IST from USMC denied - no space for 18A transfers in FY11/12?

[AlifBaa]

Per profile and previous posts, I am AD USMC officer, selected for 1/10 (Arabic) at SFAS 09-09. Although my interservice transfer was approved by USMC, I was informed* by the B2G program that there is no space in FY11 for transfers, and that this is unlikely to change in FY12. Before I ask my monitor for orders to MARSOC, I want to make sure SF is not possible.

Two questions for those of you with experience in SF manpower affairs, or SA on current manning:
1) Does this pass the sniff test? Do y’all really have so many 18A candidates that there is no boat space for transfers, regardless of ability/performance?
2) Is there a board of some sort that decides who gets SFQC spots, based on individual qualifications? If so, who is the convening authority? (I’ve relayed #2 back to Ft. Knox, but am always looking for multiple source reporting.)

Hopefully, current issue will be just another hurdle to clear. It would be a shame to be stopped by an admin constraint. Any assistance or advice is appreciated.

*-Am currently downrange. All this info is filtered through several relays…thus subject to scrutiny.

[The Reaper]

Yes, IIRC, services can curtail transfers to other services, just as branches can curtail branch transfers to SF.

I am sure that first priority for slots goes to Army officers. Others are accomodated as slots are available. We have enough applicants for 18A jobs to be somewhat selective. MARSOC probably doesn't offer very many, if any slots to Army officers.

The officer board is run by the Accessions Officer at SF branch, I suspect with input from SF Proponency and Recruiting Command. However, I believed that once you were sent to SFAS and were selected, you were pretty much locked in.

I recommend that you contact the SF Branch Accessions officer and ask him what is up with your situation. If you wait another year or two, you run the risk of being out of the Year Group cycle. The Assessions Officer should be able to give you the answer, or to tell you who to talk to.

Best of luck.

TR

[Blueboy]

You could be out of luck, unfortunately. If you've read the tea leaves, you would know that the Army is looking at cutting its personnel end strength to the tune of about 27K by 2014. That means a significant decrease in inter-service transfers, big re-enlistment bonuses, and near-automatic promotions up to and including the grade of LTC.

[AlifBaa]

(message relayed via satphone)

Sir,

I did what you advised and the SF manpower personnel advised me that while SF does appear to need my year group Capts, the Army as a whole is over strength for my year group Capts and is not accepting any ISTs.

I wrote a letter to the Commanding General of HRC asking for an exception to policy given the discrepancy between SF needs and the Army's needs. My letter did not reach its intended target and wound up with the same bureaucrat who told me "no" based on the Army's numbers as a whole.

The SF Branch Manager advised me that nothing can be done from their side until the Army accepts my IST.

Is this the Army's way of telling me "no" definitively, or is it a matter of the letter not having reached the proper person? If the latter, how may I ensure that the lettter reaches the right target?

If I cannot get an exception to policy soon, I need to accept orders to MARSOC -- so my time is short.

[The Reaper]

Sounds like you have an answer.

Best of luck.

TR