R 061235Z APR 26 MARADMIN 159/26 MSGID/GENADMIN/CG EDCOM PRES MCU QUANTICO VA// SUBJ/CONVENING OF ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-2027 COLLEGE OF DISTANCE  EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE AND EXPEDITIONARY  WARFARE SCHOOL BLENDED SEMINAR PROGRAM SELECTION BOARD FOR RESERVE  OFFICERS// REF/A/DOC/CMC/MCO P1900.16 CH2 YMD: 20190215// REF/B/DOC/CMC/MCO 1553.4B YMD: 20080125// REF/C/MSG/CMC/YMD: 20081211// REF/D/MSG/CMC/YMD: 20190716// REF/E/MSG/CMC/YMD: 20201229// NARR/REF A IS MCO P1900.16 CH2, MARINE CORPS SEPARATION AND  RETIREMENT MANUAL. REF B IS MCO 1553.4B, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY  EDUCATION. REF C IS MARADMIN 703/08, OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY  EDUCATION  SUMMARY. REF D IS MARADMIN 396/19, EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE SCHOOL  DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM CURRICULUM TRANSITION FROM 8660 TO 8670  SERIES. REF E IS MARADMIN 772/20, EXCESS BILLET IDENTIFICATION CODE  FOR SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE MARINES ENROLLED IN NON-RESIDENT  PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION.// POC/DAVID ABLES/CAPT/RESERVE LIAISON OFFICER/COLLEGE OF DISTANCE  EDUCATION AND TRAINING/-/TELEPHONE: 703-784-3015  GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This Marine Administrative Message (MARADMIN)  announces the convening of the Academic Year (AY) 2026-2027 Command  and Staff College (CSC) and Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS)  funded Blended Seminar Program (BSP) selection board for reserve  officers. The intent of this MARADMIN is to solicit applications  from reserve officers desiring to attend the funded BSP Distance  Education Program (DEP) and to detail the application process. 1.b. The College of Distance Education and Training (CDET)  EWSBSPs and CSCBSPs are located at the following MCU regional  campuses: Camp Pendleton, California (CPCA); Camp Lejeune, North  Carolina (CLNC) and Quantico, Virginia (QUAN).  2. Application 2.a. All applicants must submit their application via the  Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) and Manpower and Reserve Affairs  website. Officers who are board-selected for a BSP will be  registered in the Marine Corps Training Information Management  System by the College of Distance Education and Training (CDET)  Reserve Liaison Officer (RLO). Officers who meet any of the  following criteria are ineligible to apply for the funded BSP: 2.b. Officers who are in the above zone on the next scheduled  promotion board. 2.c. Officers that have completed an equivalent Formal Level School  (FLS) or DEP. 2.d. Officers with approved retirements, resignations, or pending  conditional release. 2.e. Officers applying for FLS who have a mandatory removal date of  1 October 2028 or earlier. 2.f. Officers who have more than 18 years of creditable service  towards a reserve retirement. 3. Requirements 3.a. Reserve officers participating in any funded Professional  Military Education (PME) program of study (excluding two-week staff  training courses) will incur a selected reserve (SELRES) drilling  affiliation obligation for 24 continuous months following the  completion of the program of study. This requirement is to ensure  that the reserve component effectively realizes a return on the  investment made in funding the education of officers through these  programs. To more effectively enforce this requirement, the  following applies: 3.a.1. SMCR/IMA/IRR officers selected for any funded PME program of study will be required to sign a Statement of Understanding (SOU).  A 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). 3.a.2. Ninety days following graduation, officers must be joined to  either a Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) drilling unit or an  Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Billet Identification Code  (BIC) that matches his or her grade and military occupational  specialty. 3.b. Subsequent failure to affiliate following graduation will be  handled in accordance with the SOU signed at the time of  graduation. 3.c. The following personnel are eligible to participate in EWSBSP  (in order of priority).  3.c.1.  Marine O3 (unrestricted and Limited Duty Officers (LDO))  3.c.2.  Marine O3 select and Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) 3  3.c.3.  Marine O2  3.c.4.  Marine CWO2 (requires waiver for enrollment)  3.d.  Interested students who require a waiver should contact their  closest CDET Regional Point of Contact (POC) listed in paragraph 6  to obtain more information on the waiver process.  3.e.  Students must complete the 8670 prerequisite course described  in reference (c) prior to attending the EWSBSP.  3.f.  The following personnel are eligible to participate in CSCBSP  (in order of priority).  3.f.1.  Marine O4 (unrestricted and LDO)  3.f.2.  CWO4  3.f.3.  CLS-complete O3 with 24 months time in grade (TIG)  3.f.4.  Marine CWO3 (requires waiver for enrollment)  3.g.  Interested students who require a waiver should contact their  closest CDET Regional POC listed in paragraph 6 to obtain more  information on the waiver process.  4. Format 4.a. EWSBSP is designed for delivery in three stages:   stage one is a 29-day resident period, stage two is a 12-week online  period, and stage three is a 6-week resident period. 