R 091926Z JUN 25 MARADMIN 267/25 MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA RA// SUBJ/CONVENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-27 RESERVE OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION BOARD// REF/A/DOC/CMC/YMD:  20190215// REF/B/DOC/CMC/YMD:  20080125// REF C/DOC/CMC/YMD:  20250307// REF/D/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM/YMD:  112035Z DEC 08// REF/E/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM/YMD:  252010Z AUG 20// REF/F/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA RA/YMD:  141336Z JAN 21// NARR/REFERENCE A IS MCO 1900.16 CH 2, SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT MANUAL.  REFERENCE B IS MCO 1553.4B, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME).  REFERENCE C IS MCO 1001R.1L, MARINE CORPS RESERVE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT MANUAL (MCRAMM).  REFERENCE D IS MARADMIN 703/08, OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) SUMMARY. REFERENCE E IS MARADMIN 491/20, REMOVAL OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM CONSIDERATION BY PROMOTION BOARDS AND SELECTION PROCESSES PERTAINING TO ASSIGNMENT, TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND COMMAND. REFERENCE F IS MARADMIN 022/21, POLICY FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOURS BY RESERVE AFFAIRS DIVISION.// POC/JEFFREY F. DEAN/MAJ/RAM-3/TEL:  703-784-1275// POC/BRENNETT FORD/CIV/RAM-3/TEL:  703-432-9410// DSN:  278-9410/E-MAIL:  [email protected]// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  This MARADMIN announces the AY 2026-27 Reserve Officer Professional Military Education (RPME) board convening 15 September 2025 and solicits applications from those desiring attendance at Full-Length Schools (FLS) for Senior Level Colleges (SLC), Intermediate Level College (ILC), Career Level School (CLS), Foreign Professional Military Education (FPME), Distance Education Programs (DEP), or Staff Training Course (STC).  Major timeline milestones are (read in two columns): Date                       Milestone Release of this message    RPME questionnaires open 28 August 2025             RPME questionnaires close 15 September 2025          RPME Board convenes TBD October 2025           RPME results released TBD November 2025          Declinations and deferrals due 2.  All applicants who request funded orders to FLS, FPME, DEP, and STC will be screened.  Officers who meet any of the following criteria are ineligible to apply for FLS, FPME, DEP, STC: 2.a.  Officers (except Colonels) who are in zone or above zone on the next scheduled promotion board. 2.b.  Officers who have completed an equivalent resident funded FLS or DEP. 2.c.  Officers with an approved retirement, resignation, or who are pending conditional release. 2.d.  Officers who have been approved for continuation beyond their mandatory removal/retirement date. 2.e.  Active Reserve (AR) officers who are career designated must have a Date Current Tour Began (DCTB) of NLT 30 September 2024.  AR officers on their accession tour must have a DCTB of NLT 30 September 2023.  Officers selected by the RPME board who fail to be career designated will be disqualified and ineligible to attend. 2.f.  Officers who are Top Level School (TLS) and Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) II complete are ineligible for NATO Defense College and Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid (JCWS-H). 3.  Resident FLS (SLC/ILC/CLS) 3.a.  Reserve officers on Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS) orders are eligible to apply.  If a Marine on ADOS is selected to U.S. Army War College Distance Education Program (USAWCDEP), Joint Combined Warfighting School   Hybrid (JCWS-H), or the Reserve Senior Staff Course (RSSC), they must end current orders  30 days prior to commencing any resident school or course. 3.b.  Specific Eligibility Criteria: 3.b.1.  LtCol/LtCol (sel) (SLC); Maj/Maj (sel) (ILC); and Capt/Capt (sel) (CLS). 3.b.2.  Those applying to resident SLC must have completed Intermediate Level School (ILS) and JPME I. 3.b.3.  Officers currently assigned command must complete 24 months in the billet prior to the course convening date. 3.b.4.  Marines within the Active Reserve program are ineligible for STC. 3.c.  Resident FLS-SLC Courses.  All FLS-SLC are JPME II certification courses and read as follows:  Line (a) Course Title, Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, Line (d) Course Dates:         (1) (a) Marine Corps War College (MCWAR)             (b) Quantico, VA             (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (2) (a) College of Naval Warfare (CNW)             (b) Newport, RI             (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (3) (a) U.S. Army War College (USAWC)             (b) Carlisle Barracks, PA             (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (4) (a) Air War College (AWC)             (b) Maxwell AFB, AL             (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (5) (a) National War College (NWC)             (b) Fort McNair, Washington, DC             (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (6) (a) Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security                 and Resource Strategy (ESNSRS)             (b) Fort McNair, Washington, DC             (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (7) (a) College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC)             (b) Fort McNair, Washington, DC             (c) LtCol/LtCol (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27 3.d.  