Academic Year 2006-2007 Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) Student Selection

1. SITUATION. FOR ACADEMIC YEAR (AY) 06-07 SAW
WILL SELECT 24 STUDENTS FROM A COMBINATION OF RESIDENT INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL SCHOOLS (ILS) AND THE USMC COLLEGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION'S
(CCE) COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM (CSCDEP).
 SAW IS AN ADVANCED ILS PROGRAM THAT CONCENTRATES ON DEVELOPING
DECISION-MAKING AND COMPLEX PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS AT THE
OPERATIONAL LEVEL OF WAR. THE COURSE EMPLOYS HISTORICAL AND
CONTEMPORARY CASE STUDIES AS A FRAMEWORK AND INCLUDES MASTERY OF THE
MARINE CORPS PLANNING PROCESS (MCPP) AND INTRODUCTION TO JOINT
OPERATION PLANNING AND EXECUTION SYSTEM (JOPES). THE 11-MONTH
CURRICULUM CAPITALIZES ON THE PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION
RECEIVED FROM COMMAND AND STAFF ILS PROGRAMS. METHODOLOGY FOCUSES
ON EXTENSIVE READING, SEMINAR LEARNING, AND ENHANCEMENT OF CRITICAL
THINKING SKILLS. STUDENTS MUST GRASP LARGE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION,
SYNTHESIZE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS, AND THEN COMMUNICATE CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS EFFECTIVELY BOTH ORALLY AND IN WRITING. 
FINALLY, GRADUATION FROM SAW RESULTS IN CONFERENCE OF A MASTER OF
OPERATIONAL STUDIES DEGREE AND THE AWARDING OF THE SKILL DESIGNATOR
MOS 0505, MAGTF PLANNER.
2. MISSION. MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY (MCU)/COMMAND AND STAFF
COLLEGE (CSC) WILL CONVENE A SAW SELECTION BOARD ON 13 OCT 2005 FOR
APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS TO SELECT 24 STUDENTS FROM A COMBINATION OF
RESIDENT INTERMEDIATE LEVEL SCHOOL (ILS) PROGRAMS AND THE USMC
CSCDEP FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2006-2007. 
3. EXECUTION
 A. COMMANDERS INTENT. I WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND MATURE HIGH
CALIBER OFFICERS WITH AN ENHANCED MASTERY OF OPERATIONAL ART AND
CRITICAL STAFF SKILLS NECESSARY TO CONTRIBUTE IN HIGH-IMPACT BILLETS
THROUGHOUT OUR OPERATING FORCES. COMPETITIVE SELECTION OF QUALIFIED
MARINE, SISTER SERVICE, AND FOREIGN MILITARY OFFICER APPLICANTS WHO
HAVE EXCELLED IN OUR RESIDENT ILS AND DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IS
CRITICAL TO ACHIEVE THAT AIM. THE ENDSTATE IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE
QUALITY REPRESENTATION OF OFFICERS IN THE SAW CLASS OF 2007.
 B. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS. OFFICERS MEETING THE ADMISSIONS
CRITERIA DESCRIBED IN THIS MESSAGE ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO SAW
FOR AY 06-07 THROUGH THEIR RESIDENT ILS FACULTY ADVISORS OR A CCE
CSCDEP REGIONAL COORDINATOR.
 (1) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
 (A) RESIDENT ILS APPLICANTS MUST BE CURRENTLY ENROLLED AS A
STUDENT IN GOOD STANDING AT THE MARINE CORPS COMMAND AND STAFF
COLLEGE, NAVAL COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE, ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL
STAFF COLLEGE, OR AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE.
 (B) CCE CSCDEP SAW APPLICANTS MUST BE USMC OFFICERS WHO
GRADUATED FROM THE USMC 8800-SERIES CCE SEMINAR-BASED CSCDEP. 
CURRENTLY ENROLLED OFFICERS CAN APPLY PROVIDED THEIR CCE REGIONAL
COORDINATOR CERTIFIES THAT THEY CAN REASONABLY COMPLETE THE USMC
8800-SERIES CCE SEMINAR-BASED CSCDEP BY 5 JUNE 06. FAILURE TO
COMPLETE THE CSCDEP WILL TERMINATE ELIGIBILITY TO ATTEND SAW DURING
AY 06-07.
