FORT KNOX, Kentucky (Dec. 15, 2015) -- Dec. 30 submission deadlines are fast approaching for a dozen Army fellowship opportunities managed by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command.
"The purpose of the Broadening Opportunities Program is to provide a cohort of leaders who will allow the Army to succeed at all levels in all environments," said HRC Broadening Opportunities Program manager, Joel Strout. "Some programs also provide ILE (Intermediate Level Education) AOC (Advanced Operations Course) completion."
The fellowships and internships, many seeking Army Reserve and AGR participants, vary in number of selectees, proponents, application requirements and post-completion assignments, but all are designed to challenge Soldiers with an educational experience outside the normal Army training channels.
"Any educational experience can be broadening, but you can tell the Army is serious about training to make sure the service members are highly educated and trained, not only inside the box, but outside the box," said Strout.
A number of programs specifically seek applications from Reserve and AGR, or Active Guard and Reserve, Soldiers, he said.
The Army Congressional Fellowship is a 43-week program which includes earning a master's in legislative affairs at Georgetown University followed by service on a congressional staff, and an Army or Joint Staff assignment. Applications are accepted from Army Reserve and National Guard captains, majors, sergeants major and command sergeants major.
The Arroyo Center Fellowship, which accepts one non-AMEDD Reserve major and lieutenant colonel annually, selects fellows to study national security issues of critical importance to the Army.
The Command and General Staff College, or CGSC, Interagency Key and Developmental/Post-Military Education Level 4 Fellowship Program immerses majors and lieutenant colonels from all branches and functional areas into a federal department or agency for one year to build key relationships while developing solutions to the country's most difficult national security challenges. Reserve component officers are encouraged to apply for the approximately 12 positions available annually.
The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies Fellowship is open to Army Reserve majors and lieutenant colonels with graduate degrees. One service member is selected annually to broaden her or his knowledge of European issues and U.S. security initiatives.
The Headquarters, Department of the Army Harvard Strategist Program selects one Reserve component captain or junior major annually to pursue a master's degree in public administration at Harvard University, to be followed by assignments with either the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5, or Office of the Chief, Army Reserve.
The U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Fellowship seeks Army Reserve and National Guard sergeants major to complete a master's in adult education through Pennsylvania State University and to assume assignments as educators at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.
The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Fellowship, which is open to AGR majors and lieutenant colonels, selects two officers annually to explore the increasingly complex interrelationships of the military economic, political and diplomatic policies relevant to regional security issues.
"The program has absolutely surpassed my expectations," said Lt. Col. Gregory J. Ford, presently serving as a senior Army fellow at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.
"I have been in the Asia-Pacific region for about 12 years and the fellowship was a great way to take all my previous experiences and meld them into usable knowledge," he said.
"This program is a unique opportunity to engage with future leaders, both military and civilian, in the Asia-Pacific, and to be engaged daily with academic and military faculty members who are at the forefront of relevant strategic issues," said Lt. Col. Tom Matelski, like Ford, a senior Army fellow at the center.
"These fellows represent the rising leaders in their respective countries and I have the benefit of facilitating discussion on key strategic issues of our time," he said.
While there is still time to submit packets to HRC's Broadening Opportunities Program, Soldiers who hesitate at this late stage run the risk of missing a shot at developmental assignments that are among the Army's most prestigious, said Strout.
"As soon as the packet is complete in accordance with the program's MILPER (military personnel message), they should submit it," he said.
The fellowships and internships are among a total of 21 managed by HRC's Leader Development Division, Advanced Education Branch, and described in detail on the BOP web page - https://www.hrc.army.mil/bop (CAC access is required).
Strout said there are other broadening fellowships, with varying submission deadlines, that seek Reserve and AGR participants.
The CSA Strategic Studies Group brings together Army, sister service and civilian thinkers to conduct independent, unconventional research on behalf of the Chief of Staff of the Army. The program seeks about 20 participants annually and is open to Army Reserve officers in the rank of captain through colonel, warrants in grades 3-5, and noncommissioned officers in the rank of sergeant first class through command sergeant major.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Service Chiefs Internship, which is open to Army Guard and Reserve majors and lieutenant colonels, selects two service members quarterly throughout the year to pursue cutting edge defense related projects.
The Headquarters, Department of the Army Strategic Broadening Seminar Program seeks Army Reserve majors to participate in a 3-5 week session that focuses on complex contemporary security environments.
The prestigious White House Fellowships seeks AGR NCOs in the rank of staff sergeant through master sergeant, chief warrant officers 4 and officers in the rank of captain through lieutenant colonel. On average, two applicants are selected annually, but there is no guarantee that selectees will be from the Army, Strout noted.
"These programs are successful due to leadership push to their top service members," he said. "Being associated or being selected and successfully completing these programs, in my opinion, would give the service member a leg up over their counterparts. Because their records are screened by numerous people just to be a candidate and, as they say, the cream rises to the top."
"The CGSC Interagency KD/POST MEL4 Fellowship experience truly encapsulates my 14 years of Special Operations Forces military experience and Special Operations low intensity conflict education," said Lt. Col. John C. Williams, who is presently attached to the Department of State as a strategic planner with the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications section in the Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
"I can say with confidence that I am being broadened through my daily interactions with non-DoD departments and agencies," said Lt. Col. Brian Hayes, also a CGSC Interagency fellow, who is presently serving as a policy analyst with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The program accepts up to 50 majors and lieutenant colonels, both active and Reserve, annually. Assignments steer officers to a broad range of federal agencies, where they collaborate on developing solutions to difficult national security challenges.
By contrast, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies Fellowship accepts just one Soldier annually to study and contribute to European security initiatives.
"This is a fantastic program and, other than serving as a deployed company commander, this is without a doubt the best assignment I've had in 27 years," said Maj. Joseph N. Gardner, the current Army G3/5/7 Fellow at the center in Garmisch, Germany.
"Going into ILE I knew I wanted to compete for broadening opportunities, with the Marshall Fellowship being at the top of my list. So with that in mind, I completed 10 electives, two more than required by the CGSC to complete ILE. The additional two were necessary to meet the curriculum prerequisite to obtain credit for broadening programs such as the Army Strategist (6Z) track," he said.
While a majority of broadening opportunities are geared toward officers, others are designed for noncommissioned officers, said Strout, for instance the Sergeants Major Academy Fellowship.
"It is at Penn State, where they get a master's in adult education and then use those teaching skills at the Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss." About 20 NCOs are selected annually from both the active and Reserve components, he said.
For the best outcome, each Soldier should consider how a broadening fellowship would fit with her or his individual career aspirations, Strout said.
"One thing to remember is that you are an Army officer first and foremost, despite what your basic branch is," said Gardner, the Marshall Center fellow. "Your career is exactly that, your career, so you have to actively manage it. Think of it in terms of what will make you a better Army officer, who can serve the Army in any capacity anywhere in the world."
"Each service member must look at where they are in their career and where they want to be, or what they want to achieve, in order to choose the right program," Strout said.
"Whether you are looking for a graduate degree, a challenge outside the norm or looking to the future after the military, we urge you to go to the web page and review the available programs. Maybe one of them is right for you and your family.
"I urge the service member to sit down and talk to their family before submitting an application because it is going to take a family effort to make any of these programs successful for the service member. It is also an adventure for the entire family, he said.
As the Dec. 30 deadline approached, Strout encouraged interested Soldiers to assemble and complete and submit their packets as soon as possible. He also encouraged Soldiers to contact him directly with any questions and for a pre-submission review to identify and correct any deficiencies to avoid any last minute surprises.
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