R 251450Z SEP 07 ZUI ASN-A00268000009 ZYB
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-5//
TO ALCOAST
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UNCLAS //N01524//
ALCOAST 456/07
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 APRIL 23
2008 IN MONTEREY CA OR JUNE 23 2008 IN SHEPHERDSTOWN WV. A SINGLE
APPLICATION WILL RESULT IN CONSIDERATION FOR BOTH CLASSES 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 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.  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.  AS 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 FULL 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 DECEMBER 2007.  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 MR. MIKE CALLAHAN G-513-1, WHO
CAN BE REACHED AT 202-372-2680 OR AT MICHAEL.D.CALLAHAN (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.  INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
8.  RDML B. M. SALERNO, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR POLICY AND
PLANNING SENDS.
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