 (C) APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT COMPLETED SAW APPLICATION AND CURRENT
MASTER BRIEF SHEET. SAW APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE SAW
WEBSITE WWW.MCU.USMC/CSC/SAW OR FROM A CCE REGIONAL COORDINATOR.
 (D) CCE CSCDEP APPLICANTS REQUIRE WRITTEN ENDORSEMENTS FROM BOTH
THE CCE REGIONAL COORDINATOR AND THE APPLICANT'S REPORTING SENIOR. 
CCE CSCDEP APPLICANTS MUST HAVE A CCE REGIONAL COORDINATOR VERIFY
AND ENDORSE PREVIOUS CCE CSCDEP PARTICIPATION AND GRADUATION.
 (E) ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO WRITE A DIRECTED ESSAY (NO
MORE THAN 500 WORDS). TOPIC FOR THE ESSAY IS PRESCRIBED IN THE
APPLICATION.
 (F) RANK. MUST BE A PROMOTED MAJOR AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION
TO SAW. MUST NOT HAVE PREVIOUSLY FAILED SELECTION TO LTCOL PRIOR TO
SELECTION TO SAW. MUST NOT BE A PROMOTED LTCOL OR LTCOL SELECT AT
THE TIME OF APPLICATION TO SAW. IF IN ZONE FOR LTCOL AT THE TIME OF
APPLICATION TO SAW, FAILURE TO SELECT FOR LTCOL THAT YEAR WILL
TERMINATE SAW ELIGIBILITY.
 (G) MOS. OPEN TO ALL MOS FIELDS.
 (H) COMPONENT. ACTIVE DUTY, UNRESTRICTED OFFICERS ARE ELIGIBLE.
AR OFFICERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY, BUT MUST BE ABLE TO COMPLETE A
TWO-YEAR FOLLOW-ON TOUR UPON GRADUATION. 
 (I) MMOA APPROVAL. SAW APPLICANTS MUST BE GRANTED APPROVAL TO
ATTEND SAW DURING AY 06-07 FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE POPULATION
ASSIGNMENT MONITORS PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THEIR APPLICATION TO ATTEND
SAW. SAW GRADUATES CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE A TWO-YEAR POST-GRADUATION
ASSIGNMENT ALIGNED WITH THE 0505 MOS.
 (J) TIME ON STATION REQUIREMENTS. SAW APPLICANTS MUST SATISFY
MINIMUM TOS REQUIREMENTS AT CURRENT DUTY STATION IAW REF A.
 (K) OFFICERS SELECTED FOR ASSIGNMENT AS A RECRUITING STATION
COMMANDING OFFICER DURING AY 06-07 ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND SAW.
 (L) SEP/ADP GRADUATES. GRADUATES OF EITHER THE SPECIAL
EDUCATION PROGRAM (SEP) OR THE ADVANCED DEGREE PROGRAM (ADP) WHO
HAVE COMPLETED THEIR INITIAL SEP/ADP PAYBACK ASSIGNMENT ARE ELIGIBLE
TO ATTEND SAW.
 (2) TASKS
 (A) CSC
 (1) ESTABLISH SAW SELECTION BOARD TO CONDUCT APPLICANT
INTERVIEWS AND SELECT THE BEST-QUALIFIED APPLICANTS FOR AY 06-07. 
 (2) COORDINATE WITH CCE ON APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS FOR CSCDEP
OFFICERS.
 (3) COORDINATE AND SCHEDULE SAW APPLICANT INTERVIEWS.
 (B) CCE 
 (1) ASSIST CSCDEP SAW APPLICANTS WITH APPLICATION PREPARATION.
 (2) COORDINATE SUBMISSION OF SAW APPLICATIONS THROUGH CCE
REGIONAL COORDINATORS.
 (3) SCREEN, VALIDATE, AND ENDORSE SUITABLE CSCDEP SAW
APPLICANTS FOR INTERVIEW BY THE SAW SELECTION BOARD.
 (4) FORWARD CSCDEP STUDENT SAW APPLICATIONS TO CSC NLT 7 OCT
2005.
