Army Congressional Fellowship Program Description and Application Instructions for Army National 

Guard Members

ARNG application suspense date: 25 March 2024

Program Description

Overview. The Army Congressional Fellowship Program is a 44-month program which includes 

pursuit of a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) Degree in Legislative Affairs at George Washington 

University, service as a Fellow for a Member of Congress, and utilization on the Army Staff in a 

congressional-related duty position. The program seeks service members who have demonstrated 

outstanding promotion potential. Officers, warrant officers and senior noncommissioned officers 

looking for a fast-paced and exciting broadening opportunity are encouraged to apply for the Army 

Congressional Fellowship Program.

Commanders and supervisors are also encouraged to submit their best candidates for this prestigious 

opportunity based on the outstanding potential and aptitude for service in the Congressional 

environment. 

a. Purpose. The Army Congressional Fellowship Program has four purposes: 

(1) Provide outstanding service members with strong promotion potential an opportunity to 

learn and understand the importance of the strategic relationships between the Army and 

Congress 

(2) Expose Congressional Members and staff to quality Army leaders who, as Army fellows 

working in their offices, help them understand the Army as an institution. 

(3) Develop a cohort of Army Leaders who can be immediately assigned to Legislative Liaison 

duties within HQDA [Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison (OCLL) and Assistant Secretary of 

the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller (ASA-FM&C)], National Guard Bureau -

Legislative Liaison (NGB-LL), and Office of the Chief of Army Reserve Legislative Affairs 

Division (OCAR-LAD). 

(4) Develop a pool of officers, warrant officers and senior noncommissioned officers for 

potential future utilization in the field of legislative liaison. 

b. Orientation and Academics. Selected participants begin the fellowship with an orientation 

program, which prepares Fellows for academics and familiarizes them to OCLL. The academic 

portion begins with a summer term of study at George Washington University (GWU). The GWU 

Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Legislative Affairs consists of an 11- course program 

focused on Congress. The curriculum exposes students to all aspects of the congressional 

experience. Congressional staffers comprise the large majority of students in the program, which 

offers Army fellows a unique opportunity to network with others working on Capitol Hill and in the 

legislative arena. Fellows enroll in core courses and electives in the summer and fall 2025 

sessions. Fellows take elective courses in areas of their choosing, pursue independent study 

opportunities, and complete comprehensive exams earning a MPS Degree in Legislative Affairs in 

spring 2026. Fellows may be awarded transfer credit for Army PME and courses completed that 

have not contributed to a Master’s Degree, at the discretion of GWU.

c. The Capitol Hill experience. In January 2026, fellows begin their assignment on Capitol Hill by 

serving on the personal staff of a Member of Congress. Fellows are typically given responsibility 

for drafting legislation, preparing and staffing the Member for congressional hearings, writing 

speeches, drafting floor statements, handling defense-related constituent issues, and briefing 

Members of Congress prior to committee meetings and floor debate. The Capitol Hill experience 

ends in December 2026.

d. Utilization Assignment. Fellows will immediately serve a 24-month utilization assignment upon 

completion of time served in a Member’s office. Fellows will be placed in either OCLL, SAFM-BUL, 
Army Congressional Fellowship Program Description and Application Instructions for Army National 

Guard Members

NGB-LL, or OCAR-LAD. All assignments are approved by the Chief Legislative Liaison IAW AR 1-

202. 

e. Summary of timeline: May 2025 - graduate school; January 2026 - service on Capitol Hill; May 

2025 - finish graduate school; December 2025 - end service on Capitol Hill and transition to 

ARSTAF; December 2028 - end of service in ARSTAF.

Selection Process

a. The U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC), Fort Knox, KY Fiscal Year 2026 Army 

Congressional Fellowship Selection Panel will convene 7-10 May 2024 to select candidates to 

present to the Chief, Legislative Affairs for final selection of Fellows.

b. Applicants will be notified of the HRC Selection Panel nomination results o/a 14 June 2024. 

c. The Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison (OCLL) will hold a secondary panel and select 

primary and alternate selections for the program. Once applicants have been officially notified, 

they must submit an application to George Washington University (GWU) for admission. Once 

applicants have been officially accepted to GWU and their ACS packet has been processed, HRC 

will coordinate with the officers to initiate assignment into the program o/a 18 December 2024.