Resident FLS-ILS Courses.  All FLS-ILS are JPME I certification courses and read as follows:  Line (a) Course Title, Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, Line (d) Course Dates:         (1) (a) Marine Corps Command and Staff College (MCCSC)             (b) Quantico, VA             (c) Maj/Maj (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (2) (a) College of Naval Command and Staff (CNCS)             (b) Newport, RI             (c) Maj/Maj (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (3) (a) U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC)             (b) Fort Leavenworth, KS             (c) Maj/Maj (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27         (4) (a) Air Command and Staff College (ACAS)             (b) Maxwell AFB, AL             (c) Maj/Maj (sel)             (d) Jul 26-Jun 27 3.e.  Resident FLS-CLS course available and read as follows: Line (1) Course Title, Line (2) Location, Line (3) Grade, Line (4) Course Dates:         (1) Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School (MCEWS)         (2) Quantico, VA         (3) Capt/Capt (sel)         (4) Jul 26-May 27 3.f.  Resident FLS is approximately 10 months in length.  The months listed above are approximate to include reporting dates and school convening dates.  Exact dates will be provided once received from the schools.  Officers being considered for resident FLS must ensure they are available to attend if selected. 3.g.  SMCR/IMA/IRR officers selected for any funded PME program of study will be required to sign a Statement of Understanding (SOU). An SOU is a contractual agreement between the Marine Corps and a non- mandatory participant which obligates the Marine to participate in Reserve training in the Selected Reserve (SelRes). 4.  DEP SLC Courses.  Reserve officers in the Ready Reserve (SMCR, IMA, IRR, and AR) are eligible for consideration if they meet the specific eligibility criteria listed for each opportunity below. All DEP SLC are JPME II certification courses and read as follows:  Line (a) Course Title, Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, Line (d) Course Dates, (e) Course details:         (1) (a) USAWCDEP             (b) Carlisle, PA             (c) LtCol (sel) - Col             (d) Jun 26-Jun 28             (e) Format: 2-year program - 51 weeks of correspondence,                 1-week resident phase, 50 wks of correspondence, and                 2 weeks resident/graduation.         (2) (a) JCWS-H             (b) Norfolk, VA             (c) Maj (sel) - Col             (d) Dec 25-Sep 26/Jan-Oct 26/Feb-Nov 26                  (three course date options)              (e) Format: 40-week program - 21 weeks DEP, 1 week                  resident, 16 weeks DEP, and 2 weeks resident. 5.  Marine Corps FPME.  Reserve officers in the SMCR, IMA and IRR are eligible for consideration if they meet the specific eligibility criteria listed with each opportunity below.  The below reads as follows:  Line (a) Course Title, Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, Line (d) Course Dates, Line (e) PME/JPME credit:         (1) (a) NATO Defense College                    (b) Rome, Italy                             (c) LtCol (sel) - Col             (d) Sep 26-Feb 27/Feb 27-Sep 27              (e) TLS and JPME I credit 6. Staff Training Course. Reserve Senior Staff Course (RSSC) is a  two-week resident course for senior officers in the Ready Reserve  (SMCR, IMA, and IRR) that provides a strategic-level view of current  service and Department of Defense issues, policies, and programs.  Specific eligibility criteria are listed below and read  as follows: Line (a) Course Title, Line (b) Location, Line (c) Grade, Line (d) Course Dates:         (1) (a) RSSC             (b) Quantico, VA             (c) LtCol (sel) - Col             (d) Jul 26 7.  Application process 7.a.  The deadline for submitting the application and update material is 2359 Eastern Standard Time on 28 August 2025.  Late submissions will not be accepted.  The online RPME application is the only method to apply.  Applicants must go to the RPME application website at https:(slash)(slash)www2.manpower.usmc.mil/application_cac/edu. jsp.  Common Access Card (CAC) certification is not required to access the site.  Officers with an MRA portal account will proceed to the login process.  Upon login, the system will validate basic individual eligibility for application.  Officers are advised to read the instructions in their entirety before completing the application. The web-based application allows for the attachment of documents and offers school preference options via drop-down boxes. 7.b.  Officers who do not have an MRA portal account will receive a 404 access error.  Within the error message are instructions on how to register for an MRA portal account, which is available to all officers. Any officer who cannot access the application should contact the RPME POC listed in this MARADMIN. 7.c.  