The Marine Corps has announced the FY27 Reserve Command Screening Board (RCSB), which will convene 17 August 2026 for RC LtCols (and LtCol selects) and 24 August 2026 for RC Cols (and Col selects). The board will slate officers for RC command and post-command billets projected to open between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027. If you're an eligible RC LtCol or Col who wants to command, this is your board.
Bottom line: Applications must be submitted online before the board convenes. No other submission method is accepted.
Who it affects
RC LtCols, LtCol selects, Cols, and Col selects, both unrestricted (UR) and active reserve (AR), who are eligible and interested in command. There are also two UR Col post-command billets for officers who have already completed a successful Col command tour.
There are a lot of ineligibility criteria. You are NOT eligible if any of these apply:
- You have an established separation or retirement date.
- Your mandatory removal or retirement date falls within two years of the projected assumption of command.
- You have been approved for sanctuary, are on orders that take you beyond 18 total years of active duty (AD) service, or the RCSP billet itself would take you past 18 years of AD service. (AR officers are exempt from this restriction.)
- You are unwilling or unable to attend the Commandant's Combined Commandership Course (Cornerstone).
- You were previously selected for command and declined it, or you were an alternate who was fleeted up and then declined.
- You are in the Special Education Program and have not yet completed 24 months of your utilization tour.
- You are an AR officer in a joint duty or overseas assignment who will not have completed 24 months in that assignment by the projected change of command (PCOC) date.
- You are an AR officer on your accession tour who will not reach 24 months time on station by 31 July 2026.
- LtCols: you are currently holding, have previously held, or are already slated for an RCSP billet. Also ineligible if you are in-zone or above-zone on the next scheduled promotion board.
- Cols: if you have previously held a UR Col command billet, you cannot apply for another one. If you have not completed a successful 24-month Col command billet, you cannot apply for a UR Col post-command billet.
What you need to do
If you believe you're eligible and want to apply:
- Confirm you hold the PMOS required for the specific billet(s) you want. Applications without the requisite PMOS will not be considered.
- Submit your application through the online web-based portal only. No paper or email applications are accepted.
- If you are an aviator applying for a billet requiring Duty Involving Flight Operations (DIFOP), submit a signed Aviation Qualification Summary (AQS) and a current up-chit with your application. Applications for DIFOP billets without both documents will not be considered.
- Verify your official photo meets current requirements per MARADMIN 585/25.
The application portal and support documentation (including the AQS form) are available on the RAM-3 website. Navigate to the "Reserve Programs and Boards (RAM-3)" tab, then the "Reserve Command Screening Program" dropdown.
RAM-3 website: https://www.manpower.marines.mil/Divisions/Reserve-Affairs-Division/Reserve-Affairs-Management-RAM/Reserve-Affairs-Management-Embeds/
Key dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Board convenes (LtCol/LtCol Select) | 17 August 2026 |
| Board convenes (Col/Col Select) | 24 August 2026 |
| AR officer accession tour TOS cutoff | 31 July 2026 |
| Earliest PCOC date for available billets | October 2026 |
| Latest PCOC date for available billets | September 2027 |
Available commands
The board is slating the following billets. Format: Billet title, location, eligible MOS(es), projected change of command (PCOC).