Fellowship Tenure/Location

a. During the academic and fellowship portions of the program, Active Component and USArmy 

Reserve Fellows will be assigned to the U.S. Army Student Detachment, Fort Jackson, SC. Army 

National Guard Fellows will be assigned to the National Guard Bureau, Arlington, VA. 

b. All fellows will be attached to OCLL, Washington, DC as Congressional Fellows.

c. The fellowship begins in May 2025 and completes December 2026. Military fellows will serve an 

immediate twenty-four month utilization tour through December 2028

Obligations Incurred

a. Immediately following the fellowship, military fellows are required to complete a 24 month

utilization tour. Once accepted, fellows cannot compete for any other broadening opportunity or 

special mission unit assignments during the duration of the fellowship program and utilization tour.

b. All Service Members participating in this program incur two separate active duty service 

obligations (ADSOs) in the U.S. Army. ADSOs will be three times the length of the period, 

computed in days, for each day served in this program. One ADSO will be from pursing a graduate 

degree and the second ADSO will be from participating in the Congressional Fellowship Program 

on Capitol Hill, approximately a combined four year ADSO. Both ADSOs will be served 

concurrently with each other but will be served consecutively with other civilian ADSOs.

ARNG Eligibility Criteria (Waivers for this criteria are not permitted)

a. Officers: 

(1) Hold the rank of captain or major. Majors must not have more than four years-time-in grade 

as of May 2025.

(2) Captains must have completed Company Command prior to the start of the program. 

Majors must have not have more than four years time-in-grade as of May 2025.

(3) Title 32 AGR and Traditional Drilling (M-Day) soldiers may apply to the program if the 

Adjutant General (TAG) provides an approved and signed TAG release memorandum with the 

application packet. 

b. Noncommissioned Officers (NCO): 

(1) May be Active Component, Reserve Component, or National Guard. 
Army Congressional Fellowship Program Description and Application Instructions for Army National 

Guard Members

(2) Hold the rank of First Sergeant (1SG)/Master Sergeant (MSG) (E-8) or Command Sergeant 

Major (CSM)/Sergeant Major (SGM) (E-9). 

(3) 1SG/MSG applicants must have a DOR of 1 May 2023 or earlier. 

(4) CSM/SGM applicants must be able to complete the entire program to include utilization 

prior to their Mandatory Retirement Date. Utilization ends on 31 Dec 2028. 

(5) 1SG/MSG applicants selected for promotion to SGM while in the fellowship program will not 

attend the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence Resident Course, but will be enrolled in the 

non-resident course. 

(6) All applicants must have completed all requisite levels of NCOES for their rank to include 

their distributed leader course. 

(7) Applicants are still eligible for consideration under the qualitative service and qualitative 

management program. 

(8) Meet the additional criteria in paragraph 4-5(f).

c. All Applicants: 

(1) Must not have been selected for and participated in any of the broadening opportunity 

programs, listed at https://www.hrc.army.mil/bop, within the last ten years. This does not 

include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) or the HQDA Strategic 

Broadening Seminars Programs. 

(2) CPTs must have successfully completed the Captains Career Course, not later than April 

2024. 

(3) MAJs must have successfully completed Intermediate Level Education, not later than April 

2024. 

(4) Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. 

(5) Candidates with an undergraduate GPA below 2.8 who do not have a graduate degree or a 

juris doctorate must also complete the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Graduate 

Management Admission Test (GMAT). 

(6) Meet army height and weight requirements and be in excellent physical condition. 

(7) Must not be pending any adverse actions or be at risk for promotion (i.e. SELCON or 

previous non-select). 

(8) Have extraordinary potential for future Army service. 

(9) Have interpersonal skills and the ability to interact and form relationships with individuals 

from diverse backgrounds. 

(10) The candidate must have superb writing and speaking skills. 

(11) Be able to complete the full fellowship program without interruption. 

(12) Be able to serve/complete a twenty-four month utilization assignment immediately 

following the fellowship without interruption. 

(13) Must possess or have the ability to obtain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented 

Information (TS/SCI) security clearance prior to beginning the fellowship. 

(14) Be able to begin the fellowship on or about 01 March 2025. 

How to apply

a. Not later than 25 March 2024, email your application as one “Portable Document Format” (PDF) 

attachment to: ng.ncr.ngb-arng.mbx.ngbjs-ARNG-Congressional-Fellowship@army.mil. Do not 
Army Congressional Fellowship Program Description and Application Instructions for Army National 

Guard Members

attach PDF’s inside of PDF’s (portfolio format). Subject title of email “Request to compete for the 

FY2023 Army Congressional Fellowship Program.” Include the following documents in your PDF: 

(1) Non-Commissioned Officers - DA Form 4187 (Personnel Action): Please refer to Appendix, 

paragraphs 1 & 2a of this catalog for the information required for submission of the DA Form 

4187. 

