Solicitation of 0602 Captains for the Army Telecom Systems Engineer Course

1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO SOLICIT
APPLICATIONS BY MARINE OFFICERS WHO ARE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS FOR
CONSIDERATION FOR SELECTION TO THE ARMY TELECOM SYSTEMS ENGINEER
COURSE (TSEC).
2. RECENT COMBAT OPERATIONS IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN
SENIOR COMPANY AND FIELD GRADE 0602 OFFICERS WITH ADVANCED C4
NETWORK PLANNING SKILLS AT A LEVEL AND DEPTH BEYOND THAT CURRENTLY
OFFERED DURING THE EIGHT WEEK COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS SCHOOL
(CCSS) C4 PLANNERS COURSE (C4PC). HQMC C4 WORKING WITH CO, MCCES IN
THEIR ROLE AS C4 TRAINING AND EDUCATION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (TECOE)
IDENTIFIED A COURSE AT THE ARMY'S SIGNAL CENTER AT FORT GORDON, GA
TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT.
3. HQMC C4, C4 TECOE, AND M&RA WILL CONVENE A SELECTION BOARD TO
SCREEN QUALIFIED MARINES FOR ASSIGNMENT TO THE ARMY'S TELECOM
SYSTEMS ENGINEER COURSE ON OR ABOUT 16 MAR 04. SELECTION RESULTS
WILL BE PUBLISHED BY MARADMIN MESSAGE. SELECTION RESULTS WILL NOT
BE RELEASED TELEPHONICALLY OR VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL.
4. THE SIGNAL CENTER'S FA24 CURRICULUM PROVIDES COMMUNICATIONS
OFFICERS WITH THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE NEEDED TO PLAN, ENGINEER,
VALIDATE, MONITOR, AND MANAGE COMPLEX JOINT TACTICAL NETWORKS. FA24
IS SEPARATED INTO AN EIGHT WEEK INFORMATION SYSTEMS OPERATIONS
LEVELER (ISOL) COURSE, WHICH ACTS AS A PREPARATORY COURSE FOR THE
TWENTY-TWO WEEK TSEC. TSEC IS AN INTENSIVE, GRADUATE LEVEL COURSE. 
STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY 400 HOURS OF CONFERENCE AND 300
HOURS OF HANDS-ON EXERCISES AND INDEPENDENT STUDY ON HIGHLY
TECHNICAL SUBJECTS, TO INCLUDE DATA COMMUNICATIONS, SWITCHING,
INFORMATION ASSURANCE, AND NETWORK DESIGN, OPERATIONS AND
MANAGEMENT. STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN AND
HANDS-ON EXAMINATIONS AS WELL AS WRITTEN RESEARCH REPORTS, HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENTS, AND COMPUTER SIMULATIONS FOR EACH MODULE. GRADUATES OF
THIS COURSE WOULD BE HIGHLY SKILLED MARINES PREPARED FOR ASSIGNMENT
TO KEY OPERATIONAL BILLETS AND JOINT BILLETS. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT FORT GORDON'S WEBSITE:
WWW.GORDON.ARMY.MIL/FA24/.
5. THIS SOLICITATION FOCUSES ON IDENTIFYING QUALIFIED MARINE
APPLICANTS FOR THE NEXT 22-WEEK TSEC. FUTURE SOLICITATIONS WILL
SEEK APPLICANTS FOR THE COMPLETE 30-WEEK FA24 COURSE. C4 IS WORKING
CLOSELY WITH TECOM TO INCLUDE THE FA24 CRS INTO THE TRAINING INPUT
PLAN.
6. THE FOLLOWING APPLIES:
A. APPLICATION DEADLINE: 01 MAR 04 AT HQMC C4-CRP AS SHOWN IN
PARAGRAPH 6 OF THIS MESSAGE.
