WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Sept. 17, 2012) - Before last year, Soldiers applying for fellowships or scholarships could only choose one program per year. If they didn't get that program, they'd likely miss the deadline for another.
Feedback from the applicants and their career advisers to Human Resources Command, or HRC, was received and acted on by HRC last year when a pilot program was started, according to Joel Strout, program manager for the Broadening Opportunity Program.
Under the pilot program, applicants could choose to apply to multiple programs and rank their order of preferences.
"The pilot program has now ended and it was a huge success," said Strout."The new policy allowing for multiple, simultaneous applications to programs will continue."
Strout said HRC gives the applicants' program ranking a high priority.
"Eighty-six percent selected got their first choice of program and most of the rest got their second choice," he said.
This year, the application process will be more user-friendly. Strout said that during the pilot, applicants had to fill out a form for each program desired. This year, multiple program applications are placed on one form, Personnel Action DA 4187, reducing administrative requirements.
Also this year, a new program has been added: Chief of Staff of the Army Strategic Studies Group, or SSG. Strout said "the SSG mission is to conduct independent, unconventional, and revolutionary research and analysis to generate innovative strategic and operational concepts for land forces in support of a governing theme provided by the CSA."
Strout encourages active and Reserve officers, warrant officers and senior enlisted to fill out applications now, as deadlines are fast approaching.
"The Army wants its top performers to apply to these very important programs," Strout said. Some of the programs lead to graduate degrees, legislative affairs positions on Capitol Hill and even acquiring a new language.
Strout said "the service member who successfully completes any one of these programs will return back to their unit as an even better leader with a broader knowledge base."
MILPER Messages for each program are from 12-275 through 12-280.
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