(2) Commissioned officers and warrant officers– please submit the Commissioned Officer 

Broadening Opportunity Application. (Go to https://www.hrc.army.mil/bop, paragraph 2 for 

form.) 

(3) Resume (ARNG Officers, and Noncommissioned Officers): Any format with the following 

information: Name, current rank, mailing address, phone number, email address (civilian and 

military), brief description of military work experience with dates, education (include type of 

degree, degree major, dates attended, GPA, name of institution), brief accounting of

languages, special skills, interests. Please keep your resume to 1 page or your application will 

be returned without action.

(4) Letters of recommendation (LOR) (any format): A maximum of two. One LOR must be from 

the current battalion or brigade commander. Address to "President of the Selection Panel." 

(Suggestion: if you are applying for more than one program have the recommender 

recommend you for "Any Broadening Opportunity Program" instead of a specific program).

(5) All candidates must submit copies of their last five evaluation reports (DA 67-10-1 or 2) 

(6) Current record brief. 

(7) A copy of all undergraduate and graduate degree transcripts in their packet.

(8) Candidates with a bachelor's GPA below 2.8 and without a graduate degree or juris 

doctorate only must submit a copy of their valid Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate 

Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores. Test date must be after 1 May 2018. 

(9) Writing Sample: All applicants must write a two page executive summary (single spaced) of 

the 2023 Army Posture Statement identifying key points for each of the Army’s priorities. Use 

Arial, 12-pt. font and 1-inch margins. Include a title and your name. No other headers or footers 

are necessary.

(10) Most current DA Form 705 (ACFT) and DA Form 5500/5501 (Body Fat Content), if 

applicable. 

(11) Only if you are applying for more than one program: The following statement (any format): 

"I understand if I am applying for more than one program, I may not receive my first preference 

and I further understand my selection or non-selection is determined by the selection panel's 

order of merit list (OML) of the program(s) I am requesting to compete for. I understand if I am 

selected to attend one of the program(s) I am competing for, I will not be considered for any 

other program and I will accept the program I was selected for." Your name/grade must be on 

statement. Title statement "Applying for More Than one Broadening Opportunity Program."

(12) Memorandum for Record with the following information (any format): rank, name, last four 

of your SSN, baccalaureate degree GPA, graduate degree GPA (if you have a graduate 

degree), GRE or GMAT scores (if required or you have one. Not a requirement if you have a 

graduate degree or your undergraduate degree GPA is 2.8 or higher), and the following 

statement: "I understand that if I am awarded a FY2025 Army Congressional Fellowship, I will 

incur the following obligations a) Two separate Active Duty Service Obligations (ADSO). 

ADSOs will be three times the length of the period, computed in days, for each day I participate 

in this fellowship. One ADSO will be from pursing a graduate degree from George Washington 

University and the second ADSO will be from participating in the Congressional Fellowship 

Program upon Capitol Hill. Both ADSOs will be served concurrently. This will result in an 
Army Congressional Fellowship Program Description and Application Instructions for Army National 

Guard Members

approximate four year ADSO. I understand the graduate degree ADSO will not begin until the 

day after I graduate from George Washington University and my second ADSO will not begin 

until the day after I complete my time on Capitol Hill. I understand the ADSOs I receive under 

this program is to be served consecutively with other civilian ADSOs, IAW AR 350-100, 

paragraph 3-3". b) I further understand that I have a twenty-four month mandatory utilization, 

immediately following my time on Capitol Hill. The utilization assignment will be determined by 

the Office of the Chief for Legislative Affairs (OCLL). I also understand any request to defer or 

reduce the utilization, must be submitted to OCLL for final decision.

b. ARNG Title 10 candidates must submit a DA Form 4187 signed by their Office of Primary 

Responsibility (OPR), G-Staff Colonel. Title 32 AGR and Traditional Drilling (M-Day) National 

Guard candidates must submit a signed TAG Release Memorandum and a DA Form 4187. 

Examples of the DA Form 4187 and memorandum are provided at 

https://www.nationalguard.mil/Leadership/Joint-Staff/Personal-Staff/LegislativeLiaison/Congressional-Fellowship-Program/. 

c. ARNG Non-Commissioned Officers refer to Appendix, paragraphs 1 & 2a of this catalog for the 

information required for submission of the DA Form 4187. The DA Form 4187 (Personnel Action) 

for NCOs is submitted in lieu of the Broadening Opportunity Program Application. 

d. For questions, please contact COL Jay Rose at jason.e.rose3.mil@army.mil or (571) 256-7345.