HQMC has announced the FY27 Recruiting Station Commanding Officer (RSCO) Selection Board. The board convenes 8 June 2026 and will select primary and alternate picks to fill 18 recruiting stations across the country. Eligible officers need to act now: the questionnaire is already open, and the deadline is hard.
Heads up: This board is active-duty only, but the results shape who leads recruiting stations that bring future Marines into the Corps.
Who it affects
This board screens active-duty majors and captains only. Specific criteria:
- Majors and majors (select) with a date of rank of 1 July 2025 or junior, who will meet minimum time on station (TOS) by 1 September 2027.
- Captains in-zone for promotion to major in CY2026/FY2028, who will meet minimum TOS by 1 September 2027.
Who is not screened:
- Officers with an approved separation or retirement date.
- Officers with orders already in hand with a Tour Control Factor over 12 months.
- Limited duty officers.
- Officers selected for or attending programs with a designated utilization tour: Graduate Education Programs (GEPs), Test Pilot, Foreign Area Officer (FAO) / Regional Area Officer (RAO), School of Advanced Warfighting or joint equivalents, Funded Law.
- Officers with an approved FY27 lateral move.
- Naval aviators completing two or more consecutive years in DIFDEN (Duty in Flight Status, All Flight Activity Denied) status during FY27 (normally exempt).
Officers who fall outside eligibility but still want to be screened can request an exception to policy (ETP) via an AA (Administrative Action) form to MMOA-3, endorsed by the first O-5 in their chain of command and concurred by their PMOS monitor.
What you need to do
If you are eligible, here is the sequence:
- Check the eligibility roster on the MMOA-3 website under the Top Level Schools and Programs tab, Recruiting Station Commanding Officer sub-folder:
https://www.manpower.marines.mil/Divisions/Manpower-Management/Officer-Assignments/Plans-and-Programs-MMOA-3/#tab/top-level-schools-and-programs - Complete the online questionnaire (preferences, any supplemental material not in your OMPF) at:
https://www2.manpower.usmc.mil/application_cac/edu/ViewBoardServlet.action?boardID=5346 - Submit by 2359 EST on 1 May 2026. Late submissions may be considered at the board president's discretion, but do not count on it.
- Ensure your OMPF is current. Submit updates via O-RMA (OMPF-Records Management Application). Contact your S-1 or local IPAC if you need help.
- Ensure all fitness reports are submitted to Performance Evaluation Section (MMRP-30). Incomplete fitreps will not normally go to the board.
- Photos are required per MARADMIN 582/25.
If you want to remove by request (RBR): You must still complete the questionnaire and attach an AA form stating your reason, endorsed by the first general officer in your chain. "Career progression concerns" are not accepted as a reason. RBR is also due by 2359 EST on 1 May 2026. Email a copy to your PMOS monitor.
If you decline after selection: Put it in writing via AA form through your first general officer to HQMC (MMOA-3). Know the stakes: officers who decline command are ineligible for future command at any rank unless the Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs approves an exception.
Key dates
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Now (on release of this MARADMIN) | Questionnaire open |
| 1 May 2026 (2359 EST) | Questionnaire due, RBR due |
| 8 June 2026 | Board convenes |
| TBD (post-board MARADMIN) | Results released |
Available billets
The following 18 recruiting stations are expected to be slated:
1st Marine Corps District: RS Frederick MD, RS Harrisburg PA, RS New York NY
4th Marine Corps District: RS Charlotte NC, RS Louisville KY, RS Ohio
6th Marine Corps District: RS Montgomery AL, RS Orlando FL
8th Marine Corps District: RS Austin TX, RS Fort Worth TX, RS San Antonio TX
9th Marine Corps District: RS Denver CO, RS Milwaukee WI, RS Twin Cities MN
12th Marine Corps District: RS Los Angeles CA, RS Portland OR, RS San Francisco CA, RS Seattle WA
This list is subject to change up to the day the board convenes.
After selection
Officers who complete a successful RSCO tour have the option to attend Marine Corps Command and Staff College (USMC CSC) without screening through the Commandant's Professional Intermediate Education Board (CPIB), or screen for other CPIB opportunities. Those who finish as lieutenant colonels (select) may compete for fellowship opportunities. Officers who pass on resident PME can request geo-location preference for their follow-on assignment.
Per the past five years of data cited in this MARADMIN: 68 percent of successful RSCOs were selected as primaries for lieutenant colonel command, versus a 21 percent overall selection rate. That is a meaningful difference.
The official version
This information comes from MARADMIN 146/26. It references MCO 1300.8 CH-1 (Personnel Assignment Policy), MCO 1900.16 CH-2 (Separation and Retirement Manual), MARADMIN 582/25 (official photograph requirements), and MARADMIN 371/03 (PME requirements for RSCO officers).
Primary POC is Maj T.J. Kitasato, MMOA-3, at taylor.kitasato@usmc.mil or (703) 784-9284. MOS-specific monitors are listed in the MARADMIN.
This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.