R 221821Z JAN 25 MARADMIN 030/25 MSGID/GENADMIN/CG EDCOM QUANTICO VA// SUBJ/ACADEMIC YEAR 26-27 UNITED STATES ARMY WAR COLLEGE DISTANCE  EDUCATION PROGRAM SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ACTIVE DUTY  OFFICERS// REF/A/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20080125// AMPN/REFERENCE A IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 1553.4B THAT DEFINES THE  REQUIREMENTS, OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES  FOR MARINE CORPS PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION.// POC/MR. WILL KIRKBRIDE/GS14/CDET OPSO/LOC: QUANTICO/TEL: (703)  784-5971/EMAIL: [email protected]// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Situation. The United States Army War College  annually solicits active component Marine Corps officers for  participation in the United States Army War College Distance  Education Program (USAWCDEP).  The USAWCDEP is a Top Level School  (TLS) program that offers Marine Corps officers a unique opportunity to complete their Professional Military Education (PME) requirements.  The USAWCDEP allows you to participate in a two-year, high quality  program of instruction that results in the award of the same military  education level and the same fully-accredited Master of Strategic  Studies degree awarded to graduates of the USAWC resident program. The AWCDEP is accredited by the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, as a program for joint education, Phase I Senior Level (JPME I) and for  selected students in Phase II Senior Level (JPME II).    2.  Mission 2.A.  Marine Corps University (MCU)/College of Distance Education and Training (CDET) facilitates the opportunity for active component  Marine Corps officers to participate in the USAWCDEP in order to  enhance our overall TLS PME efforts. 3.  Execution 3.A.  Commanders Intent.  To provide an opportunity for Marine  officers to participate in TLS by soliciting applications to attend  the USAWCDEP.  MCU/CDET will administer the program to screen the  officers' applications to ensure they meet all USAWCDEP pre- requisites.  The end state is an increase in Marine Corps officers  graduating from TLS. 3.B.  Concept of Operations.  The USAWCDEP is a managed program that  commences annually in May.  The program consists of a series of eight  primary online courses, an elective or directed research project, and two summer resident courses at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania,  taken over a two-year period.  Each course is composed of numerous lessons consisting of selected readings and other educational  materials that support the accomplishment of course objectives.   Course performance is evaluated through writing, forum participation, and exercises.  3.B.1.  The initial resident phase is scheduled for the last two  weeks in June 2026, between the first and second Academic Year (AY). The final resident phase is scheduled for the third and fourth week  of July 2027 at the end of the second AY.  Attendance at both  resident sessions is mandatory for successful course completion.   3.B.2.  The course of instruction requires the student to have  internet access. 3.B.3.  This program requires a significant level of personal  commitment.  All prospective students should have a high level of  confidence in their availability to attend the two mandatory resident  summer sessions, as well as the ability to commit to the required  hours (approximately 15 hours per week) for course work completion.      3.B.4.  MCU/CDET will screen all applications and select those best  qualified officers to participate in the AY 26-27 USAWCDEP.  Those  officers selected will be notified via email of their selection and  their enrollment information will be forwarded to the USAWCDEP  Registrar for official registration. 3.B.5.  JPME II seminar selections will be made after student  enrollment by the AWCDEP staff dependent on a proportionate joint  student mix.   3.C.  Coordinating Instructions 3.C.1.  Program prerequisites are as follows: 3.C.1.A.  Lieutenant Colonels or Colonels.  Rank requirement is non- waiverable.  Selected Lieutenant Colonels must be promoted prior to  the March 2025 screening process. 3.C.1.B.  Students must possess an adjudicated secret clearance. 3.C.1.C.  Successful completion of an Intermediate Level School (ILS)  via resident or distance education program. 3.C.1.D.  Battalion/Squadron level command experience is desired, but  not required. 3.C.2.  Interested officers should closely coordinate participation  with their Commanding Officer or senior officer in charge due to the  significant time commitment required to complete this program. 3.C.3.  Officers previously enrolled then disenrolled or dropped on  request from this program are not eligible to reapply. 3.C.4.  Application submission deadline is 2359/10 March 2025. 3.D.  Submission Instructions 3.D.1.  Applications should be formatted on command letterhead as  follows: 3.D.1.A.  Name, Rank, Department of Defense Identification/Military Occupational Specialty. 3.D.1.B.  Current military mailing address. 3.D.1.C.  Years commissioned service. 3.D.1.D.  Security clearance. 3.D.1.E.  ILS completed/date. 3.D.1.F.  Background information:  i.e., current billet, date  current tour began, command time. 3.D.1.G.  Essay.  Two hundred fifty words (maximum).  The topic of  the essay:  Why your successful completion in the USAWCDEP would  bring value to the Marine Corps. 3.D.1.H.  Current Master Brief Sheet. 3.D.1.I.  Command endorsement. 3.D.1.J.  Military email address and phone number. 3.D.2.  To safeguard personally identifiable information,  applications must be sent in Portable Document File format via the  Department of Defense Secure Access File Exchange (DOD SAFE) website (https:(slash)(slash)safe.apps.mil/) to the email address  [email protected].  Ensure encryption block is checked and send separate encryption paraphrase email to wilfrid.kirkbride@usmcu .edu.  A confirmation email will be sent to the applicant when  application is received and downloaded. 4.  Administration and Logistics 4.A.  Travel to and from both resident sessions. Commands Outside Continental United States (CONUS) must fund student  travel and per diem to a CONUS Point of Entry (POE).  CDET will fund  per diem and travel for the student from/to the POE or CONUS command  to Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.  Submit travel requests via  Defense Travel System (DTS) to CDET cross organization in April of  the AY required.  Rental cars will not be authorized.   4.B.  For Marine Corps Total Force System reporting, the formal  school code for the USAWCDEP is R2Q.  4.C.  Additional course information is available at the website  https:(slash)(slash)ssl.armywarcollege.edu/dde 5.  Command and Signal.   5.A.  Points of Contact. 5.A.1.  The CDET point of contact is Mr. Will Kirkbride, phone:   (703) 784-5971 or email:  [email protected].  5.A.2.  For all questions on joint matters, contact the Headquarters,  Marine Corps, Joint Officer Matters Office at (703) 784-9211/9212. 6.  This Marine Administrative Message is not applicable to the  Marine Corps Reserve. 7.  Release authorized by Brigadier General M. W. Tracy, President,  Marine Corps University.//