSN:  278-9279, Comm:  (703) 784-9279<br>
  Email:  robert.g.mccarthy@usmc.mil<br>
LtCol M. D. Foster, Ground LtCol CSS Monitor<br>
  DSN:  278-9279, Comm:  (703) 784-9279<br>
  Email:  morina.foster@usmc.mil<br>
LtCol R. A. Belt II, Ground LtCol Info Monitor<br>
  DSN:  278-9279, Comm:  (703) 784-9279<br>
  Email:  russell.belt@usmc.mil<br>
LtCol G. W. Burnett, Aviation LtCol Monitor<br>
  DSN:  278-9267 Comm:  (703) 784-9267<br>
  Email:  garth.burnett@usmc.mil<br>
LtCol J. R. Armstrong, Head, MMOA-3 Plans and Programs<br>
  DSN:  278-9284, Comm:  (703) 784-9284<br>
  email:  james.r.armstrong@usmc.mil<br>
Mr. M. G. Cooper, CMC Fellowships/Foreign PME, MCU<br>
  DSN:  378-0696, Comm:  (703) 432-0696<br>
  email:  michael.cooper@usmcu.edu<br>
7.  This message is not applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve.<br>
8.  Release authorized by BGen M. J. Borgschulte, Director, Manpower Management, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.