International Affairs Program

The Marine Corps International Affairs Programs (IAP) identifies, develops and manages a professionalized cadre of subject matter experts in regionally focused political-military affairs who will possess advanced education in regional security studies, regional experience, and advanced linguistic skills. In order to serve as leaders, principle staff, planners, and advisers on capabilities for assignments on tactical, operational, and strategic-level staffs, joint and combined assignments, and for duty with interagency organizations in order to improve MAGTF plans, operations, security cooperation, and intelligence efforts. IAP Marines will be primary nominees: mil-diplomatic defense attaché, Office of Security Cooperations, regional plans, advisors, plans, policies, operations. IAP is responsible for selection, designation and assignment of Marines to the following programs:

1. Foreign Area Officer (FAO)

2. Regional Affairs Officer (RAO)

3. Foreign Area Staff Noncommissioned Officer (FAS)

4. Personnel Exchange Program (PEP)​

Telephone
COM: 703-692-2168

Email
IAPMARINE@USMC.MIL

1) HOW CAN I PREPARE TO BE MORE ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION?

Marines are encouraged to take the DLAB and any DLPTs for languages in which they have proficiency.

2) WHAT IS A DLAB?

The Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) is a test used to test an individual's potential for learning a foreign language and thus determining who may pursue language training. The test does not attempt to gauge a person's fluency in a given language, but rather to determine their ability to learn a language. The test will give the service member examples of what a selection of words or what a portion of a word means, then asks the test taker to create a specific word from the samples given.[2]

Someone failing the test or getting a low score can retake the DLAB after 6 months.

To qualify to pursue training in a language, one needs a minimum score of 95. Furthermore, the DLAB is a required test for officers looking to either join the Foreign Area Officer program.

3) WHAT IS A DLPT?

The Defense Language Proficiency Test is a battery of foreign language tests intended to assess the general language proficiency of native English speakers in a specific foreign language, in the skills of reading and listening. An Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is sometimes administered to Defense Language Institute students to establish the graduate's proficiency in speaking following training there, but it is not part of the DLPT.

4) WHAT SCORES DO I NEED FOR MY DLPT AS A FAO/FAS?

The goal for IAP participants who attend language training is to graduate with a minimum score of 2/2/1+ in Listening/Reading/ and Speaking modalities on the DLPT and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). This level of proficiency corresponds to a limited functional proficiency in the target language, which will enable the individual to converse confidently, on most social, work, and family topics.

FAOs who fail to achieve a 2/2/1+ score following language training will retest immediately following In-Region Training (IRT). The ultimate goal for the program is to produce fully-trained FAO and FAS with scores of 3/3/3.

FAOs and FASs are required to maintain current DLPT and OPI proficiency scores in one language of their assigned region in order to maintain the AMOS. Proficiency requirements for the AMOS are the same as testing requirements for FLPB eligibility as established by the current Marine Corps Order on FLPB.

MCO 7220.52g: Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus Program provides further information.

5) WHAT IS THE MOS DESIGNATION BREAKDOWN FOR FAO/RAO/FAS?

6) WHAT IS CCLEB AND CPIB?

The Commandant's Career Level Education Board (CCLEB) and Commandant's Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board(CPIB).  Annually, MARADMINS are released by MMOA-3 that select FAOs and RAOs to attend resident, graduate education programs to award the 82XX MOS. 

MCO 1524.1: Marine Corps Graduate Education Program provides further information.

7) WHAT CAN I ADD TO MY CCLEB/CPIB QUESTIONNAIRE?

Letters of recommendation, copies of diplomas/certificates, extracurricular activities or awards that highlight your language or political-military experience, travel immersion, engagement with partner militaries, and regionally-focused assignments will increase the competitiveness of your package.

8) HOW ARE LANGUAGES CATEGORIZED AND ASSIGNED?

The languages are broken into tiers based on their difficulty level for a native English speaker as determined by the Defense Language Institute (DLI). The category into which a language is placed also determines the length of its basic course as taught at either DLI Monterey or DLI-Washington D.C.