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SUBJ/ACADEMIC YEAR 2024 EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE SCHOOL MARINE AIR GROUND TASK 
FORCE OPERATIONS AFLOAT COURSE// 
 
RMKS/1.  The United States Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School 
is seeking Navy officers to attend its Marine Air Ground Task Force 
Operations Afloat course at Quantico, Virginia in January 2024. 
This funded 11-week course will give students a deeper understanding 
of modern amphibious warfare and sea-based expeditionary operations 
and their associated planning processes with a focus on 
understanding naval warfare across all domains.  The course offers 
all designators opportunities to better understand naval integration 
particularly in regards to the Marine Corps Planning Process, 
embarkation, and employment of the Marine Air Ground Task Force.  The 
Marine Air Ground Task Force Operations Afloat course is scheduled 
for 08 January-22 March 2024.  Entry deadline is Friday, 17 November 
2023. 
 
2.  The goal of Expeditionary Warfare School is to provide junior 
officers with the academic foundation, warfighting ethos, and 
professional growth that will enable them to excel in billets of 
greater leadership responsibility across the Navy, Fleet Marine 
Force, and the Joint Force.  The course places emphasis on the 
warfighting capabilities of a Marine Air Ground Task Force operating 
within a complex and distributed Naval expeditionary environment. 
Expeditionary Warfare School hosts more than 35 Joint Officers from 
the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force.  Additionally, 
Expeditionary Warfare School hosts 20 officers from partner and 
allied nations.  The Marine Corps selects its most competitive junior 
officers to attend this course in residence, making Expeditionary 
Warfare School a tremendous networking opportunity to build 
relationships with the Marine Corps' future leaders. 
    a.  The Marine Air Ground Task Force Operations Afloat course is 
an 11-week block of instruction designed to educate students on 
sea-based Marine Air Ground Task Force operations through the lenses 
of naval military theory, maneuver warfare, and Navy and Marine 
Corps integration. The course educates and trains students in a 
range of naval expeditionary operations while applying the Marine 
Corps Planning Process. 
    b.  The Marine Air Ground Task Force Operations Afloat course 
comprises four sub-courses: Maritime Expeditionary Environment, 
Amphibious Doctrine and Fundamentals, the Amphibious Ready 
Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Amphibious Planning Exercises. 
    c.  The Marine Air Ground Task Force Operations Afloat Course 
Outcomes: 
        (1) Understand the expeditionary naval environment, naval 
operations, and naval campaigns with an emphasis on the littorals. 
        (2) Understand the Marine Corps role in supporting naval 
operations and complexities associated with enabling joint 
operations. 
        (3) Understand the capabilities of the Amphibious Ready 
Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit. 
        (4) Apply Navy and Marine Corps doctrine, maneuver warfare 
philosophy, and the Marine Corps Planning Process to solve complex 
problems in contested maritime terrain. 
        (5) Apply naval and joint doctrine to develop a combined arms, 
multi-domain tactical plan for a sea-based Marine Air Ground Task 
Force. 
    d.  The Marine Air Ground Task Force Operations Afloat block is 
taught in residence at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, by 
Marine, Navy, and Army instructors.  The school utilizes lectures, 
seminar discussions, and deliberate planning practical exercises. 
U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force students from the 
Joint Force and international military officers from partnered and 
allied nations contribute to the broader understanding of the 
multi-service requirements to fight and win in the maritime 
environment. 
 
3.  Eligibility.  The course is open to active duty officers in the 
paygrades of WO-1 to CWO-3 and O-2 to O-3 in all designators. 
Preference will be given to Unrestricted Line designators and to 
members of the Medical Service Corps. 
 
4.  Administration and Logistics. 
    a.  Application.  Officers desiring to attend the course must 
apply by submitting the following documents: 
        (1) Special request chit endorsed by Commanding Officer 
requesting to attend. 
        (2) Service Member Biography to include education and military 
experience. 
        (3) Submit your application with the documents listed above to 
the point of contact email address in paragraph 6.a.2 below. 
        (4) Upon graduation, students will receive the BX1 Additional 
Qualification Designator and a graduation certificate. 
    b.  Logistics. 
        (1) TAD Travel.  Marine Corps University will fund travel, 
lodging, car rental, and per diem via the Defense Travel Service. 
Creating a travel authorization in DTS is the traveler's 
responsibility, however the Expeditionary Warfare School S-1 is 
available to assist as needed.  Coordination will be made with 
Expeditionary Warfare School S-1 via POCs listed in section 5a. 
        (2) Berthing.  Expeditionary Warfare School S-1 will coordinate 
with attendees for lodging.  If on-base government lodging is not 
available, Expeditionary Warfare School S-1 will coordinate with 
attendees to obtain a Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) prior to 
making other lodging arrangements.  If a CNA is issued, attendees 
will need to book commercial lodging through the Defense Travel 
System. 
        (3) Transportation.  When arranging air transportation, 
attendees must choose the most cost effective General Services 
Administration City Pair Fare.  Travel shall be completed to check-in 
no later than 0800 on 08 January 2024 with Expeditionary Warfare 
School S-1 at Geiger Hall.  Return travel will be no earlier than 22 
March 2024.  Documented approval by the TAD authorizing official is 
required. 
 
5.  Officers interested in the Expeditionary Warfare School course 
may visit the Marine Corps University web pages at 
https://www.usmcu.edu/EWS/. 
    a.  Points of Contact: 
        (1) Travel and funding: CAPT Troy McCool (Primary, Expeditionary 
Warfare School S-1), 703-784-2592, troy.mccool@usmcu.edu. 
        (2) Course related questions: LCDR James Lambert (Expeditionary 
Warfare School Senior Navy Instructor), 703-432-1321, 
jim.lambert@usmcu.edu. 
        (3) Deputy Director Expeditionary Warfare School: LtCol Jason 
Graul, 703-784-1843, jason.graul@usmcu.edu. 
        (4) Marine Corps University Navy Chair: CAPT Benjamin Miller, 
benjamin.miller@usmcu.edu. 
 
6.  Released by VADM J. W. Hughes, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for 
Warfighting Development (N7).// 
 
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