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242000Z MAR 05
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-OP/MP-5//
TO ALCOAST
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UNCLAS //N01524//
ALCOAST 164/05
COMDTNOTE 1524
SUBJ: POSTGRADUATE TRNG: MASTER OF HOMELAND SECURITY (MHS) PROGRAM
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 091305Z NOV 04/ALCOAST 273/04
B. 5 USC 4108
1. OVERVIEW:
CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMANDANTS DIRECTION EMPHASIS ON "PEOPLE" AND FOLLOWING
THE EARLIER OFFERING IN REF A, THE CG IS ANNOUNCING THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR
APPLYING TO THE MASTERS DEGREE IN HOMELAND SECURITY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY THE OFFICE OF DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS (ODP) AND THE NAVAL
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL (NPS) IN MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS
PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP FUTURE LEADERS FOR ORGANIZATIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR
HOMELAND SECURITY. ODP IS THE LEAD AGENCY IN SELECTING APPLICANTS FOR THIS
PROGRAM. WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS), ODP HAS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF PREPARING LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL RESPONDERS FOR ACTION
FOLLOWING AN EMERGENCY INCIDENT.
2. DESCRIPTION OF
PROGRAM AND REQUIREMENTS:
A. APPLICANTS
WHO ARE SELECTED UNDER THIS SOLICITATION FOR THIS PROGRAM WILL BE
ENROLLED IN AN 18 MONTH DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM STARTING IN SEPTEMBER
2005 LEADING TO A MASTER OF ARTS IN HOMELAND SECURITY LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT WITH ALL TUITION AND OTHER COSTS (INCLUDING TAD) PAID FOR BY
ODP. AS APPLICANTS SHOULD APPLY DIRECTLY TO NPS PER PARA 4 BELOW, THERE
WILL NOT BE A CG SELECTION BOARD PROCESS FOR THIS PG PROGRAM.
B. THIS IS A
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM, THEREFORE, PERMANENT TRANSFER OF PERSONNEL
FROM THEIR CURRENT DUTY STATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. HOWEVER, TWO-WEEK
TAD RESIDENCE PERIODS AT NPS WILL BE REQUIRED EVERY QUARTER WHICH WILL
BE FUNDED BY ODP. PERSONNEL WHO WISH TO APPLY SHOULD ASSURE THAT THEIR
CHAIN OF COMMAND WILL SUPPORT THEIR ABSENCE FROM NORMALLY ASSIGNED
DUTIES FOR THESE TAD RESIDENCE PERIODS. ALSO, IT IS EXPECTED THAT
COURSE WORK AND COMMUNICATIONS AMONGST STUDENTS AND FACULTY MAY REQUIRE
BETWEEN 15 TO 20 HOURS PER WEEK OF EFFORT OUTSIDE NORMAL WORKING HOURS.
AGAIN, COMMANDS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GRANT SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ANY WORK
HOUR FLEXIBILITY POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THIS CHALLENGING PROGRAM.
3. SUGGESTED
CANDIDATES:
A. BASED ON THE
FOCUS OF THIS PROGRAM AS A NETWORKING OF LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL
AGENCIES FOR RESPONDING TO LOCAL INCIDENTS, APPLICANTS SHOULD BE
OFFICERS OR CIVILIANS AT THE LCDR/JUNIOR CDR (OR GS-12/13/14) LEVEL AT
GROUPS, MSOs, NATIONAL STRIKE FORCE, MSSTS, DISTRICTS, SECTORS, AREAS,
AND CG HEADQUARTERS AFFILIATED OFFICES. PROVEN EXPERTISE IN HS-RELATED
FIELDS, OBJECTIVELY-MEASURED LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL, AND EXCELLENT
ACADEMIC SKILLS ARE A FEW OF ODP STUDENT SELECTION CRITERIA. THEREFORE,
IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO MENTION ANY LEADERSHIP OR RESPONSE EXPERIENCE
ON YOUR APPLICATION.
B. ALTHOUGH WE
BELIEVE INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE BACKGROUNDS WILL BEST COMPETE AGAINST
FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL-LEVEL FIRST RESPONSE OFFICIALS FOR THIS
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, THIS DOES NOT PRECLUDE ANY MEMBER OF TEAM COAST
GUARD - MILITARY (ACTDU OR RESERVE), CIVILIAN, OR AUXILIARY -
FROM SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION IF THEY DESIRE.
4. APPLICATION
PROCESS:
A. THE ON-LINE
APPLICATION PROCESS CAN BE FOUND AT
WWW.CHDS.US.
SELECT "APPLICATION" FROM THE ORANGE MENU BAR AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE TO
BEGIN APPLICATION PROCESS. AS THE CG IS PART OF DHS AND ELIGIBLE FOR
ODP FUNDING, ALL CG APPLICANTS MUST APPLY AS A "FEDERAL EMPLOYEE" RATHER
THAN AS A MILITARY OFFICER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS FULL FUNDING (NOTE: DOD
SERVICE OFFICERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY).
B. THIS IS AN
EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE AND CHALLENGING PROGRAM. THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATION
FOR ADMISSION TO GRADUATE STUDY IS 3.0 GPA IN COURSE WORK PRODUCING THE
MOST RECENT DEGREE, HOWEVER, THOSE WITH A GPA BELOW THAT LEVEL MAY BE
CONSIDERED IF THEY HAVE EXTRAORDINARY QUALIFICATIONS IN OTHER AREAS THAT
COULD COMPENSATE FOR THEIR ACADEMIC RECORD.
