Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) and Fiscal Year 2028 (FY28) United States Military Group (USMILGP) / Security Cooperation Organization (SCO) Selection Board Announcement

1.  This message solicits applications to fill FY27 
and FY28 USMILGP/SCO billet vacancies.  All applicants must be 
prepared to move in the early summer of FY27, if selected.  The 
International Affairs Program (IAP) seeks qualified officers to 
serve in Joint USMILGP/SCO billets within respective Combatant 
Commands (CCMD).  The board will select officers based on their 
specific political-military and security cooperation experience and 
performance as Marine Air Ground Task Force officers.  Per ref (b), 
USMILGP/SCOs serve in influential strategic-level positions where 
they are the foremost points of contact between the Department of 
War and the host nation Ministry of Defense, other government 
agencies, small businesses, and academia.  USMILGPs/SCOs are located 
in or associated with U.S. diplomatic facilities worldwide and are 
responsible for overseeing and implementing in-country security 
cooperation events, to include security assistance programs, and 
for facilitating cooperation in research, development, and 
acquisition with allied and partner nations.
1.a.  Major timeline milestones are (read in two columns):
Date                        Milestone
26 June 2026                Applications due
31 August 2026              Board convenes
2.  Eligibility
2.a.  Eligibility requirements
2.a.1.  Applicants must be on active duty.
2.a.2.  Must receive monitor concurrence.
2.a.3.  Time on station requirements. 
2.a.4.  Applicants must meet minimum prescribed tour control factor
(TCF) and be eligible for permanent change of station (PCS) orders 
in FY27.  All FY28 USMILGP/SCO billets require language training in 
FY27 unless a selectee already possess the required language skills.  
Those selected for FY27 USMILGP/SCO billets will move in FY27 and 
not attend language training.
2.a.4.a.  If an applicant does not meet their prescribed TCF 
requirements in paragraph 2.a.4, they must submit an exception to 
policy (ETP), endorsed by the first O-6 in the chain of command, via
NAVMC 10274 (AA-Form), with their application.  Transfer inside of 
the prescribed TCF will result in a gap for that command until the 
TCF has concluded.  If an officer is selected prior to his/her 
normal rotation date, Manpower Management Officer Assignments (MMOA)
will attempt to provide a backfill.  A commander's endorsement of 
the AA Form is considered acknowledgement of this situation.  MMOA
will adjudicate the ETP separately from the board process and must 
be approved by MMOA before a Marine will be considered for a 
USMILGP/SCO billet vacancy.  An officer with an approved ETP will 
be a FY27 mover regardless of selection to the USMILGP/SCO program.
2.a.5.  Applicants must meet the grade criterion (or be selected 
for promotion to that grade) of the associated duty for which they 
are applying and must possess the career timing to serve a full 
tour of duty in the grade of the billet for which they are applying.
Lieutenant colonel applicants must plan to opt-out of consideration 
for promotion if selected or if they enter the in-zone population 
at any time during their anticipated tour of duty and must agree to 
do so in their application if selected.  Officers serving in a 
Standard Joint Duty Assignment (S-JDA) will be eligible for full 
joint duty credit after 24 months of service.
2.a.6.  Applicants must already have a completed Tier Five (T-5) 
investigation and have Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) 
eligibility.  Application to serve as a USMILGP/SCO is not 
sufficient justification for an investigation eligibility 
determination.  T-5 investigation requests will not be submitted as 
part of the USMILGP/SCO application.
2.a.7.  Study Track Foreign Area Officers (FAO) and Regional Affairs
Officers (RAO) are eligible to apply.  If selected to a position 
within their regional designation, this tour will count as their 
utilization assignment.
2.b.  Ineligibility criteria
2.b.1.  Officers with an established separation or retirement date.
2.b.2.  Officers in the above zone.  Lieutenant colonels in the 
above-zone may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
2.b.3.  Applicants selected for or currently attending programs that
have a designated utilization assignment are ineligible. 
2.b.4.  Those officers currently serving in a S-JDA who will not 
have completed a full tour (24 months) prior to July 2027.
3.  The FY27 and FY28 USMILGP/SCO selection board will screen for 
the following USMILGP/SCO positions.  This list is subject to 
change up until the conclusion of the board based on IAP and CCMD 
requirements.  For the most current list, visit the website listed 
in paragraph 5.c.1.
3.a.  FY27 USMILGP/SCO Billet vacancies (read in eight columns)
Grd   BMOS    Country      Language  RptDate  MCC  JDAL      Note
O5    8243    Thailand     Thai      May 27   NAM  00007233  1,2,3

3.a.1.  FY28 USMILGP/SCO Billet vacancies (read in eight columns)
Grd   BMOS    Country     Language   RptDate  MCC  JDAL      Note
O5    8242    Norway      Norwegian  Jun 28   NAB  00009921  1,2,4,5
O5    8241    Columbia    Spanish    Jun 28   N04  00006147  1,2,4

