R 161943Z JAN 25 MARADMIN 019/25 MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM// SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2026 (FY26) MARINE HELICOPTER SQUADRON ONE ROTARY  WING AND TILTROTOR PILOT SELECTION PANEL// REF/A/MCO 1326.7F/YMD: 20160117// REF/B/MCO 1300.8 CH.1/YMD: 20210510// REF/C/MCO 3500.109A/YMD: 20191226// NARR/REF A IS MCO 1326.7F, SELECTION AND SCREENING CRITERIA FOR MARINES DESIRING ASSIGNMENT TO MARINE HELICOPTER SQUADRON ONE (HMX-1). REF B IS MCO 1300.8 CH.1, MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICY. REF C IS MCO 3500.109A, MARINE CORPS AVIATION WEAPONS AND TACTICS TRAINING PROGRAM// POC/ P. WIKTOR/LTCOL/UNIT: HMX-1 MANPOWER OFFICER/ TEL: 202-814-7175/EMAIL: [email protected]//  GENTEXT/REMARKS/ 1. Purpose.  FY26 HMX-1 Rotary Wing and Tiltrotor  Pilot Selection Panel will convene on or about 15 May 2025.  This  message announces the eligibility criteria for interested  applicants, the process for application, and establishes the  timeline for application and execution of the panel. 1.a.  Major timeline milestones (read in 2 columns): Milestone                                     Date HMX-1 Pilot Application Window Opens          MARADMIN Release HMX-1 Recruiting Roadshow                     January – April 2025 HMX-1 Pilot Application Deadline              30 April 2025  FY26 HMX-1 Pilot Selection Panel Convenes     15 May 2025 2.  Background 2.a.  HMX-1 is responsible to the White House Military Office for  worldwide helicopter transportation of the President of the United  States.  Based at Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico, Virginia, the HMX-1 "Nighthawks" fly a fleet of VH-3D, VH-60N, VH-92A, and MV-22B  aircraft.  Additional HMX-1 missions include helicopter transportation of the Vice President of the United States, visiting Heads of State, and other White House or Headquarters Marine Corps directed missions inside the National Capital Region. 2.b.  This selection panel ensures that the most qualified pilots are selected to represent the Marine Corps and the United States of  America.  HMX-1 solicits applications on an annual basis.  All  Marines assigned to HMX-1 must meet specific and stringent criteria  mandated by the White House Military Office as outlined in Ref (a).  3.  Application and selection overview.  HMX-1 seeks applicants with  the experience, maturity, judgment, flight leadership ability, and  tactical acumen that matches the gravity of the missions they are  being selected to perform.  There is no minimum flight hour  requirement for pilot applicants.  Qualifications and designations  such as Night Systems Instructor and Division Leader will be used as a benchmark for pilot selection.  Qualifications, designations and  fleet experience, both inside and outside of the cockpit, will help  to build a picture of the whole Marine, which will be used as a  basis for panel selections.  Refer to paragraph 5 of this message  for additional details regarding application completion. 3.a.  Selected Tiltrotor applicants shall execute a prescribed tour  length of 36-months at HMX-1. 3.b.  Selected Rotary Wing applicants shall execute a prescribed tour length of 48-months at HMX-1. 3.c.  Any requests to modify prescribed tour length will be  initiated by CMC (MMOA) in accordance with ref (b). 3.d.  The panel will make selections to obtain a required distribution of both Rotary Wing and Tiltrotor pilots to meet the unit's operational requirements, while considering community health and individual career timing. 4.  Eligibility 4.a.  Eligibility criteria 4.a.1.  Active duty Captains, Majors, and Lieutenant Colonels assigned either a rotary wing or tiltrotor military occupational specialty (MOS) are eligible to apply. 4.a.2.  Applicants must be scheduled to meet time-on-station (TOS) requirements per ref (b) no later than 30 September 2026, or be otherwise eligible for orders during FY26.  The panel will consider applicants who have waivers approved by Manpower Management Officer Assignment Branch (MMOA).  TOS waivers should be submitted through HQMC (MMOA) to the applicant's monitor NLT the application deadline using a NAVMC 10274.   Waiver requests must be endorsed by the  applicant's chain of command and appropriate approval authority per ref (b).  Transfer inside of the normal 24-months permanent  change of station time-on-station obligation will result in a gap  for that command until the 24-month period has concluded.  If an  officer is selected prior to his/her normal rotation date, MMOA  branch will attempt to provide a backfill.  A commander's  endorsement of the TOS waiver is considered acknowledgement of this situation.  4.a.3.  Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTIs) applying to HMX-1  must be scheduled to have served a minimum of 18 months with their  unit following graduation from WTI course by 30 September 2026. This  requirement does not preclude WTIs from applying to HMX-1, and MMOA  can adjust orders on a case-by-case basis to ensure this  prerequisite is satisfied.  Route waiver requests to HQMC (MMOA) NLT the application deadline using a NAVMC 10274.  Waiver requests must  be endorsed by the applicant's chain of command and appropriate approval authority per ref (b). 4.a.4.  Applicants must be able to obtain a TS/SCI(YW) security  clearance.  Applicants shall complete and pass the HMX-1 security  pre-screen process prior to the convening of the Pilot Selection Panel. 