MARADMIN 050/25
FISCAL YEAR 2026 (FY26) AND FISCAL YEAR 2027 (FY27) SECURITY COOPERATION ORGANIZATION (SCO) SELECTION BOARD ANNOUNCEMENT
R 311825Z JAN 25 MARADMIN 050/25 MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC MM MRA WASHINGTON DC// SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2026 (FY26) AND FISCAL YEAR 2027 (FY27) SECURITY COOPERATION ORGANIZATION (SCO) SELECTION BOARD ANNOUNCEMENT// REF/A/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20130327// REF/B/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20200429// REF/C/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20210510// REF/D/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20200706// REF/E/MSGID: DOC/DOD/YMD: 20180403// NARR/REF A IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 1520.11F, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PROGRAM. REF B IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 5710.6D, MARINE CORPS SECURITY COOPERATION. REF C IS MARINE CORPS ORDER 1300.8 CH-1, PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT POLICY. REF D IS CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF INSTRUCTION 1330.05, JOINT OFFICER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PROCEDURES. REF E IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) INSTRUCTION 1300.19, DOD JOINT OFFICER MANAGEMENT (JOM) PROGRAM.// POC/BRETT M. MCCORMICK/LTCOL/PPO PL/DSN: 312-224-4365/ COMM: 703-692-4365/ EMAIL: BRETT.MCCORMICK(AT)USMC.MIL// POC/CLAY J.FISHER/CIV/PPO PL/DSN: 312-224-0322/COMM: 703-614-0322/ EMAIL: CLAYTON.FISHER(AT)USMC.MIL// POC/LEE M. MOFFETT/MGYSGT/PPO PL/DSN: 312-224-4366/ COMM: 703-692-4366/ EMAIL: LEE.MOFFETT(AT)USMC.MIL// POC/ASHLEY K. ALMEIDA/CTR/PPO PL/DSN: 312-224-2168/ COMM:703-692-2168/EMAIL:ASHLEY.ALMEIDA.CTR(AT)USMC.MIL// POC/NICHOLAS K. MOELLER/MAJ/MMOA-3/COMM: 703-784-9211/ EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/JAIME L. GOSS/MAJ/MMOA-3/COMM: 703-784-9284/ EMAIL: [email protected]// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This message solicits applications to fill FY26 and FY27 SCO billet vacancies. All applicants must be prepared to move in the early summer of FY26, if selected. The International Affairs Program (IAP) seeks qualified officers to serve in Joint SCO billets with respective Combatant Commands (CCMD). The board will select officers based on their specific political-military and security cooperation experience, language, regional expertise, and cultural (LREC) skills, and performance as Marine Air Ground Task Force officers. Per ref (b), SCOs serve in influential strategic-level positions where they are the foremost points of contact between the Department of Defense and the host nation Ministry of Defense, other government agencies, small businesses, and academia. SCOs are located in or associated with U.S. diplomatic facilities worldwide and are responsible for overseeing and implementing in-country security cooperation events, to include security assistance programs, and for facilitating cooperation in research, development, and acquisition with allied and partner nations. 1.a. Major timeline milestones are (read in two columns): Date Milestone 18 April 2025 Applications due 5 May 2025 Board convenes 2 June 2025 Release of results 2. Eligibility 2.a. Eligibility requirements 2.a.1. Applicants must be on active duty. 2.a.2. Must receive monitor concurrence. 2.a.3. Time on station requirements. 2.a.4. Applicants must meet minimum prescribed tour control factor (TCF) and be eligible for permanent change of station (PCS) orders in FY26. All FY27 SCO billets require language training in FY26 unless a selectee already possess the required language skills. Those selected for FY26 SCO billets will move in FY26 and not attend language training. 2.a.4.a. If an applicant does not meet their prescribed TCF requirements in paragraph 2.a.4, they must submit a exception to policy (ETP), endorsed by the first O-6 in the chain of command, via NAVMC 10274 (AA-Form), with their application. Transfer inside of the prescribed TCF will result in a gap for that command until the TCF has concluded. If an officer is selected prior to his/her normal rotation date, Manpower Management Officer Assignments (MMOA) will attempt to provide a backfill. A commander's endorsement of the AA Form is considered acknowledgement of this situation. MMOA will adjudicate the ETP separately from the board process and must be approved by MMOA before a Marine will be considered for a SCO billet vacancy. An officer with an approved ETP will be a FY26 mover regardless of selection to the SCO program. 2.a.5. Applicants must meet the grade criterion (or be selected for promotion to that grade) of the associated duty for which they are applying and must possess the career timing to serve a full tour of duty in the grade of the billet for which they are applying. Lieutenant Colonel applicants must plan to opt-out of consideration for promotion if selected if they enter the in-zone population at any time during their anticipated tour of duty and must agree to do so in their application if selected. Officers serving in a Standard Joint Duty Assignment (S-JDA) will be eligible for full joint duty credit after 24 months of service. 2.a.6. Applicants must already have a completed Tier Five (T-5) investigation and have Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) eligibility. Application to serve as a SCO is not sufficient justification for an investigation eligibility determination. T-5 investigation requests will not be submitted as part of the SCO application. 2.a.7. Study track Foreign Area Officers (FAO) and Regional Affairs Officers (RAO) are eligible to apply. If selected to a position within their regional designation, this tour will count as their utilization assignment. 2.b. Ineligibility criteria 2.b.1. Officers with an established separation or retirement date. 2.b.2. Officers in the above zone. Captains and Majors offered continuation and Lieutenant Colonels in the above-zone may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 2.b.3. Applicants selected for or currently attending programs that have a designated utilization assignment are ineligible. 2.b.4. Those officers currently serving in a S-JDA who will not have completed a full tour (24 months) prior to July 2026. 3. The FY26 and FY27 SCO selection board will screen for the following SCO positions. This list is subject to change up until the conclusion of the board based on IAP and CCMD requirements. For the most current list, visit the website listed in paragraph 5.c.1. 3.a. FY26 SCO billet vacancies (read in eight columns). Grd BMOS Country Language RptDate MCC JDAL Note O5 8248 Philippines Tagalog Jul 26 NAL 00007277 1,3,4