You Can Represent the Marine Corps at an Embassy. The FY28 Attaché Board Is Now Open.

The Marine Corps just announced the selection board for FY2028 Marine Attachés.

If you've ever wanted to wear the uniform in a foreign embassy, report to a combatant commander, and do genuinely strategic work, this program is worth reading about.

This applies to Reserve Marines too. Not just active duty.

Reference: MARADMIN 160/26, signed 06 April 2026. Governed by MCO 3821.2 (USMC Participation in the Defense Attaché Service) and MCO 1300.8 CH-1 (Personnel Assignment Policy).

The old problem

The Marine Attaché program has always been seen as an active-duty thing.

Reserve Marines who knew about it weren't always sure they qualified, what the commitment looked like, or whether it was even worth the paperwork.

The path in was unclear. The reserve-specific details were buried in longer messages.

The new rule (in one line)

The FY28 board is explicitly open to Reserve Marines across SMCR, IMA, and IRR, with a defined program structure and a real timeline.

What the attaché program actually is

Marine Attachés (MARAs) represent the United States at embassies around the world.

Depending on the assignment, you work directly for the Secretary of the Navy, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, a geographic combatant commander, or the Commandant himself.

At some embassies, you serve as the Senior Defense Official. You run the Defense Attaché Office. You advise the Ambassador on military matters.

These are not staff officer jobs. They are ambassador-facing, strategy-level positions.

The reserve attaché program specifically

This is the part that matters most to you.

Reserve attachés augment the Defense Attaché Service using drills and annual training.

The normal commitment is 30 to 60 continuous days per year, in the National Capital Region or overseas.

Beyond that, there are opportunities for longer active-duty operational support orders, ranging from three months to two years, based on gaps in the program.

You get assigned to a geographic division. Where you go depends on DAS priorities, your availability, suitability, and funding.

(This is a real program with real overseas work. Not a weekend drill assignment with a passport.)

The timeline

Mark these dates now.

Now. Applications are open.
26 June 2026. Applications are due.
31 August 2026. Board convenes.
December 2026 to January 2027. Results released, pending SECNAV approval.

Who can apply (Reserve component)

You are eligible if you meet all of the following.

✦ You are in the SMCR, IMA, IRR, or are active duty with a transfer date to the Ready Reserve before the end of FY26.

✦ You have four satisfactory years of service, meaning at least 50 retirement points per year, in the last five years.

✦ You are an officer or an enlisted Marine in grades E-5 through E-8. E-5s need two years time in grade.

✦ You must get email confirmation of your eligibility from RAM-1 before applying. Use SMB_RAM-1@USMC.MIL. The board will not look at your application without it.

✦ You do not have a separation or retirement date established.

✦ You are not above 5,840 active duty points on your Career Retirement Credit Report. Under 5,040 points is preferred.

The clearance situation for reservists

This is where it gets a little more complicated.

Active-duty Marines need a TS/SCI clearance already in place to apply.

Reserve Marines can apply without TS/SCI eligibility. However, if you are selected, you will need to obtain a TS/SCI before transferring to the IMA program. Then you must pass a counterintelligence-scope polygraph before starting the Reserve Support Course.

So you can apply now. But the clearance requirement comes due if you are selected.

For clearance questions, contact the HQMC Special Security Office at 703-693-6005 or hqmc_sso@usmc.mil.

A few other things to know before you apply

Language skills. Not required. Helpful. The board selects based on MAGTF experience and performance first, then factors in language, regional expertise, and cultural knowledge.

Families. Attachés are encouraged to bring families on most assignments. EFMP Marines are eligible to apply but placement may depend on care availability at the assigned location.

Spouses. For Reserve applicants, your spouse does not need to be a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Foreign birth. You cannot be assigned to the country where you were born. If immediate family members still hold citizenship in another country, that affects assignment eligibility too. Disclose this in your application.

Control of you. While in training, at the Joint Military Attaché School (JMAS), and while posted overseas, DIA and the Defense Attaché Service have operational control of you. Your administrative control, including fitreps and orders, stays with Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA).

Reserve training requirements

If selected, you complete two things before serving overseas.

Reserve Support Course (RSC). A one-week introductory course at DIA in Washington, DC. Usually held in December. Taught by JMAS faculty.
Geographic Division Training and Familiarization. Specific to your assigned region.

That is the pipeline. One week of school plus regional prep. Then you are eligible to serve.

Why this is a big deal

Most Reserve Marines never hear about this program.

The ones who do often assume it is for active-duty colonels with language school backgrounds.

It is not.

The reserve track is structured specifically for Marines who drill on weekends and want to do more. The 30 to 60 day annual commitment is real and manageable for most reservists. The longer ADOS options are there if you want more.

And the work itself is genuinely different from anything else in the reserve component. You are not augmenting a staff. You are advising an ambassador.

If you have MAGTF experience, a clean record, and any regional interest at all, this is worth an application.

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

Active-duty applicants must be FY27 movers based on their prescribed tour control factor. If you do not meet that requirement, you need an exception to policy endorsed by the first O-6 in your chain of command. AC Marines also need TS/SCI eligibility already in place to apply. Contact your PMOS monitor for confirmation.

The bottom line

The FY28 Marine Attaché board is open now. Applications close 26 June 2026. Reserve Marines across SMCR, IMA, and IRR are eligible. The reserve commitment is 30 to 60 days a year with options for more. You do not need a clearance to apply, but you will need one if selected.

What to do with this

If you are a Reserve Marine interested in applying:

Email RAM-1 now at SMB_RAM-1@USMC.MIL to confirm your eligibility. The board will not consider you without this.
Check your retirement point totals. You need four of the last five years at 50 points minimum.
Check your clearance status. If you do not have TS/SCI, you can still apply. Know where you stand before you are selected.
Get your application in before 26 June 2026.
Contact the reserve-specific POC: LtCol R.W. Dawson, Reserve Attaché Detachment, at richard.dawson@dodiis.mil or 501-847-2186.

If you are a unit S-1 or career planner:

✦ Flag this to any E-5 through E-8 or officer in your unit who has regional backgrounds, foreign language skills, or prior intelligence or embassy adjacent experience.

✦ The program is legitimate, competitive, and worth advertising.

If you are an IRR Marine reading this:

✦ You are eligible. This is one of the few programs that explicitly includes IRR Marines. If your points are current, look into it.

This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.

Want a one-paragraph version of this to share in your unit group chat? Or a deeper breakdown of the active-duty billet list and AC application requirements? Let me know and I'll put it together.

FISCAL YEAR 2028 (FY28) ACTIVE AND RESERVE MARINE ATTACHÉ (MARA) SELECTION BOARD ANNOUNCEMENT