4.a.5.  All applicants must indicate on the “HMX-1 Pilot Volunteer Form” if they currently have, or plan to receive, any visible tattoos outside the Dress Blue Delta Uniform. 4.b.  Ineligibility criteria 4.b.1.  Reserve component commissioned officers. 4.b.2.  Captains in the above zone for promotion on the convening  date of the HMX-1 selection board. 4.b.3.  Officers serving in a Joint Billet that have not met their minimum time on station requirements prior to 30 September 2026. 4.b.4.  Officers pending any medical or legal action that would  preclude a successful tour of duty. 4.b.5.  Officers with adverse FITREP material. 4.b.6.  Officers who do not meet the time on station requirements  described in paragraph 4.a.2. or WTI payback tours described in  paragraph 4.a.3. and lack a positively endorsed NAVMC 10274. 5.  Application process 5.a.  HMX-1 communication.  Applicants shall email their intent  to apply for this panel, including name, rank, MOS, personal/work  email address, and personal/work phone number to the HMX-1 Pilot Recruiting and Selection Officer, Major Christopher Vande Weerd,  email: [email protected]. 5.b.  Monitor.  Applicants shall email their respective monitor with their intent to apply in order to determine if they meet the  eligibility requirements. 5.c.  Application requirements. The application process requires the submission of two separate PDF packages, the Presidential Support Program (PSP) Security Pre-Screen and the HMX-1 Pilot Application. 5.c.1.  PSP Security Pre-Screen. 5.c.1.a.  Applicants shall digitally complete the entire “HMX-1  Pre-Screen and Contact Information” application available at: https(slash)(slash)www.hmx-1.marines.mil/Recruiting/ under the “Officer Recruiting” tab. 5.c.1.b.  Send the completed form to the HMX-1 Pilot Recruiting and Selection Officer, Major Christopher Vande Weerd, email: [email protected], with the nomenclature:  “EDIPI_Prescreen_LastName_FirstName.” 5.c.1.c.  Applicants are encouraged to submit a completed “HMX-1 Pre-Screen and Contact Information” PDF as early as possible in the application process to determine if the applicant meets the security eligibility requirements to apply to HMX-1. This should be done well in advance of the full Pilot Application package detailed below. 5.c.2.  HMX-1 Pilot Application.   5.c.2.a.  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 are accurate at all times.  Panel members will have access to the OMPF during the panel. 5.c.2.b.  Applicants shall digitally complete the entire “HMX-1  Pilot Volunteer Form” available at:  https(slash)(slash)www.hmx-1.marines.mil/Recruiting/  under the “Officer Recruiting” tab. 5.c.2.c.  Applicants shall disclose if they were subject to a Field  Flight Performance Board and the results of the board on the “HMX-1 Pilot Volunteer Form.” 5.c.2.d.  Command Endorsement Letter.  Packages must be endorsed at  the squadron level.  The Command Endorsement Letter is addressed to the HMX-1 Pilot Selection Panel and must specifically address the  flying ability and aviation leadership qualities of the applicant. Applicants currently assigned to non-flying billets shall obtain an endorsement from the Commanding Officer of their most recent flying assignment. 5.c.2.e.  Applicants shall submit digital copies of the following  documents in a single PDF document, with the nomenclature,  "EDIPI_MOS_LastName_FirstName" in the following order, to the HMX-1  Pilot Recruiting and Selection Officer, Major Christopher  Vande Weerd, at email: [email protected]. 5.c.2.e.1.  HMX-1 Pilot Volunteer Form. 5.c.2.e.2.  Copy of e-mail correspondence from PMOS monitor confirming applicant's eligibility to apply. 5.c.2.e.3.  Command endorsement letter. 5.c.2.e.4.  Letters of recommendation (optional, maximum of three). 5.c.2.e.5.  As required, legible copies of Field Flight Performance Board material. 5.c.2.e.6.  As required, copy of endorsed tour curtailment NAVMC 10274 or WTI payback curtailment NAVMC 10274 as noted in paragraph 4.a.1. and 4.a.2. 5.d.  Late or incomplete applications will not be considered without prior approval from the HMX-1 Manpower Officer. 6.  For additional information regarding assignment to HMX-1 contact the HMX-1 Pilot Recruiting and Selection Officer or the HMX-1 Manpower Officer via the points of contact listed in this MARADMIN. 7.  Other available billets.  Marines from many other officer and  enlisted MOS are screened and selected for assignment to HMX-1 on a  continual basis.  Marines should contact their monitors or the  points of contact listed in this MARADMIN for information. 8.  Points of contact: Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Wiktor, HMX-1 Manpower Officer   Comm: (202) 814-7175, DSN: 278-4815    Email: [email protected] Major Christopher Vande Weerd, HMX-1 Pilot Recruiting and  Selection Officer   Comm: (202) 814-9712, DSN: 278-4929   Email: [email protected] Colonel Jason Potter, Aviation Lieutenant Colonels Monitor   Comm: (703) 784-9267, DSN: 278-9267   Email: [email protected] Major Brandon Thompson, Rotary Wing Majors Monitor   Comm: (703) 784-9267, DSN: 278-9267   Email: [email protected] Major Anthony Emberger, Rotary Wing Company Grade Monitor     Comm: (703) 784-9267, DSN: 278-9267    Email: [email protected] 9.  Release authorized by Major General Ryan S. Rideout, Director,  Manpower Management Division.//