ACADEMIC YEAR 26-27 UNITED STATES ARMY WAR COLLEGE DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ACTIVE DUTY OFFICERS

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.//