 C. COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS
 (1) DEADLINE FOR ALL STUDENT APPLICATIONS TO BE RECEIVED AT SAW IS
8 OCT 2005.
 (2) SCREENED SAW APPLICANTS MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR A PERSONAL
INTERVIEW. FOR APPLICANTS OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON DC AREA, IN PERSON
INTERVIEWS ARE RECOMMENDED. TRAVEL, LODGING, AND PER DIEM COSTS
WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SAW APPLICANT'S LOCAL COMMAND OR
THE INDIVIDUAL APPLICANT. IF AN IN-PERSON INTERVIEW IS NOT
POSSIBLE, A VIDEO TELECONFERENCE OR TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW CAN
SUBSTITUTE. THIS MUST BE COORDINATED WITH SAW IN ADVANCE.
 (A) INTERVIEW DATES: 13-27 OCT 2005.
 (B) INTERVIEW LOCATION: RM 186, BRECKENRIDGE HALL, 2076 SOUTH
STREET, QUANTICO, VA. 
 (3) SELECTED APPLICANTS WILL BE APPROVED BY DIRECTOR, COMMAND AND
STAFF COLLEGE AND SCREENED BY MMOA OR OTHER SERVICE PERSONNEL
ASSIGNMENT SECTIONS. SELECTION RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY
SEPARATE MARADMIN.
4. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS. SAW APPLICATION FORMS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE SAW WEBPAGE AND FROM CCE REGIONAL COORDINATORS.
5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL
 A. POC AT CSC AND SAW IS LTCOL J.E. DRISCOLL, HEAD SAW, TEL: DSN
278-5121, COMM (703)784-5121, EMAIL: JEROME.DRISCOLL@USMC.MIL.
 B. POC AT CCE IS LTCOL M.V. SHIGLEY, OPSO, TEL: DSN 278-0654, COMM
(703)784-0654, EMAIL: MARK.SHIGLEY@USMC.MIL.
 C. SISTER-SERVICE RESIDENT ILS POCS:
 (1) NAVAL WAR COLLEGE: COL WILLIAM HARTIG (401)841-4862.
 (2) ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE: COL JEFF BOWDEN
(913)684-4552.
 (3) AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE: LTCOL BRUCE BRIGHT
(334)953-6592. 
 D. CCE REGIONAL COORDINATORS:
 (1) MCB CAMP LEJEUNE: NEW RIVER, NORFOLK, LITTLE CREEK, PARRIS
ISLAND, MCAS BEAUFORT, MCAS CHERRY POINT - MR. JIM WHEELER/TEL: DSN
751-9309, COMM: (910)451-9309 
 (2) MATSG PENSACOLA: TAMPA, MATSG CORPUS CHRISTI, NAS KINGSVILLE,
MCLB ALBANY - MR. ART ADKINS/TEL: DSN 922-9513, COMM (850)452-9513.
 (3) MCB CAMP PENDLETON: BARSTOW, 29 PALMS, BRIDGEPORT - MR. JEFF
WILLIS/TEL: DSN 365-8400/3473, COMM (760)725-8400/3473.
 (4) MCB'S HAWAII - MR. WILLIAM PEOPLES/TEL: DSN 457-1956/0459,
COMM (808)257-1956/0459.
 (5) MCAS MIRAMAR, YUMA, MCRD SAN DIEGO, NPS - MR. GARY DAHL/TEL:
DSN 267-1373/1374, TEL: COMM (858)577-1373/1374.
 (6) MCB'S JAPAN: OKINAWA, MARFOR KOREA, IWAKUNI, CAMP FUJI - MR.
JIM HOPKINS/TEL: DSN 645-2208/2230/2500, TEL: COMM
011-81-6117-45-2230/2208/2500.
 (7) QUANTICO, USNA, WASHINGTON DC, PATUXENT RIVER - MR. ANDY
PETERS/TEL: DSN 278-1463/1471, TEL: COMM (703)784-1463/1471.
 (8) FURTHER INFORMATION ON CCE REGIONAL COORDINATORS IS AVAILABLE
AT THE CCE WEBSITE: WWW.TECOM.USMC.MIL/CCE, SELECT "FACULTY AND
STAFF" AND THEN SELECT "REGIONAL COORDINATORS."