4.b. EWSBSP class dates (read in three columns): Class Number/Location   Report 1st             Report 2nd                         Resident Period        Resident Period 701-702/CLNC            6 Jul 26(701)          25 Oct 26(702) 703-704/CPCA            6 Jul 26(703)          25 Oct 26(704) 717-718/QUAN            6 Jul 26(717)          25 Oct 26(718) 705-706/QUAN            4 Jan 27(705)          25 Apr 27(706) 707-708/CLNC            4 Jan 27(707)          25 Apr 27(708) 709-710/CPCA            4 Jan 27(709)          25 Apr 27(710) 5. Course prerequisites.  Prospective students must complete the  8670 prerequisite described in reference (d) prior to applying to the  EWSBSP.  Students will submit enrollment requests for the 8670  prerequisite through MARINENET, Course Code:  EWSDEPPREQ. 6.Format 6.a. CSCBSP is designed for delivery in three stages:   stage one is a 4-week resident period, stage two is a 28-week online  period, and stage three is a 6-week resident period. 6.b. CSC BSP class dates (read in three columns): Class Number/Location   Report 1st              Report 2nd                         Resident Period         Resident Period 701-702/QUAN            12 Jul 26(701)          21 Apr 27(702) 703-704/CLNC            26 Jul 26(703)          6 Apr 27(704) 705-706/CPCA            26 Jul 26(705)          6 Apr 27(706) 707-708/CLNC            24 Jan 27(707)          14 Sep 27(708) 709-710/CPCA            24 Jan 27(709)          14 Sep 27(710) 7. Application process 8.a. The deadline for submitting the application and updated  material for the BSPs is 1 May 2026, 2359 Eastern Daylight Time(EDT). The online website for submission of all applications and materials  is https:(slant)(slant)www.manpower.usmc.mil/application_noncac/.   Officers with a Manpower and Reserve Affairs portal account will  proceed to the login process. Officers who do not have a Manpower  and Reserve Affairs portal account will receive a 404 access error.   Within the error message are instructions on how to register for a  Manpower and Reserve Affairs portal account. Any active or reserve  component Marines requesting a portal account will be automatically  approved.  Upon login, the system will validate the application for  which the officer is qualified.  Click "RPME-C" and complete the  Reserve Professional Military Education (RPME) application for the  desired program. Officers are strongly advised to read the  instructions in their entirety before completing the application  form. The web-based application allows for the attachment of  documents and offers RPME preference options via drop-down boxes.   Ensure upload of documents into the proper document type (e.g.,  Reserve Qualification Summary (RQS) documents upload into RQS file  type). Officers must complete, sign (digitally or physically), and  attach their RQS NAVMC 10476 (Rev. Sep 2016), which is the current  version located on the online application and on the Reserve Affairs  Management-3 webpage in order for their application to be considered. Once submitted, officers will receive a confirmation email that their application has been received.  Hard copy applications will not be accepted. All submitted material will be destroyed upon completion of the selection process. If unable to access the portal,  email the CDET RLO at [email protected].  Active Reserve program members will not submit applications through  the M&RA portal and must apply via the CDET RLO. 8.b. Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) material. Any documents  that an officer feels should be part of his or her OMPF, other than  fitness reports, must be forwarded to HQMC (MMRP-20) by 30 April  2026, 2359 EDT. Email is the preferred and fastest way to update the  OMPF. Email updated material to [email protected]. In the  text of the email, indicate AY 26-27 RPME-C selection process as the  program being considered for. A single black and white multi-page  attachment in Adobe Portable Document Format will expedite filing.   Ensure all materials contain full name and electronic data  interchange personal identifier (EDIPI).  Personally identifiable  information privacy is the responsibility of the sender. 9. Administration 9.a. Ensure email addresses and telephone numbers are current and  are provided on the application.  Update any changes to point of  contact information promptly. 9.b. Excess BIC. To avoid a break in SELRES affiliation while  enrolled in nonresident PME, SMCR Marines may elect to request  transfer to an excess BIC within their unit in accordance with  reference (e). 9. Notification of selection. The selection panel will select a  number of officers as primaries equal to the number of school seats available. The selection panel will also select a sufficient number  of officers as alternates to meet quota requirements when officers  decline or otherwise cannot accept. Once the results are approved by  CDET, primary selectees for the BSP will be notified via email. The  email will provide administrative guidance for orders processing and  issuance. 10. Withdrawal from course. Officers withdrawing from a course for  which they were selected must do so 60 days prior to the commencement  of the course. Withdrawal within 60 days of the commencement of the  course will be documented in the officer’s OMPF with a non-punitive  page 11 entry. 11. This MARADMIN is applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve (AR, SMCR,  IMA, and IRR) and has been coordinated with Marine Forces Reserve.    12. Release authorized by Brigadier General M. W. Tracy,  President, Marine Corps University.//