UR Col/Col Select Command Billets
| Billet | Location | MOS | PCOC |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO, 3d Civil Affairs Group (CAG), FHG | Great Lakes, IL | 8040/8041/8042 | Sep 2027 |
| CO, 4th CAG, FHG | Hialeah, FL | 8040/8041/8042 | Jan 2027 |
| CO, Military Intelligence Unit (MIU), MARFORRES | Newburgh, NY | 8040/8041/8042 | Sep 2027 |
| Senior Reserve Advisor (SRA), 25th Marines, 4th MARDIV | Fort Devens, MA | 8041 | Oct 2026 |
| SRA, 14th Marines, 4th MARDIV | Fort Worth, TX | 8041 | Mar 2027 |
| SRA, MAG-41, 4th MAW | Fort Worth, TX | 8042 | Aug 2027 |
| SRA, HQTRS Marine Intelligence Group (MIG), FHG | JEB Little Creek-Fort Story | 8041/8042 | Oct 2026 |
| SRA, CLR-4 | Kansas City, MO | 8040 | Oct 2026 |
UR Col/Col Select Post-Command Billets
| Billet | Location | MOS | PCOC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Wing Commander, 4th MAW | New Orleans, LA | 8042 | Jun 2027 |
| Vice Chief of Staff, MARFORSOUTH | New Orleans, LA | 8006 | Oct 2026 |
AR Col/Col Select Command Billet
| Billet | Location | MOS | PCOC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director, Marine Corps Installation and Reserve Support Activity (MCIRSA), FHG | New Orleans, LA | 8040/8041/8042 | May 2027 |
UR LtCol/LtCol Select Command Billets
| Billet | Location | MOS | PCOC |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO, Law Enforcement Battalion (LEB), FHG | Albuquerque, NM | 5803 or 8006 w/ MCICOM G-3/5 Law Enforcement Branch approval | Jul 2027 |
| CO, Intelligence Support Battalion (ISB), FHG | New Orleans, LA | 0202 | Jun 2027 |
| CO, 3d Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), FHG | Bell, CA | 0302/0802/1802/1803/7506 w/ 7502 qual | Jun 2027 |
| CO, 4th ANGLICO, FHG | West Palm Beach, FL | 0302/0802/1802/1803/7506 w/ 7502 qual | Apr 2027 |
| CO, 1st Bn, 23d Marines, 4th MARDIV | Houston, TX | 0302 | Jan 2027 |
| CO, 3d Bn, 23d Marines, 4th MARDIV | Bridgeton, MO | 0302 | Dec 2026 |
| CO, 3d Bn, 25th Marines, 4th MARDIV | Brook Park, OH | 0302 | Jun 2027 |
| CO, 2d Bn, 14th Marines, 4th MARDIV | Grand Prairie, TX | 0802 | Aug 2027 |
| CO, 3d Bn, 14th Marines, 4th MARDIV | Bristol, PA | 0802 | Jul 2027 |
| CO, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB), 4th MARDIV | Camp Fretterd, MD | 1302 | May 2027 |
| CO, HMH-772, 4th MAW | JB McGuire-Dix Lakehurst, NJ | 7566 | Jul 2027 |
| CO, HMLA-775, 4th MAW | Camp Pendleton, CA | 7563/7565 | Jul 2027 |
| CO, VMM-764, 4th MAW | Miramar, CA | 7532 | Jul 2027 |
| CO, Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron (MTACS)-48, 4th MAW | Great Lakes, IL | 7202 | Jun 2027 |
| CO, Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS)-24, 4th MAW | Dam Neck, VA | 7202/0602 | Jul 2027 |
| CO, Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS)-472, 4th MAW | JB McGuire-Dix Lakehurst, NJ | 0402/1302/3002 | Jul 2027 |
| CO, MWSS-473, 4th MAW | San Diego, CA | 0402/1302/3002 | Jun 2027 |
| CO, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS)-41, 4th MAW | Fort Worth, TX | 6002/6602 or 7506 w/ maintenance background | Jun 2027 |
| CO, MALS-49, 4th MAW | New River, NC | 6002/6602 or 7506 w/ maintenance background | Jul 2027 |
| CO, Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB)-23, 4th MLG | Fort Lewis, WA | 0402/1302/3002 | Feb 2027 |
| CO, 6th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB), 4th MLG | Portland, OR | 1302 | See note |
Note: The PCOC date for CO, 6th ESB was not included in the source MARADMIN as received. Confirm with RAM-3 or your S-1.
The official version
Full details are in MARADMIN 206/26. Key references: MCO 1300R.65D (Reserve Command Screening Program), MARADMIN 585/25 (official photo requirements for non-promotion boards), and the NAVMC 1200.1J MOS Manual.
POC: Maj D.B. Kraft, RAM-3, 703-784-1275; B. Ford (Civ), RAM-3, 703-432-9410; G. Bogaczyk, RAM-3, 703-784-1231.
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.