B. TSEC APPLICANTS WILL BE SCREENED BY HQMC C4, M&RA, AND THE C4
TECOE. MARINES SELECTED FOR ATTENDANCE WILL BE ORDERED TO SCHOOL IN
CALENDAR YEAR 04 WITH A REPORT DATE OF 15 MAY 2004. FOLLOW ON
ASSIGNMENT WILL BE WITH THE OPERATING FORCES.
C. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. 
1) AVAILABIITY CONSTRAINTS AND OPERATIONAL COMMITMENTS NECESSITATE
APPLICANTS BE 0602 CAPT'S FOR THIS COURSE. FUTURE COURSE
SOLICITATIONS WILL BE OPEN TO 0602 CAPTAINS AND MAJORS. 
2) MUST HAVE COMPLETED AWS OR EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE SCHOOL (RESIDENT
OR NON-RESIDENT) AND ATTENDED THE C4PC (OFEC OR EQUIVALENT).
D. CANDIDATES MUST POSSESS A STRONG MATHEMATICAL BACKGROUND AND PASS
A MATHEMATICS EXAMINATION.
E. DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, IN ORDER FOR STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE THE
NECESSARY EQUIVALENT OF ISOL, CANDIDATES SHOULD POSSESS A CERTIFIED
NETWORK ASSOCIATE (CCNA), ADVANCED NETWORKING (ANET), OR MARINE
CORPS ENTERPRISE NETWORKING (MCEN) COURSE CERTIFICATION. 
F. MUST POSSESS A SECRET SECURITY CLEARANCE.
7. GENERAL APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION PROCEDURES:
A. COMPLETED APPLICATION PACKAGE WILL INCLUDE:
1) AA FORM WITH PERTINENT PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION DATA.
2) ENDORSEMENTS FROM CHAIN OF COMMAND.
3) PROMOTION TYPE PHOTO.
4) PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT.
5) A CERTIFIED COPY OF ANY CCNA, ANET, OR MCEN COURSE CERTIFICATIONS.
B. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT MUST BE INCLUDED IN YOUR APPLICATION: 
 "IF SELECTED, I AGREE TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR AT LEAST TWO
YEARS. I AGREE NOT TO REQUEST SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT WHILE
PARTICIPATING IN THE EDUCATION PERIOD OR THE SERVICE OBLIGATION
AFTER COMPLETION OF EDUCATION. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT THIS
OBLIGATION IS IN ADDITION TO ANY OBLIGATION PREVIOUSLY INCURRED."
C. COMPLETED APPLICATION PACKAGE MUST BE SENT TO HQMC/C4 AT THIS
MAILING ADDRESS:
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (C4/CRP)
HEADQUARTERS US MARINE CORPS
2 NAVY ANNEX 
WASHINGTON, DC 20380-1775
ATTENTION: TELECOM SYSTEMS ENGINEER COURSE PROGRAM.
8. UPON ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS, HQMC C4 WILL COORDINATE WITH
PARENT COMMAND FOR ADMINISTRATION OF MATHEMATICAL EXAM. THE MATH
EXAM WILL FOCUS ON LINEAR ALGEBRA AND MATRIX MANIPULATION. 
COMPLETED EXAMS WILL BE RETURNED TO HQMC C4 FOR GRADING AND
INCLUSION IN APPLICANT PACKAGES. RESULTS WILL BE FACTORED INTO
ASSESSING THE QUALIFICATION OF THE OFFICER'S APPLICATION.
9. A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS ON STATION IN CONUS OR 36 MONTHS IN
OCONUS ASSIGNMENTS IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF SCHOOL. 
PRESCRIBED TOURS OF DUTY WILL NOT NORMALLY BE INTERRUPTED BUT MAY BE
REQUESTED.
10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING MAJ
AUGUSTO CATA OR MAJ MATT PARK AT DSN 223-3556/COMM (703) 693-3556. 
THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES ARE: CATAAG@HQMC.USMC.MIL AND
PARKMW@HQMC.USMC.MIL. 
11. THIS BULLETIN IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE.
12. REQUEST WIDEST DISSEMINATION.