Ensure documents are uploaded as the appropriate document type.  All uploaded documents must be in portable document format (PDF).  The submitted name of the files must be in the following format: EDIPI_FileDescription.pdf. 7.d.  Reserve Qualification Summary.  Officers are encouraged to submit a signed Reserve Qualification Summary (RQS).  The RQS NAVMC 10476 is located on the online application. 7.e.  Letter to the board.  Officers are encouraged to submit a letter to the board (template located on the online application). 7.f.  Officers will receive a confirmation email that their application has been received once submitted in the application portal.  Hard-copy applications will not be accepted.  All material submitted to the board will be destroyed upon completion of the board. 7.g.  Photographs.  Per reference (e), Official Photographs are no longer permitted in board packages.  Submitted documents shall not have any photos attached (i.e., Bio s, Resumes, etc). 7.h.  Fitness Reports.  Marines may confirm receipt of their fitness reports by accessing https:(slash)(slash)www.manpower.marines.mil/ Manpower-Management/Performance-Branch/Records-and-Performance/ #tab/contact-us.  Incomplete Fitness Reports will not be accepted.  7.i.  Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) Material.  Officers  are responsible for ensuring their OMPF is accurate and updated.   All OMPF material will be updated through the Official-Records Management Application located on the Manpower MMPB-2 page by accessing https:(slash)(slash)www4.manpower.usmc.mil/orma/. 8.  Administration 8.a.  Ensure e-mail addresses and telephone numbers are current and provided on the application. 8.a.1.  Notification of selection.  The board will select a primary for each school seat and opportunity available.  The board will also select enough alternates to meet quota requirements if selectees decline or otherwise cannot accept.  Selection to complete an RPME opportunity is considered a privilege that is highly advantageous to officer development.  Once the board results are approved, primary selectees will be announced via MARADMIN.  Applicants selected as primaries and approved by CMC (RA) will receive correspondence from RA with specific information regarding school selection and follow-on guidance.  The results MARADMIN will provide administrative guidance for orders processing and issuance. Alternates will be listed on the Manpower and Reserve Affairs RAM-3 webpage at on the RAM-3 webpage at https:(slash)(slash) www.manpower.marines.mil/Manpower-Management/Reserve-Affairs- Division/Reserve-Affairs-Management-RAM/.  Additional allocations and unanticipated RPME vacancies will be filled by alternates. 8.a.2.  Officers selected by the board who subsequently decline the opportunity to attend are required to submit their declination in writing via their chain of command through the first General Officer for endorsement.  Alternates selected to fill vacated quotas are also required to formally decline, via the procedure described above if they decline the opportunity. 8.a.3.  Per Department of Defense Instruction 1332.43, all officers who participated in the Voluntary Separation Pay (VSP) program may face recoupment of the full amount of VSP if they voluntarily return to active-duty status for a period greater than 180 days. 8.a.4.  Per reference (c), officers selected for PME are not authorized to extend orders in order to take leave. 9.  Per reference (f), officers who complete resident FLS or FPME may be offered an opportunity to conduct a 12 month Professional Development Tour (PDT) to utilize their recent PME experience on a strategic or operational level Marine Corps Staff (HQMC, MEF, and MARFOR level) serving in a staff/planning billet.  The purpose of the tour is to allow officers to gain a valuable professional development and career-enhancing experience to complement their recent PME. Eligible officers will be contacted after the convening date of their course to solicit interest for a PDT.  For those officers who accept these ADOS orders, the orders will run concurrent to the 24-month payback obligation associated with a drilling SMCR/IMA billet.  PDT opportunities are assigned based on the needs of the Service and are dependent on the availability of funds. 10.  Return to Active Duty (RAD) program.  All board-selected reserve officers who apply for or transition to the Active Component will forfeit the opportunity to attend any selected RPME school. 11.  Resident FLS-ILS selectees may only apply for Advanced Intermediate Level Schools in accordance with the Academic Year 2027-2028 Advanced Intermediate Level School Application Message. 12.  Applicants are highly encouraged to consult with a Career Counselor via the Career Management Team (CMT), Reserve Affairs Division.  To request counseling services, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 703-784-0556.  Additional information can be found by accessing the CMT website at https:(slash)(slash)www.manpower.marines.mil/Manpower-Management/ Reserve-Affairs-Division/Career-Management-Team-CMT/, then select "Contact Us". 13.  This MARADMIN is applicable to the Reserve Component. 14.  Release authorized by Major General Karl D. Pierson, Director, Reserve Affairs Division.//