MCBUL 1520. FY04 Foreign Area Officer (FAO) and Regional Affairs Officer (RAO) Selection Board

1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS BULLETIN IS TO SOLICIT APPLICATIONS FOR
THE FY04 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER PROGRAM VIA THE FAO AND RAO 
STUDY TRACK PROGRAM.
A. THE FY04 FAO/RAO SELECTION BOARD WILL MEET DURING THE SECOND WEEK 
OF JULY 03 (08-11 JULY 2003); APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NLT 01 JUN 03.
B. WHERE REF A AND THIS BULLETIN DIFFER, THIS BULLETIN TAKES PRECEDENCE.
C. EACH APPLICANT'S CAREER PATTERN WILL BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED IN
THE SELECTION PROCESS WITH REGARD TO TIMING. OFFICERS COMPLETING
TOURS WITH THE OPERATING FORCES ARE PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.
2. FAO PROGRAM (STUDY TRACK)
A. THROUGH A COMBINATION OF GRADUATE EDUCATION, LANGUAGE TRAINING,
AND IN-COUNTRY TRAINING (ICT), THE FAO TRAINING PROGRAM PRODUCES
OFFICERS WITH REGIONAL, LINGUISTIC, AND CULTURAL EXPERTISE IN
SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS. FAO TRAINING PREPARES OFFICERS FOR
DUTY WITH THE MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES AND HIGH-LEVEL USMC, JOINT,
OR COMBINED STAFFS IN OPERATIONS/PLANNING BILLETS OR INTELLIGENCE 
BILLETS WITH DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES INCLUDING DUTY WITH THE 
DEFENSE ATTACHE SYSTEM.
B. FAO TRAINING/EDUCATION INCLUDES GRADUATE STUDIES AT THE
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL LEADING TO A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN
NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS (12 MONTHS), LANGUAGE TRAINING AT THE
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE (6-15 MONTHS), AND IN-COUNTRY/REGIONAL
TRAINING/TRAVEL/EXPERIENCE (12 MONTHS). 
C. FAO'S SHOULD EXPECT TO RETURN TO A PMOS BILLET IMMEDIATELY 
FOLLOWING TRAINING AND SERVE A FAO UTILIZATION TOUR NLT THE SECOND
TOUR AFTER COMPLETION OF TRAINING.
D. FY04 FAO QUOTAS. SINCE FY04 FAO SELECTEES WILL NOT BEGIN THE
ICT PHASE UNTIL 2005, ICT SITE LISTINGS SHOULD BE TAKEN AS A GUIDE
ONLY. THERE IS ONE QUOTA FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:
REGION LANGUAGE IN-COUNTRY TRAINING SITE
FSU/CIS RUSSIAN MOSCOW, RUSSIA OR GARMISCH, GERMANY.
PRC CHINESE BEIJING, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
MIDDLE EAST ARABIC CAIRO, EGYPT; MUSCAT, OMAN; OR AMMAN, JORDAN
WEST EUROPE TURKEY ANKARA, TURKEY
EAST ASIA JAPANESE OSAKA OR YOKAHAMA, JAPAN
EAST ASIA KHMER PHNOM PHEN, CAMBODIA
EAST ASIA KOREAN SEOUL, KOREA
EAST ASIA THAI BANGKOK, THAILAND
EAST ASIA VIETNAMESE HANOI, VIETNAM
EAST EUROPE SERB-CROAT ZAGREB, CROATIA
E. CHINESE, ARABIC, KOREAN, AND JAPANESE PROGRAMS START 1 JAN 04, 
ALL OTHERS START 1 JUL 04.
F. ELIGIBLE OFFICERS ARE THOSE WHO:
 (1) ARE UNRESTRICTED, REGULAR OFFICERS WITH 3-11 YEARS 
COMMISSIONED SERVICE AS OF 1 AUG 03. USMCR OFFICERS WHO HAVE 
APPLIED FOR AUGMENTATION ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. FAO SELECTION 
WILL BE CONTINGENT ON SELECTION/ACCEPTANCE FOR AUGMENTATION.
 (2) MEET MINIMUM TIME-ON-STATION REQUIREMENTS PER REF B 
AS OF 1 JUN 04 (FOR THOSE SELECTED FOR CHINESE, JAPANESE,
ARABIC, OR KOREAN, MUST MEET TOS AS OF 1 DEC 03).
 (3) HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED A FULL-TIME USMC-FUNDED 
GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
 (4) ATTAIN A DLAB SCORE OF 100 OR HIGHER WITHIN THE LAST
THREE YEARS, AND/OR DEMONSTRATE A LANGUAGE CAPABILITY BY OBTAINING
A MINIMUM SCORE OF L2/R2 ON ANY DLPT II, OR L2/R2/S2 ON ANY DLPT
III OR DLPT IV. THE DLPT IS ADMINISTERED AT APPROVED MARINE CORPS
TESTING FACILITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF D.
 (5) MEET OTHER REQUIREMENTS AS SPECIFIED IN REF A.
3. RAO PROGRAM (STUDY-TRACK)
A. THROUGH GRADUATE EDUCATION, THE RAO TRAINING PROGRAM PRODUCES
OFFICERS WITH REGIONAL/CULTURAL EXPERTISE IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL 
REGIONS. RAO TRAINING PREPARES OFFICERS FOR DUTY WITH THE MARINE 
EXPEDITIONARY FORCES AND HIGH-LEVEL USMC, JOINT, OR COMBINED STAFFS
IN OPERATIONS/PLANNING BILLETS. 
B. THE RAO TRAINING PROGRAM CONSISTS OF GRADUATE STUDIES AT THE
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL LEADING TO A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN
NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS (18 MONTHS). LANGUAGE TRAINING IS NOT 
ROUTINELY A PART OF THE RAO TRAINING.
