This page was last updated on 20 July 04
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Welcome
Welcome to the Joint Officer Matters page. You can click on the email tag
above, or call me at DSN 278-9284 or Commercial (703) 784-9284. My Fax number is 9844.
Director, Personnel Management Division
Attn: MMOA-5
3280 Russell Rd
Quantico, VA 22134-5103
Semper Fi
Details from the 2002 Def Auth Act, signed Dec 01, are located in the FAQ section and are highlighted in blue.
The JSO designation process has changed. Designations will now go twice a year, with eligibility cut-offs in December and June.
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JPME
JPME Phase II courses are available at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA three times each year, in January, April and July (one course to be added, tentatively, in FY05). You must have completed Phase I JPME and must have command concurrence to attend this course. The Marine Corps Command and Staff Course satisfies the Phase I requirement (residents must have graduated after June 89 and non-residents must have graduated after Jan 94). Other Intermediate Level School (ILS) equivalents, as well as the Naval or Marine War College/equivalent Top Level School (TLS) count as Phase I JPME. The CJCSI 1800.1 Enclosure A provides all of the JPME eligible courses and Appendix D to Encl A will list the dates they were certified for JPME I credit. National War College and ICAF count as both JPME I and II credit. There are also several fellowships and International Military Colleges that were approved for JPME I credit during certain years. If you have a specific question about one of these, please contact me.
In order for you to be a "Category A JSO eligible" you MUST complete JPME prior
to or during your JDA (Joint Duty Assignment), except COS officers who complete 36 months (see FAQ's).
You will need to submit a request to this office at least 2 months prior
to the course convening date.
Please remember most Commands do not want/aren't able to give you the time to attend JPME while you are
attached to them. I recommend you check with the Command before going there and plan to try to attend
JPME enroute. The Joint Staff adheres to the policy of not sending officers currently serving on the staff.
JPME is paid for by HQMC.
FY05 JPME II Course Dates (TENTATIVE):
18 Jan-25 Mar 05
4 Apr-10 Jun 05
27 Jun-2 Sept 05
12 Sep-18 Nov 05
NEW JPME OPPORTUNITY!! Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS):
apply via ILS/TLS process; MARADMIN to be published Aug-Sept timeframe
available for Majors/LtCols
first class meets August 2004 (attendees already slated)
10 month course in Norfolk, VA
provides ILS/TLS credit (dependent upon rank of attendee)
will provide JPME Phase II credit
potential for Master's Degree after course is accredited
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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ #1: What are the most recent, significant changes to Joint Duty?
In a snapshot, the following things were changed/affected as a result of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2002. More specific information can be found below in the FAQ section.
- No more JSO board
- Must be JSO for promotion to Brigadier General
- Joint credit for serving on certain JTF HQ's
FAQ #2: What is JDAMIS?
JDAMIS (Joint Duty Assignment Management Information System) is the DOD computer system that tracks
all personnel who are, or have been assigned to a JDA. Each service has a JDAMIS manager (my assistant) who is responsible for ensuring that begin and end dates are entered into the system. We are
not allowed to enter dates into the system until AFTER you have checked into or departed from the JDA.
Most of the time, I know when someone is leaving a joint billet, but occasionally Marines depart without my knowledge. What this means is that it may be months or years before you are identified
as having departed from a joint duty assignment---which, in turn, means you may not screen for JSO eligibility until your record is corrected. I recommend you contact the JDAMIS manager once you have left a JDA to ensure you are properly logged into and out of JDAMIS!
FAQ #3: How do I know if I am in a Joint Duty Assignment?
There are about 2000 billets that Marine Officers can fill at Joint Commands, but only about 570 of
those billets are assignments that grant joint credit. Most of the time, your monitor can tell
you if you are going to a billet that gives joint credit, if not...that's what I am here for!
FAQ #4: How long do I have to serve to get joint credit?
The normal tour length for any joint billet in CONUS, as well as most of those outside of CONUS, is 36 months. There are some 24 month billets which will grant you full credit upon completion and some 12 month billets that grant cumulative credit (cumulative credit does not, of itself, constitute eligibility for promotion to O-7, JSO designation or inclusion in joint promotion reports). If serving in a 36 month billet, you are
eligible to be released at the 34 month mark with full joint credit, if required to pull you
early for turnover or other such purposes (the two month gap counts as "constructive credit"). Constructive credit is granted on a case-by-case basis, since the two month deficit counts against the Marine Corps when Tour Length Average (TLA) is calculated. TLA is mandated by law to remain at a per-fiscal-year minimum of 36 months. Anything less
than 34 months requires a waiver and early release request. Waivers are generally granted only for Marines who are going to
Commanding Officer billets or Intermediate/Top Level School. The exception to the rule is for COS officers. See the next FAQ for information on COS officers.
FAQ #5: What is a COS Officer and what are the exceptions?
A COS (Critical Occupational Specialty) Officer is any Marine with a Primary MOS in one of the following Occupation Fields:
03XX, 08XX, 13XX, 18XX, 72XX and 75XX. These officers are only required to complete 24 months
(22 months if you include constructive credit) to get full credit. We still need to request an
early release with justification (usually Command or school) and must have a letter from a General Officer in your chain of command, concuring with early release from your JDA.
FAQ #6: Am I eligible for JSO?
JSO (Joint Specialty Officer) is an MOS (9702) designation. There is no longer a board process. Any officer who completes a full JDA and has completed JPME I and II will be submitted to OSD.