Note 1:  TS/SCI security clearance is a mandatory requirement.
Note 2:  Joint tour length for this position is 36 months.
Note 3:  Language proficiency is not required, but highly desirable.
Note 4:  Language proficiency at the 2/2/2 level is a mandatory 
requirement. 
Note 5:  Logistics background preferred.
4.  The language requirement is based on Defense Language 
Proficiency Test (DLPT) and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores,
as required.  If the selected candidate does not meet DLPT and OPI 
requirements, language training will take place at the Defense 
Language Institute (DLI).
4.a.  Applicants requiring foreign language training must have a 
minimum Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) score for the 
respective language as follows:
4.a.1.  95 for category I languages: Norwegian and Spanish.
4.b.  Applicants requiring language training must take into 
consideration DLI course length to ensure minimum time on station
requirements will be met before applying.  Language training occurs 
at either Monterey, CA or in Washington D.C.  
DLI course length and locations are listed as follows: 
4.b.1.  
Language    Country                  Duration      Training Location
Norwegian   Norway                   36 Weeks      Washington, DC
Spanish     Colombia                 36 Weeks      Monterey, CA
5.  Application process.  This section provides an overview of the
application process and requirements.
5.a.  Families and overseas screening.  Families are an important 
element of USMILGP/SCO assignments.  Applicants with dependents 
enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program are eligible to 
apply, but may not be able to participate pending availability of 
required care.  A full medical screening is not required for the 
application process, however, all applicants must provide a 
certification of suitability for overseas assignment, found on the 
website in para 5.c.1. for themselves and all family members.  It 
is imperative applicants disclose ongoing conditions to ensure the 
applicant and family members' needs can be met.  Once selected, 
USMILGP/SCO candidates and their families must complete a full 
medical overseas screening within 90 days of acceptance. 
5.b.  Security cooperation experience and language proficiency are 
highly desirable but are not prerequisites to submit an application.
5.c.  Application timeline and method
5.c.1.  Interested officers must submit their application to the IAP
Office.  Applications must arrive to the IAP Office no later than 
2359 Eastern Standard Time on 26 June 2026 to be considered by the 
board.  Applicants can find templates and additional information on
the IAP website at:  http:(slash)(slash)www.ppo.marines.mil/Units/
Strategy-and-Plans-Division/International-Affairs-Branch/
International-Affairs-Program/Resources/
5.c.2.  Applications must be submitted in a single portable document
format (PDF) titled: "1234567890_LAST_FIRST_MI_RANK_SCO".  
Applications must be submitted through the IAP website under the 
IAP Submissions and Registration section, using the link 
referencing USMILGP/SCO Submissions. 
5.c.3.  OMPF update material.  Officers should submit OMPF update 
requests via OMPF-Records Management Application (O-RMA).  If 
assistance is required, contact your unit S-1 or local IPAC. 
Officers are responsible for ensuring their OMPF and Master Brief
Sheet is accurate at all times.  Board members will have access to
the OMPF during the board.   
5.d.  Application procedures.  The application must include the 
following:
5.d.1.  Completed application form for the USMILGP/SCO positions 
listed under paragraphs 3.a.  The application template is located 
at the website listed in paragraph 5.c.1.  This application will 
include all billet preferences, previous political-military, 
security cooperation, DLAB scores, and DLPT scores.
5.d.2.  Command endorsements through the first O-6.  Command 
endorsement shall annotate that if selected, the parent unit shall
support selectee's time away from the unit to attend training in a 
temporary additional duty status in the national capital region for 
eight weeks prior to arriving to USMILGP/SCO assignment.  Upon 
selection, funding and USMILGP/SCO training course dates will be 
provided and coordinated by PLU POCs above.  
5.d.3.  At least one letter of recommendation.  Any letters of 
recommendation shall include an assessment of the applicant's 
potential to serve in joint billets as part of the CCMD staff and 
U.S. embassy country team.
5.d.4.  Correspondence from PMOS monitor confirming eligibility.
5.d.5.  Certification of security clearance from security officer.
5.d.6.  Certification of suitability for overseas assignment.
5.e.  The board will not consider incorrect or incomplete packages.
6.  Officers selected to serve as USMILGP/SCOs may be eligible to 
receive the FAO or RAO additional MOS (AMOS) for their respective 
regions.  
Upon meeting the criteria for experience track AMOS designation, 
officers will notify the IAP Office to apply for the respective MOS 
upon completion of the USMILGP/SCO assignment. 
Assignment of this AMOS makes Marines eligible for further service 
utilization in 82XX billets.
7.  Completion of a tour of duty in a Joint Duty Assignment List 
(JDAL) position that meets all statutory requirements will result in
joint credit.  Those positions not considered an S-JDA with an 
assigned JDAL will require an experience-based joint credit 
submission via separate correspondence within the corresponding 
calendar year.  A separate message will address the Experience-based
Joint Duty Assignment requirements.
8.  When applying for USMILGP/SCO you will be able to submit 
country preference but should understand that the board may slate an 
individual for any country being screened, and those countries being
screened may change through the duration of the board.  Officers 
who decline selection will have a declination letter uploaded to 
their OMPF and are ineligible for future USMILGP/SCO boards, unless 
otherwise approved by the Director, Manpower Management due to 
extraordinary circumstances.
9.  Deconfliction with Active Component O-5 and O-6 Command 
Screening Boards (CSB) and Top Level School (TLS) Board.  If a 
Marine is selected for the FY27 CSB or AY27-28 TLS board, the CSB 
or TLS selection will take priority and the Marine will no longer 
be eligible for consideration to the FY27 and FY28 USMILGP/SCO 
Board or like assignment. Marines considering applying to this or 
similar programs are recommended to contact their PMOS monitor 
with further questions. 
10.  This message is only applicable to the active component.
11.  Release authorized by BGen Fridrik Fridriksson, Director,
Manpower Management Division.