ALCOAST 181/19 - MAY 2019 COMMAND AND STAFF POST-GRADUATE PROGRAM SOLICITATION

R 241028 MAY 19
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-5R//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS//N01524//
ALCOAST 181/19
COMDTNOTE 1524
SUBJ:  COMMAND AND STAFF POST-GRADUATE PROGRAM SOLICITATION
A. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 081002 APR 19/ALCOAST 114/19
1. This ALCOAST solicits applicants for postgraduate opportunities at the Department of
Defense's Command and Staff Colleges.
2. Overview. Each year the Coast Guard sends officers to the Air Command and Staff College,
the Army Command and General Staff College, the College of Naval Command and Staff, and the
Marine Corps Command and Staff College. These 10-month resident programs offer outstanding
opportunities for professional development. All graduates earn a Master's Degree and Joint
Professional Military Education Level 1 (JPME-1) credit.
   a. Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) in Montgomery, Alabama (1 Quota). Information is
available at: http://www.airuniversity.af.mil/ACSC/.
   b. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) in Fort Leavenworth, KS (2 Quotas).
Information is available at: http://usacac.army.mil/organizations/cace/cgsc/. Those officers
selected for CGSC have the opportunity to apply to the Army School of Advanced Military
Studies (SAMS) program (1 Quota). SAMS educates officers, following completion of CGSC, at
the graduate level to become agile and adaptive leaders who are critical and creative
thinkers who produce viable options to solve operational and strategic problems. The highly
competitive inter-service SAMS program is a yearlong program, completed following CGSC.
More information about SAMS is available at: https://usacac.army.mil/organizations/cace/cgsc/sams.
   c. College of Naval Command and Staff (CNCS) at the Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, RI
(4 Quotas). Information is available at: www.usnwc.edu. Those officers selected for CNCS have
the opportunity to apply for the Maritime Advanced Warfare School (MAWS), as well as other
advanced study and scholars programs once the program begins. MAWS imparts significant
maritime and joint planning knowledge and skills to select all-service officers for
subsequent assignment to the numbered fleets, Navy components, U.S. combatant commands, and
analogous operational war-fighting staffs. More information about MAWS is available at:
https://usnwc.edu/college-of-naval-command-and-staff/Additional-Academic-Opportunities/Maritime-
Advanced-Warfighting-School.
   d. Marine Corps Command and Staff College (CSC) in Quantico, VA (2 Quotas). Information is
available at: https://www.usmcu.edu/CSC/. Those officers selected for CSC have
the opportunity to apply to the Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) program
(1 Quota). SAW educates officers, following completion of CSC, at the graduate level and
develops complex problem solving and decision making skills that can be used to improve the
warfighting capabilities of an organization at the operational level of war. The highly
competitive inter-service SAW program is a yearlong program, completed following CSC.
More information about SAW is available at: https://grc-usmcu.libguides.com/mcu/saw.
3. Eligibility. This program is open to all operational specialties. Ideal candidates are
those officers just completing an operational tour. This program offers opportunities in the
Defense Operations career field (OAR-12), which values officers able to maintain an
operational career path. Attending a Command and Staff College directly from an operational
tour allows officers enough time to complete both a degree and payback tour and not miss
important windows for future assignments. In addition to the application guidelines set forth
in REF (A), applicants must:
   a. Be in the grade of 0-4. Those selected for promotion to the grade of 0-4 or 0-5 for
promotion year 2020 are also encouraged to apply.
   b. Possess the requisite academic aptitude to earn a Master's degree. If selected,
students will complete all of the requirements to earn a Master's degree. (Standardized tests
are NOT required for this program.)
4. Follow on Tours. Graduates of Command and Staff Colleges can expect follow on assignments
in locations that involve execution of Defense Operations, to include: Headquarters Office of
Counterterrorism and Defense Operations Policy (CG-ODO), Area Staffs, various liaison and
staff positions in the Pentagon, liaison assignments with the Navy, and assignments to
Combatant Commands. Tour lengths range from two to four years.
5. Additional information is available on school websites. Students do not apply directly to
the school and should not contact them for application information or instructions. For
additional information, prospective students are encouraged to contact LCDR Michael Bell at:
Michael.S.Bell@uscg.mil or (202) 372-2049.
6. RDML Anthony J. Vogt, Assistant Commandant for Response Policy, sends.
7. Internet release is authorized.