ALCOAST 129/08 COMDTNOTE 1524 SUBJ: POSTGRADUATE TRNG: MASTER OF HOMELAND SECURITY (MHS) PROGRAM A. 5 USC 4108 1. OVERVIEW: CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMANDANTS EMPHASIS ON PREPARING OUR PEOPLE TO MEET OUR HOMELAND SECURITY NEEDS 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. WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS), ODP HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PREPARING LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL RESPONDERS FOR ACTION FOLLOWING AN EMERGENCY INCIDENT AND IS THEREFORE THE LEAD AGENCY IN SELECTING APPLICANTS FOR THIS PROGRAM. 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM AND REQUIREMENTS: A. APPLICANTS WHO ARE SELECTED UNDER THIS SOLICITATION WILL BE ENROLLED IN AN 18-MONTH DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM STARTING SEPTEMBER 2008 IN MONTEREY CA. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS 01 MAY 2008. AN APPLICATION WILL RESULT IN CONSIDERATION FOR THE PROGRAM LEADING TO A MASTER OF ARTS IN HOMELAND SECURITY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WITH ALL TUITION AND OTHER COSTS (INCLUDING TAD) PAID BY ODP. APPLICANTS 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 WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. HOWEVER, TWO-WEEK TAD RESIDENCE PERIODS AT NPS WILL BE REQUIRED EVERY QUARTER, THESE WILL BE FUNDED BY ODP. PERSONNEL APPLYING FOR THIS PROGRAM MUST ASSURE THAT THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND WILL SUPPORT THEIR ABSENCE FROM NORMALLY ASSIGNED DUTIES FOR THESE TAD RESIDENCE PERIODS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT COURSE WORK AND COMMUNICATIONS AMONGST STUDENTS AND FACULTY MAY REQUIRE BETWEEN 15 TO 20 HOURS PER WEEK OF EFFORT OUTSIDE OF NORMAL WORKING HOURS. COMMANDS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GRANT SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS ANY WORK-HOUR FLEXIBILITY POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THIS CHALLENGING PROGRAM. 3. SUGGESTED CANDIDATES: A. THE FOCUS OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO FORM A NETWORK OF LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS FOR RESPONDING TO LOCAL INCIDENTS. BECAUSE THERE IS A STRONG NEED FOR FUTURE CG SENIOR LEADERSHIP TO POSSESS THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THIS COURSE OFFERS, AND BECAUSE OTHER AGENCY APPLICANTS ARE USUALLY MORE SENIOR PEOPLE, THE FOCUS OF THIS OFFERING IS TO ATTRACT SENIOR MILITARY AND GS PERSONNEL. APPLICANTS SHOULD BE OFFICERS OR CIVILIANS AT THE LCDR/CDR/CAPT 04/05/06 LEVEL OR GS 12/13/14/15. B. ALTHOUGH INDIVIDUALS AT THESE PAYGRADES WILL 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. TO DATE WE HAVE PROVEN SUCCESSES FROM CANDIDATES AS JUNIOR AS 03. C. PROVEN EXPERTISE IN HS-RELATED FIELDS, OBJECTIVELY MEASURED LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL, AND EXCELLENT ACADEMIC SKILLS ARE A FEW OF THE ODP STUDENT SELECTION CRITERIA. THEREFORE APPLICANTS SHOULD MENTION ANY LEADERSHIP OR RESPONSE EXPERIENCE ON THEIR APPLICATION. 4. APPLICATION PROCESS: A. THE ON-LINE APPLICATION PROCESS CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.CHDS.US. SELECT "APPLICATION" FROM THE MENU BAR AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE TO BEGIN THE APPLICATION PROCESS. SINCE THE COAST GUARD 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 FUNDING (NOTE DOD SERVICE OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY). B. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE AND CHALLENGING PROGRAM. THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATION FOR ADMISSION TO GRADUATE STUDY IS A 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 IS 01 MAY 2008. INTERESTED PERSONNEL SHOULD APPLY DIRECTLY TO NPS VIA THE WEB SITE LISTED - DO NOT GO 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 (EMAIL FROM COMMAND IS ACCEPTABLE) STATING COMMAND SUPPORT OF TAD OR WORK HOUR FLEXIBILITY THAT THE MHS PROGRAM MAY REQUIRE. APPLICANTS NEED NOT INFORM THE PROGRAM MANAGER OF THEIR INTENT TO APPLY, BUT MUST NOTIFY UPON ACCEPTANCE. 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 GRADUATES (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. 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 THE 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 THE 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 A PG DEGREE EARNED OFF-DUTY WOULD NOT AFFECT THE ABILITY TO APPLY FOR CG- SPONSORED PG PROGRAMS). 6. THE CG MHS PROGRAM MANAGER IS MS. ANNETTE AMBROSIO CG-133, WHO CAN BE REACHED AT 202-475-5515 OR AT ANNETTE.M.AMBROSIO (AT) 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 7. RDML D. R. MAY, ACTING DIRECTOR OF RESERVE/DIRECTOR OF TRAINING SENDS. 8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.