C. THE
APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE SEPTEMBER 2005 START DATE IS 01 MAY 2005.
INTERESTED PERSONNEL SHOULD APPLY DIRECTLY TO NPS VIA THE WEB SITE
LISTED - DO NOT APPLY THROUGH NORMAL USCG PG MEANS AS THIS IS NOT A
CG-OWNED AND OPERATED PG PROGRAM. IF SELECTED BY ODP FOR ACCEPTANCE
INTO THE MHS PROGRAM, PERSONNEL SHALL NOTIFY THE PROGRAM MANAGER AND
PROVIDE A COMMAND ENDORSEMENT (E-MAIL FM COMMAND IS ACCEPTABLE) STATING
COMMAND SUPPORT OF TAD OR WORK HOUR FLEXIBILITY THAT THE MHS PROGRAM MAY
REQUIRE. THERE IS NO NEED TO INFORM THE PROGRAM MANAGER THAT YOU ARE
INTERESTED IN APPLYING - ONLY IF YOU ARE ACCEPTED.
5. NOTES:
A. THERE ARE NO
DESIGNATED FOLLOW-ON BILLETS AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THE EXPERTISE GAINED
DURING THIS PROGRAM WILL LIKELY BE CONSIDERED BY ASSIGNMENT OFFICERS
WHEN CONSIDERING FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS FOR MILITARY GRADUATES. ALL
PERSONNEL (MILITARY AND CIVILIAN) WHO ACCEPT ASSIGNMENT TO THIS PROGRAM
WILL INCUR A 36-WEEK POST-TRAINING SERVICE REQUIREMENT IAW REF B (3 FOR
1 PAYBACK OF TIME SPENT IN RESIDENCE AT NPS (APPROX 12 WEEKS OVER THE
18-MONTH PERIOD)). ACCEPTANCE OF THIS SERVICE REQUIREMENT SHALL BE
INCLUDED WITH THE COMMAND ENDORSEMENT MENTIONED IN PARA 4.
B. THERE ARE NO
SLOTS "SET ASIDE" SOLELY FOR TEAM COAST GUARD PERSONNEL FOR THIS
PROGRAM. ALL ATTENDEES ARE SELECTED THROUGH A NATIONWIDE COMPETITIVE
APPLICATION PROCESS FROM ALL ASPECTS OF FIRST RESPONDERS, MILITARY
BRANCHES, STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS, ETC. THERE ARE NO "TABS" TO FILL
AS IS COMMON IN CG-SPONSORED PG PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED TO CG
PERSONNEL. THIS PROGRAM IS BEING ADMINISTERED ENTIRELY BY ODP AND NPS.
THE COAST GUARD IS MERELY ADVERTISING ITS EXISTENCE TO TEAM COAST GUARD
AND HAS NO PART IN THE SELECTION OF APPLICANTS. ALSO, DURING PRIOR
APPLICATIONS FOR PREVIOUS CLASS STARTS, NUMEROUS CALLS AND E-MAILS WERE
RECEIVED BY THE PROGRAM MANAGER REQUESTING RELIEF FROM ODP STANDARDS.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROGRAM MANAGER OR HIS SUPERIORS ARE NOT ABLE
TO ALTER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS OR THE APPLICATION PROCESS IN ANY WAY.
C. MANY
APPLICANTS HAVE ASKED THE PROGRAM MANAGER AND CGPC-OPM-1 HOW
PARTICIPATION IN THIS DEGREE PROGRAM AFFECTS THEIR POTENTIAL SELECTION
FOR USCG-SPONSORED PG PROGRAMS. CGPC-OPM-1 AND THE PROGRAM MANAGER
SHARE THE OPINION THAT AS THIS PROGRAM IS NOT FUNDED BY THE CG NOR
SHOULD IT TAKE AWAY FROM PERFORMANCE OF CG DUTIES, IT WILL NOT PROHIBIT
OR OTHERWISE NEGATIVELY AFFECT FUTURE APPLICATION TO A CG-SPONSORED PG
PROGRAM (MUCH LIKE THE SITUATION THAT ANY PG DEGREE EARNED ON OFF-DUTY
TIME WOULD ALSO NOT AFFECT THE ABILITY TO APPLY FOR CG-SPONSORED PG
PROGRAMS).
6. THE CG MHS
PROGRAM COORDINATOR IS LCDR MIKE CALLAHAN, G-OP/MP-5, WHO CAN BE REACHED AT
202-267-0321 OR AT MCALLAHAN(AT) COMDT.USCG.MIL (LOWER CASE)
mailto:mcallahan@comdt.uscg.mil.
ANY DETAILED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE MHS PROGRAM OR APPLICATION PROCESS
ITSELF ARE BEST ADDRESSED BY THE CONTACT POINT FOR NPS, MS. HEATHER ISSVORAN,
AT 831-656-2003, OR HISSVORA(AT)NPS.EDU (LOWER CASE).
mailto:hissorva@nps.edu
7. INTERNET RELEASE
AUTHORIZED.
8. ADM J. W.
UNDERWOOD, SENDS.
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