Information
The Joint Officer Matters Office (JOMO) systematically tracks and documents Active Duty Marine Corps officers' joint qualifications and their progressive advancement toward Joint Qualified Officer (JQO) designation. Furthermore, we provides critical support for statutory promotion boards, issues directive guidance concerning the attainment of joint qualifications, assists occupational field monitors, and serves as the primary liaison to the Joint Staff regarding Joint Officer Management (JOM) policy and legislative implementation.
Service JOM branches are mandated to support and implement the Joint Officer Management Program policies established by the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This framework establishes a systematic methodology that advances the career-long accumulation of joint experiences, education, and training. This approach is strictly aligned with the Department's Strategic Plan for JOM and Joint Professional Military Education (JPME), as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Vision for Joint Officer Development.
The Service JOM holds the administrative authority to develop, execute, and oversee the JOM program for all Active Duty Unrestricted Marine Corps Officers in the paygrades of O-1 through O-6.
(Note: The Reserve Component JOM process is administered through a separate statutory framework. Reserve officers must direct inquiries to Reserve Affairs for programmatic guidance.)
Point Accrual Methodology: Tracking Joint Credits
Marine Corps officers accumulate joint experience and qualification points through three approved statutory pathways. Comprehension of these mechanisms is essential for strategic career progression and ultimate JQO designation:
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Standard Joint Duty Assignments (S-JDA): Billets formally codified on the Joint Duty Assignment List (JDAL). Credit is accrued strictly based on the duration of time served in the assigned billet (e.g., a standard 36-month assignment constitutes a Full Joint Tour).
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Experience-Based Joint Duty Assignments (E-JDA): Non-JDAL experiences, joint task force deployments, or assignments demonstrating direct relevance to the Title 10 statutory definition of "Joint Matters." These experiences require proactive self-nomination by the officer and subsequent adjudication by a formal review board to yield qualification points.
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The Combination Path: Pursuant to CJCSI 1330.05C, officers are authorized to synthesize fractional S-JDA service time directly with E-JDA points and approved discretionary points. This pathway enables the aggregation of different joint experiences to meet the 24-point threshold required for JQO (Level III) designation without requiring a single, uninterrupted standard joint tour.
Pursuant to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction (CJCSI) 1330.05C, joint experience within the Department of Defense is systematically tracked utilizing a cumulative point-accrual methodology and structured career milestones. While officers may begin accumulating joint experience points early in their careers, advancement to Joint Qualified Officer (JQO) status (Level III) is governed by strict statutory criteria concerning paygrade thresholds and recency requirements.
Level II Qualification (Joint MOS 9701)
- Joint Officer Management Policy Revisions Memorandum to DoWI 1300.19 dated 30 June 2026 have eliminated Joint Qualification Level II from policy.
- There is no service impact to this JOM policy revision. Personnel with the MOS 9701 will retain it on their record. Personnel will no longer be submitted for MOS 9701 by the service.
- The previous Joint Qualification Level II did not serve as a prerequisite for Level III nor a determination for personnel to be assigned to a Joint Billet.
Level III Qualification (Joint Qualified Officer - JQO / Joint MOS 9702)
- Educational Requirement: Successful completion of both JPME Phase I and JPME Phase II.
- Experience Requirement: Accrual of 24 Joint Qualification Points earned via S-JDA, E-JDA, or the Combination Path.
- The 365-Day Recency/Paygrade Requirement: To qualify for JQO designation (Level III), officers must satisfy the statutory requirement of at least 365 days of qualifying joint experience (or 12 joint points) earned while serving in the paygrade of O-4 or higher.
- S-JDA Billet: An officer must serve at least one day as an O-4 while assigned to an active S-JDA (JDAL) billet for the cumulative duration of that assignment to satisfy the 12-month recency requirement.
- E-JDA Billet: Joint experience points accumulated strictly in the paygrade of O-3 are capped at 12 points (qualifying the officer for Level II). To bridge the gap to Level III, a minimum of 12 additional points (or 365 qualifying days) must be earned subsequent to the officer's promotion to O-4 (Major) or above.
The Combination Path: Integration of S-JDA and E-JDA Credits
In accordance with CJCSI 1330.05C, officers are not required to rely solely on a single, continuous 24-to-36 month standard joint tour to achieve JQO status. The instruction formally authorizes a Combination Path, enabling officers to merge traditional S-JDA service time with experience-based E-JDA points.
- This pathway supports Marine Corps officers who have completed partial standard joint tours due to service requirements, or who have supplemented their service careers with short-term joint deployments.
Regulatory Rules of the Combination Path:
- Minimum Point Threshold: Officers must accumulate a combined total of 24 joint points, in addition to completing JPME Phase I and II, to be nominated for Level III (JQO) designation.
- Exclusion of Concurrent Credit: Officers are strictly prohibited from earning E-JDA or discretionary points for tasks, training, or deployments executed during the identical timeframes for which they are claiming S-JDA time-based credit.
- Statutory Recency Compliance: Under the combination path, a minimum of 12 points of the combined 24-point total (the equivalent of 12 months of joint experience) must be earned in the paygrade of O-4 or higher to satisfy the Level III recency requirement.
References & Statutory Policies
- Title 10, United States Code, Chapter 38 (Sections 661-668): Codified federal statute governing Joint Officer Management.
- DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1300.19: DoD Joint Officer Management (JOM) Program (incorporating Change 1, May 18, 2023).
- CJCSI 1330.05C: Joint Officer Management Program Procedures (Effective 19 July 2024).