Applications are being accepted from select categories of National Guard and Army Reserve officers who want to transfer to AOC 38G, the new Military Government Specialist area of concentration in the Civil Affairs career branch.
The Army's goal is to staff this new reserve-only specialty with officers who have acquired knowledge, skills and expertise that can be applied to civil affairs and military government operations.
A selection panel for AOC 38G branch transfers is scheduled to meet Sept. 15-18 at Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky. The application deadline is Aug. 1.
Officers who are assigned 38G must possess education and/or experience in one of several civil affairs core competences, including public health and welfare, public safety, public administration, public works or infrastructure, economics and commerce, public education and public information.
Army skill identifiers associated with the specialty include 6C (economist/commerce officer), 6D (public education officer), 6E (civilian supply officer), 6F (public transportation officer), 6G (public facilities officer), 6H (public safety officer), 6R (public communications officer), 6U (agricultural officer), 6V (cultural affairs officer) and 6W (archivist).
The new specialty is open to all qualified National Guard, Army Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve (non-Active Guard and Reserve) officers in the ranks of second lieutenant through colonel.
Officers of the Army Medical Department, Judge Advocate General's Corps and Chaplain Corps are eligible to apply, provided they are approved for release by their current career branch.
AOC 38G resides exclusively in the Army Reserve.National Guard and Individual Ready Reserve officers who are selected by the September panel must transfer to the Army Reserve to be assigned to the new AOC.
The selection panel will focus on four categories of officers, as follows:
• Basic Functional Skill Practitioner — lieutenants and captains who hold a bachelor's degree or higher in an academic discipline that correlates to one of the Civil Affairs skill identifiers listed above.
• Senior Functional Skill Practitioner — captains and majors who hold a master's degree in a CA-related skill and who have at least 48 months of work experience in a career field relating to the CA skill.
• Expert Functional Skill Practitioner — majors and lieutenant colonels with a master's degree and at least 96 months of work experience in an appropriate CA-related skill, and professional certification from a certifying body recognized by the Army's Special Warfare Center and School.
• Master Functional Skill Practitioner — lieutenant colonels and colonels with a doctoral degree, and/or 144 months of appropriate work experience, terminal professional certification recognized by the Army, completion of rank-appropriate professional military education and have not been passed over for promotion to the next higher grade.
For application specifics and other information related to personnel buildup of this new specialty, consult MilPer Message 15-158, dated May 28.