There are still 4 categories for eligibility as follows:
- Category A
- Completed JPME I & II and then a full JDA (36 months) or COS who completed full JDA (36 months)
and then JPME
- Category B
- COS officers who completed JPME I & II and a full JDA under COS provisions (24 months)
- Category C
- Non-COS officers who completed the full JDA prior to JPME II. This Cat needs a waiver.
- Category D
- Officers who completed 2 full JDA's but no JPME II.
We are still limited to 10% per pay grade of Category C & D waivers (combined). If we have more candidates than slots, there will be a board process to select those to be submitted. Pending legislation may negate the waiver requirement for Category C and D waivers, possibly beginning in FY05.
FAQ #7: How do I get credit for a JTF?
There are several JTF HQ's that are being considered for joint credit. If you served on the HQ Staff (must be HQ Staff) of one of the following JTF's for a minimum of 90 days, you may be eligible for cumulative joint credit (see FAQ #4, above, for description of cumulative credit).
If you think you may be eligible for JTF Joint credit, please apply on the JTF webpage "https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/jtf/owa/jtf_main.home" and Email me with your supporting information regarding JTF billet info, time frame held, reporting senior, reviewing Officer and Command attached to at the time of the TAD (professional categories such as MOS 4402, Judge Advocate, are excluded from receiving joint credit, by law). The application process for the first three JTF's listed below is required only for service completed prior to 1 July 2004; after that date, the CJTF HQ Staff will submit info directly to the Joint Staff J-1 for adjudication of cumulative joint credit. The next cut-off date for processing JTF credit applications is 1 Aug 04.
- CJTF-180, 20020530 to (end date TBD), HQ= Bagram, Afghanistan
- CJTF-7, 20030501 to (end date TBD), HQ= Camp Dohar, Qatar
- CJTF-HOA, 20021017 to (end date TBD), HQ= Camp Lemonier, Djibouti)
- Operation Northern Watch, 19920801 to (end date TBD), HQ = Incirlik, Turkey
- Operation Southern Watch, 19920827 to (end date TBD)
- Operation Able Sentry, 19930626 to 19990228, HQ = Skopje, Macedonia
- Operation Joint Endeavor, 19951225 to 19961219, HQ= Tulza, Bosnia
- Operation Joint Guard, 19961220 to 19980620, HQ = Tulza, Bosnia
- Operation Desert Thunder, 19980124 to 19981215, HQ = Camp Doha, Kuwait
- Operation Joint Forge, 19980620 to 19990610, HQ = Tulza, Bosnia
- Operation Noble Anvil, 19990324 to 19990720, HQ = Naples, Italy
- Operation Joint Guardian, 19990611 to (end date TBD), HQ= Yurosevic, Kosovo
FAQ #8: Do I have to be a JSO to get promoted to General?
Yes. Legislative change now requires JSO designation in order to be selected for the rank of Brigadier General. This goes into effect for the FY 08 promotion board. Currently, another legislative change proposal calls for this to be further adjusted to take effect in FY09; updates will be provided on this website when available.
FAQ #9: How can I make sure I get credit for my Joint Tour?
I am responsible for ensuring your records are accurately maintained and up-to-date. It is in your best
interest to call this office at the following times:
- If you are being pulled from your JDA at less than 34 months (non- COS).
In these cases, a tour length waiver and early release form has to be submitted and approved
before you leave your current JDA and before you can be granted credit.
- If you are being pulled from your JDA at less than 22 months (non-Cos & COS)
In these cases, a tour length waiver and early release form has to be submitted and approved
before you leave your current JDA in order for you to be granted cumulative credit.
- If you are a COS officer and are being pulled at the 22-24 month mark.
There must be an early release request generated by this headquarters and approved by your command prior to your departure.
- If you have completed a full 34-36 month JDA.
Once you have physically left the Joint Command, you should call (about a month later) to verify
that we have logged you out of JDAMIS; this completes your joint duty credit.
- If you are retiring from a Joint Command... please give us a call to ensure we know
that you are retiring and that you should be removed from JDAMIS.
- If you are enroute to or departing from a FAO/RAO or Defense Attache billet. Due to the unique assignment process for these billets, this office may not be aware of your status. Please contact us to ensure you receive joint duty credit.
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JDAL Billets
The JDAL is a list of joint billets that provide joint duty credit. Field Grade Monitors will "draw" staffing for various joint billets. Please contact your monitor regarding the billets he/she is responsible for filling during the fiscal year. Billet info will not be determined/available prior to September of the preceding year (i.e., summer 2005 billets won't be known until September/October 2004). Please do not contact me directly regarding billet openings, as I do not make assignments and will not interfere with the Monitors' prerogative.
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UN Observers
These TAD billets are now filled via our Individual Augmentee (IA) process. They require a Secret
Clearance, 6 years TIS (waiverable), languages are nice, but not necessary, need official and
sometimes tourist passport and valid driver's license. There is predeployment training that MUST be attended. If you are interested in volunteering for one of these positions, please Email me and I will forward your name/info to the appropriate section POC.
UNMEE (Ethiopia/Eritrea)
UNOMIG (Georgia; requires Russian speaker)
UNMIL (Liberia)
UNMIK (Kosovo)
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Other Web Sites of Interest!
The DOD locator and USMC site locater will help you find any sites not listed.
The DON Link will help find Navy Personnel or Marines
working in a Navy Command!
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