C. RAO'S SHOULD EXPECT TO BE ASSIGNED TO A UTILIZATION TOUR 
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF TRAINING. 
D. FY04 RAO QUOTAS. THERE IS ONE QUOTA FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING 
REGIONAL CURRICULA AND ALL COURSES CONVENE IN JAN 04:
LATIN AMERICA
FORMER SOVIET UNION 
MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
SOUTHWEST ASIA
WESTERN EUROPE
EAST ASIA 
EASTERN EUROPE
E. ELIGIBLE OFFICERS ARE THOSE WHO:
 (1) ARE UNRESTRICTED, REGULAR OFFICERS WITH 9-15 YEARS 
COMMISSIONED SERVICE AS OF 1 AUG 03. USMCR OFFICERS WHO HAVE 
APPLIED FOR AUGMENTATION ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. RAO SELECTION 
WILL BE CONTINGENT ON SELECTION/ACCEPTANCE FOR AUGMENTATION.
 (2) MEET MINIMUM TIME-ON-STATION REQUIREMENTS PER REF B 
AS OF 1 DEC 03.
 (3) HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED A FULL-TIME USMC-FUNDED
GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
 (4) MEET OTHER REQUIREMENTS AS SPECIFIED IN REF A.
4. APPLICATION PROCEDURES.
A. APPLICATIONS FOR THE FY04 FAO/RAO STUDY-TRACK MUST BE RECEIVED
BY 01 JUN 03. APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED IN THE FORMAT 
PRESCRIBED BY REF A, PARAGRAPHS 3 AND 4 OF THIS MESSAGE, AND THE
FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:
 (1) APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED VIA THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION MAY BE INCLUDED AS ENCLOSURES TO THE
APPLICATION. MEANINGFUL ENDORSEMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE AN
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICANT'S POTENTIAL NOT ONLY AS A 
FAO/RAO BUT ALSO LONG TERM POTENTIAL IN THEIR PRIMARY MOS.
 (2) APPLICANTS SHOULD SPECIFY WHETHER THEY DESIRE TO BE 
CONSIDERED FOR FAO, RAO, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THE TWO PROGRAMS 
PROVIDED THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. APPLICANTS SHOULD
ALSO LIST THEIR REGIONAL/LANGUAGE PREFERENCES. OFFICERS MAY ALSO
STATE THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT ANY REGION/LANGUAGE FOR WHICH
THEY ARE CHOSEN. 
 (3) APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS OF ALL GRADUATE AND
UNDERGRADUATE STUDY. TRANSCRIPTS CONTAINED IN THE APPLICANT'S OMPF
ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.
 (4) APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE AN OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH PER REF C.
 (5) APPLICATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ADD A PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING 
ANY SIGNIFICANT, RELEVANT EXPERIENCE THAT IS NOT ALREADY DOCUMENTED 
IN THEIR FITNESS REPORTS.
 (6) OFFICERS WITH A CRITICALLY SHORT PMOS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY
FOR THE FY04 STUDY-TRACK PROGRAM; HOWEVER, THE NEEDS OF THE 
MARINE CORPS WILL ULTIMATELY DICTATE WHETHER AN APPLICANT IS 
SELECTED.
 (7) APPLICATIONS MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: "IF 
SELECTED I AGREE TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS 
(FAO) OR THREE YEARS (RAO) AFTER COMPLETION OF MY TRAINING. I AGREE
NOT TO TENDER RESIGNATION OR REQUEST SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT WHILE 
PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT THIS 
OBLIGATION IS IN ADDITION TO ANY OBLIGATION PREVIOUSLY INCURRED." 
 (8) MAIL APPLICATIONS TO: HQMC, MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS
(MMOA-5), ATTN: GRADUATE EDUCATION OFFICER, 3280 RUSSELL RD., 
QUANTICO, VA 22134-5103.
5. OFFICERS WHO BELIEVE THEY ALREADY POSSESS EXPERTISE EQUIVALENT
TO THAT DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAGPHS 2.B AND 3.B ABOVE MAY BE ELIGIBLE
TO APPLY FOR THE EXPERIENCE TRACK FAO/RAO ADDITIONAL MOS (AMOS) 
AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY AS DIRECTED IN REF A. 
A. ALL USMC AND USMCR UNRESTRICTED COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ARE 
ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE FAO/RAO AMOS'S BASED ON EXPERIENCE VIA
EXPERIENCE TRACK BOARDS CONVENED QUARTERLY IN PLU, PP&O. 
APPLICATIONS FOR THE FAO/RAO AMOS BASED ON EXPERIENCE CAN BE
SUBMITTED AT ANY TIME TO CMC (PLU-9), STRATEGY AND PLANS DIVISION,
PP&O, 2 NAVY ANNEX, WASHINGTON, DC 20380-1775. APPLICATIONS SHOULD 
BE IN THE FORMAT PRESCRIBED IN REF A, AND INCLUDE A THOROUGH 
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPERIENCE ON WHICH THE APPLICATION IS BASED. 
6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROGRAM CAN BE FOUND 
ON THE FAO/RAO WEBSITE AT WWW.HQMC.USMC.MIL/FAO/FAOWEBSITE.NSF. 
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE FAO/RAO PROGRAMS AND CAREER TIMING CAN 
ALSO BE DIRECTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER PROGRAM 
COORDINATOR, LTCOL J.F. MAY; (PLU-9); DSN 222-4365; COMM (703) 
692-4365; E-MAIL MAYJF@HQMC.USMC.MIL. QUESTIONS REGARDING APPLICATION
PACKAGES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO MMOA-5, MAJ J. ESPARZA; DSN 278-9284; 
COMM (703) 784-9284; E-MAIL ESPARZAJA@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL.
7. THIS BULLETIN IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE.