FAQ #1: When and where is the semi-annual weigh-in and PFT run?
Answer to FAQ #1:  The Marine Corps Detachment at DLI runs and manages the PFT process for all Marines attending NPS in the Special Education Program. However, ALL alibis or individual requests for the PFT must go through the NPS Marine Corps Rep. The perpetual PFT schedule is as follows:

First half (Jan-Jun):

• First Saturday in April (last name beginning A-M)
• Third Saturday in April (last name beginning N-Z)
• Second Saturday in May (make-up PFT)

Second half (Jul-Dec):

• Second Saturday in September (early PFT opportunity for September graduates)
• First Saturday in October (last name beginning A-M)
  or...
• Second Saturday in October if first Saturday falls on Columbus Day weekend (A-M group)
• Third Saturday in October (last name beginning N-Z)
• Second Saturday in December (make-up PFT)

The weigh-ins for the two main scheduled PFTs for NPS personnel are held the day prior (Friday) from 11-13:00 at the NPS Gymnasium. The MARDET personnel will be inside the gym near the front entrance conducting weigh-in. Weigh-ins for the make-up and all other PFTs are done up at the MARDET. If you go individually to the MARDET for weigh-in, you must have a SNCO or officer help conduct your weigh-in. The scheduled PFTs start at 08:00 at the NPS Gym on the day of the PFT. Meet at the pull-up bars located in the front of the Gym. The 3-mile run course is on the rec trail starting by the large tree behind the Burlwood art carving building (across from the intersection of Sloat Ave and Del Monte Blvd) and goes down to the small lake across from Embassy Suites and Home Depot, run counter-clockwise around the lake and back to the start point.
Note: Make-up PFT is for personnel who are unable to run their scheduled PFT due to TAD, thesis travel, medical, etc. You do NOT have the option of not showing up for your scheduled PFT without prior approval from the NPS Senior Marine Corps Rep.

FAQ #2: When and where is the semi-annual weigh-in and PFT run? How does the fitness report process work here at NPS?
Answer to FAQ #2: While attending the Naval Postgraduate School as an in-resident student, you receive non-observed, academic fitness reports for all reporting occasions (annual, grade change, transfer, or semi-annual for lieutenants).  Your height, weight and PFT will be recorded and additional comments entered in Section-I for things like awards you received, noteworthy PFT performance (scoring 285 or better on the PFT), GPA, volunteer work, and/or participation in student projects or critical research.  We are now using the Automated Performance Evaluation System (A-PES) on Marine Online (MOL) to complete fitness reports. The onus is on YOU, the Marine Reported On (MRO) to submit accurate & timely MRO worksheets (MROWs) to me in MOL for all reporting occasions. Comply with the following guidance for completing your MROWs:

• Step 1, ensure you have checked your role (MRO)
• Step 2, ensure your name and SSN are correct
• Step 3, enter my SSN and last name
• Step 4, enter the occasion and dates for the fitness report
• Click on "Create MROW
• In the MROW, ensure the following blocks are correct; edit as necessary:
  • In Block 1.h., BILMOS is NA
  • In Blocks 2.a., 2.b., and 2.c., MCC is H99 ... RUC is 54060 ... and Unit Description is MCD DLI PRS/MTRY CA
  • In Block 3.c., Type is A.
  • In Block 4., Duty Assignment (descriptive title) is Student NPS
  • In Blocks 6.a., 6.b., 6.d., 6.e., & 6.f., Enter N for Rifle and Pistol, your most current PFT Class & Score (e.g., A275), Height (inches), and Weight (pounds), and Body Fat % (if applicable) ...
    Note the excerpt from MCO P1610.7E (PES):
    (1) PFT data will reflect the MRO's results per MCO P6100.12 (MCPFTBCP), which occurred during the reporting period and is the last score officially recorded in MCTFS.
    (2) Use the code "NREQ" if the MRO was required to take the PFT but the event was not scheduled during the reporting period...
    
  • In Block 10.f., RS Duty Assignment is NPS SENIOR MARINE REP
  • You can click on the Select a Reviewing Officer automated link to enter RO info. Enter CAPT Hobbs SSN and Last Name into the dialog box and click OK to populate Blocks 11.a. thru 11.d., or you may manually enter the RO data (or leave it blank
  • In Blocks 11.e., and 11.f., Grade is CAPT ... and RO Duty Assignment is NPS DEAN OF STUDENTS
  • In Block B., Billet Description... enter - Student in the [Curriculum Title] (XXX) curriculum ... e.g.: - -Student in the Information Technology Management (370) Curriculum.

To provide me with your suggested Section-I comments, you may begin entering text after the standard first bullet of Block B., Billet Description (as directed above) up to a total of 1232 characters of text. If you go beyond the maximum characters allowed in Block B., Billet Description, you may continue providing additional suggested Section-I comments in Block C., Major Accomplishments During This Period up to a total of 1232 characters of text. If you go beyond the maximum characters allowed in Block C., do NOT continue into Blocks D. or F. These do NOT carry over when I select "create fitness report from MROW." In the rare case where an addendum page is needed to include all of your Section-I comments, send the suggested text to me via email. Here is an example commentary for Section -I:

• comments:
• Sect A, Item 5b: This is a not observed academic report.
• Sect A, Item 6a: Outstanding performance on the semiannual PFT scoring 295.

Additional comments:

• SNO has attained a 3.93 GPA after completing (X) of his/her (Y) academic quarters in the NPS Information Technology Management curriculum.
• SNO volunteered to be part of the Coalition Operating Area Surveillance & Targeting System (COASTS) team, a Naval Postgraduate School research program.  This commitment required participation in numerous field exercises and planning exercises in Monterey, California and Thailand from January to May of 2005.  The COASTS project utilizes expeditionary wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies to fuse and display information from air and ground sensors in a real-time, tactical, coalition-enabled command and control center over 100 miles away.  This type of cutting edge expeditionary technology is something that could be utilized by the Marine Corps in implementing the concept of distributed operations.
• Selected as the Information Technology Management curriculum representative to the NPS President's Student Council (PSC). The PSC inquires into the academic, administrative, and quality of life issues affecting NPS students and provides solutions to those issues.

Notes:

• PFT score 285 or higher is commendatory; Block 6a is checked and the following directed comment will be inlcuded in Section I: "Sect A, Item 6a: Superior performance on the PFT scoring (your PFT score inserted here)."
• For Marines who are over max weight but within allowable percentage body fat with first class PFT, the following directed comment will be included in Section I: "Sect A, Item 8f: MRO meets the Physical Performance Evaluation criteria in accordance with MCO P6100.12 and is within standards."
• For Grade Change (GC) fitness reports, the report covers the period from your last report up to the date of your promotion. Therefore, your Grade in block A.1.e. is the rank you are being promoted from and the Date of Rank (DOR) in block A.1.f. is the date you were promoted to that grade. For example, if you were promoted to captain on 20010501 and getting promoted to major on 20060101, you would enter the grade 'CAPT' in block A.1.e. and you would enter the date you pinned on CAPT in block A.1.f. '20010501.'
• For graduation TR report comments, see FAQ #6 (below).

FAQ #3: How do I request leave or PTAD, who approves these requests, and what are the procedures once my requests are approved?
Answer to FAQ #3: 
Leave: Leave requests are approved by the Dean of Students for USMC students attending NPS.  I do not approve leave; I receive a courtesy copy from the DoS when leave is approved and forwarded to the MARDET for preparing your leave papers.  YOU, the student, are entrusted to know when you can take leave and to seek approval from professors and program officers for any classes that might be missed due to special circumstances such as severe illness in the family, thesis travel, etc.  If your leave request includes dates on which classes are in session, you need to have your Program Officer approve your leave request EVEN IF YOU WON'T MISS CLASS. Submit leave requests using the forms provided on the NPS Current Students web page to: Student Leave@nps.edu.

PTAD: I am in the approval chain for Permissive TAD.  The PTAD request form can be downloaded from the NPS Current Students web page.  Fill out this form and route it through your Program Officer and then me via email.  I will then route your PTAD request to Student Services and, if approved, Student Services will route your request to the MARDET for your PTAD orders to be prepared.

IMPORTANT!! Students must also fill out the online Leave/Liberty/TDY Request Form located under the "How Do I..." section of the NPS Current Students web page in order to be excused from the daily check in. This has to be done on a campus computer (inside the firewall) or by using the VPN connection or RAS dial-up.

PROCEDURES: Once requests are approved and leave or PTAD papers are completed, the MARDET faxes a copy to the Marine Rep's admin area in Student Services. I check the fax machine a couple times each day and I place the received leave papers in the student leave folder.  The leave folder is kept in the front of the student "mailbox."

Students should find their leave papers and fax a signed copy of leave papers back to the MARDET at 242-6143, and then call out and in from leave with the MARDET using the phone number provided on the leave papers.  Unless there's a short-fused requirement, students should not have to go to the MARDET to pick-up or drop-off leave papers.

Note: Short-fused requests will be entertained but the students should allow at least a week processing time for approval chain and MARDET to prepare leave & PTAD. For peak leave periods (Thanksgiving, the Winter and Summer breaks) your requests should be submitted 30 days in advance. With Graduation, trying to get the old students transferred out and the new students transferred in, it is nearly impossible to process hundreds of requests in the middle of June and December. Summer break leave requests should be submitted by May 15th; Thanksgiving leave requests should be submitted by November 1st; and Christmas leave should be submitted by November 15th.

FAQ #6: What do I need to accomplish prior to graduation in preparation for my transfer?
Answer to FAQ #6: Your transfer (TR) fitness report will normally state that you have completed all requirements for a master's degree in your particular curriculum.  Therefore, prior to completing your TR fitness report, I need to receive a copy of your thesis green card.  This assures me you have completed your thesis and don't need an extension.  Even though this is an academic, non-observed fitness report, Section I can help put together a word picture of your performance while attending NPS.  Lastly, I get PFT and height/weight data directly from the MARDET, but the ultimate responsibility for accurate fitness report data rests with YOU, the Marine reported on.  So I would highly encourage you to review your data with the MARDET to get up-to-date and accurate PFT and height/weight data input for your FITREP.  Here's a good fitness report checklist for you to use when getting ready to check-out:

• Same Section A data as outlined in FAQ #2 (above), ensuring PFT and height/weight data is up-to-date.

Section-I comments for TR reports:

• This is a not observed academic report.
• Degree being awarded (e.g., Awarded Master of Science Degree <or> Master of Business Administration Degree <or> Master of Arts Degree ... in [Degree Title]).
• Thesis / MBA Professional Report abstract and commentary. This is a critical bullet for your TR fitness report because it shows the applicability and relevance of YOUR research to advance USMC/DoD capabilities (e.g., Completed a Master's Thesis entitled "Supporting a Marine Corps Distributed Operations Platoon: A Quantitative Analysis." Through the use of simulation, statistical analysis, and logistical modeling, this thesis identifies critical factors and capabilities that are important to the sustainment of a DO platoon operating from a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
• GPA (e.g., Graduated with a 3.XX grade point average.)
• Other recognition (e.g., awards, certificates or PME completed, etc. ... examples: Completed Command and Staff or Expeditionary Warfare School Distance Education Program while attending the Naval Postgraduate School, Received the Marine Corps Superior Service Award for Outstanding U.S. Marine Student, Completed Defense Acquisition University equivalency for ACQ101, ACQ201, PMT 250, etc.)

Enter your data into A-PES using the fitness report guidance provided above (and FAQ #2) and your TR fitness report will be available online via MOL once completed by the NPS Chain of Command. To download a copy of your completed fitness report, navigate to A-PES and click on the FITREP menu item and then the "My Personal" tab. You'll see the PDF file located there once the report has been submitted to MMSB via A-PES. Note:  This quote is directly from the NPS Academic Handbook, "All Master's degree programs at NPS require completion of an acceptable thesis for the award of the Master’s degree. The thesis due date for graduating officers is the first Friday after graduation. Any student who fails to complete his/her thesis by the due date must submit a request for thesis extension to the Academic Council via the Thesis Advisor, Program Officer, and Department Chairman prior to graduation. Extensions of tour length at NPS to complete theses will not be approved."  Therefore, with the exception of FAO/RAO students, if you do not complete your required coursework and/or thesis/MBA project for a master's degree within the allotted time specified for your curriculum by MMOA-5, your TR report from NPS will contain a suitable comment in Section I, such as:

• Master's degree was not conferred.  SNO did not complete his/her thesis (or MBA project) and/or all required coursework for the degree within the allotted timeframe and is being transferred to ____.  SNO (has/has not) submitted a thesis extension request to the NPS Academic Council to complete the degree requirements from the SNO's subsequent assignment.

Note to FAO students: You get a TR report upon completion of your NPS curriculum and transfer to DLI for language school. However, your degree is not conferred until you finish your language training and receive a passing score on the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT). Therefore, you will have a Section-I comment on your TR report as follows: Completed all course requirements for Foreign Area Officer in the National Security Affairs, [Curriculum Title] (XXX) regional studies curriculum with a 3.XX grade point average; Master of Arts degree will be conferred upon successful completion of foreign language school and the Defense Language Proficiency Test.

Note to RAO students: Your TR report will have a Section-I comment as follows: Awarded Master of Arts Degree in National Security Affairs - Regional Studies: [enter curriculum title here such as 'The Middle East, Africa and South Asia.'

FAQ #9: Where do I get new military or dependent ID cards?
Answer to FAQ #9: There are three locations in the area making ID cards...

• NPS Flag Admin: 08:30 - 15:00 (closed 11-noon on Mon Wed, 11-13:00 on Tue, Thu and Fri)
• CSD FT ORD: 0830 -1500
• DLI: 0800-1600NPS Flag Admin: Appointments can be made by calling 656-3972.

CSD Fort Ord: Walk ins are welcomed but appointments are encouraged and can be made by calling 656-4070. The office is located on Fort Ord at Giggling Road in the 7 story DMDC Building on the first floor. Walk ins could have a long wait so appointments are preferred.

DLI: Walk ins are welcomed but appts can be made at 242-5209. The office is located in Taylor Hall at DLI. Taylor Hall is located at the intersection of West Franklin Street and Rifle Range Road. Turn left after entering the Franklin Street gate (as if you were going to the MARDET) and make the first right into the Taylor Hall parking lot

The NPS PASS and ID office located outside the Del Monte Gate still provides BIDS updates from 0730-1500 (M-Th) closed from 1130-1230 for lunch and from 0730-1130 on Fridays.

FAQ #10: What are my PME options/requirements while attending NPS?
Answer to FAQ #10: NPS JMPE Requirement. (Navy and Marine Corps) must take NW-3230 "Strategy and Policy: The American Experience," while attending the Naval Postgraduate School. This requirement was established by SECNAVINST 1524.2A in 1989. The good news is that NW-3230 will count toward the first lesson in USMC Command and Staff College: 8801 "The Theory and Nature of War." However, to validate (or drop) NW-3230 you will need to have completed the entire Command and Staff 8800 series, not just 8801. So if you are enrolled in Command and Staff and think you will complete it by the time you graduate, you might want to move NW-3230 until late in your matrix and then validate the class once you complete Command and Staff.

Seminars. There are evening seminars that meet once a week for approx two hours for both EWS and CSC. The seminars run from October through June annually. To enroll in one of the seminars, contact Gary or Kathy Dahl at their office in Miramar (see contact info below).

Naval War College Command and Staff vs. USMC Command and Staff. You may opt to take the NWC courses to earn the Command and Staff equivalency credit while attending NPS. The NW courses needed to complete the Navy C&S requirement while at NPS are:

• NW3230 (Strategy and Policy - 1 quarter)
• NW3275 and NW3276 (Joint Maritime Operations - 2 consecutive quarters)
• NW3285 (National Security Decision Making - 1 quarter)

MCI. If you want to do your own independent study with the traditional "box of books" from MCI, suggest you contact Gary or Kathy Dahl to enroll. I can proctor your exams. To have an exam proctored send me an email with dates & times you are available and I'll place an appointment on my calendar and arrange for the use of a quiet room where you can take the exam. I make a copy of your completed bubble sheet and mail the exam to Gary Dahl who enters your score directly into the system. Typical turnaround is 2-to-3 days (much faster than mailing to MCI).

CDR Mike McMaster, USN (ret) can also proctor exams. Mike is a former SWO with a wealth of joint operational planning experience. He teaches NW courses and, like me, he is an adjunct faculty with the USMC CCE currently teaching the C&S seminar. He is located in Halligan Hall, Room 241, phone (831) 656-3300, email: mmcmaster@nps.navy.mil

PME Regional Coordinator: LtCol Gary Dahl (gdahl@cots.com), USMC (ret), Mrs. Kathryn Dahl (kdahl@cots.com), and Mr. Bill Walsh (wwalsh@cots.com), Marine Corps College of Continuing Education MCAS Mirmar Campus (858) 577-1373 DSN 267-1373

FAQ #11: What are the eligibility requirements for Traumatic Injury Protection under TSGLI?
Answer to FAQ #11: Eligibility requirements and submission of procedures for or TSGLI are listed HERE. More information is posted on the USMC Manpower website HERE. The MARADMIN reqarding TSGLI is listed HERE.

FAQ #12: How do I get reimbursed for the thesis typing fee?
Answer to FAQ #12: TECOM will reimburse you for professional thesis typing/preparation up to a maximum of $200. The form for requesting the typing fee reimbursement is enclosure (5) to the SEP Order which you can download HERE. You can fill out the form, sign it and drop it off in the MARDET box in the USMC beachhead area in Student Services (next to the USMC student "mailboxes"). You’ll need to attach your receipt/invoice for the typing fee with the claim.