R 202359Z DEC 07 ZUI ASN-A00355000001 ZYB
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-092//
TO ALCOAST
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UNCLAS //N05726//
ALCOAST 582/07
COMDTNOTE 5726
SUBJ: SECDEF 2008 JOINT CIVILIAN ORIENTATION CONFERENCE (JCOC 75
AND 76) ANNOUNCEMENT AND GUIDANCE ON NOMINATION PROCEDURES.
1. PREPARATIONS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER WAY FOR THE 2008 JOINT CIVILIAN
ORIENTATION CONFERENCES (JCOC 75 AND 76).  THIS YEAR NOMINATIONS
FOR BOTH OF THE YEARS CONFERENCES WILL BE SUBMITTED ONCE AND
SELECTEES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE TWO CONFERENCES.  JCOC 75
IS PLANNED FOR APRIL OF 2008 HOSTED BY U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND AND
JCOC 76 IS PLANNED FOR FALL 2008 WITH THE COMMAND HOST STILL TO BE
DETERMINED.  EACH CONFERENCE WILL LAST A TOTAL OF SEVEN DAYS WHILE
TRAVELING TO SEVERAL COUNTRIES WITHIN THE HOST COMMANDS AOR.
NOMINATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED ON LINE BEGINNING DECEMBER 19 AND
CLOSE JANUARY 23, 2008.
2. JCOC IS A LONG-STANDING, KEY OUTREACH PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSES
MOST SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVES TO PROVIDE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL
OPINION LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY GREATER INSIGHT ABOUT THE
STRENGTH AND READINESS OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES.  IT IS INTENDED TO
REACH INFLUENCERS WHO HAVE NEUTRAL, UNINFORMED, OR NEGATIVE
OPINIONS ABOUT THE U.S. MILITARY. THIS CONFERENCE IS GEARED TOWARDS
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NOT HAD SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO THE MILITARY
OR ITS ACTIVITIES AND WILL PROVIDE THEM A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF
THE MISSIONS AND GOALS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY.
3. JCOC SERVES AS A TIME TO HIGHLIGHT THE TREMENDOUS CAPABILITIES
OF EACH OF THE SERVICES AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FORM THE BACKBONE
OF OUR MILITARY.  THIS EXPERIENCE HAS GIVEN PARTICIPANTS STRONG AND
POSITIVE INSIGHTS INTO THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR ARMED FORCES.
FOLLOWING THE CONFERENCE, ATTENDEES CONTINUE TO SHARE THESE
EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS, THROUGH SPEECHES, ARTICLES,
AND COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS.
4. WHEN CONSIDERING NOMINEES, POSSIBILITIES MAY INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS
SUCH AS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS, PUBLISHERS/EDITORS OF PRINT AND
BROADCAST MEDIA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AND REGIONAL LEADERS OF
MINORITY AND WOMENS ORGANIZATIONS, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, MEDICAL
EXPERTS, AND CEOS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISES WITH
REGIONAL OR NATIONAL REACH. IN ADDITION, STATE AND LOCAL ELECTED
AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS CAN BE NOMINATED SO LONG AS THEY ARE NOT IN
CAMPAIGN STATUS DURING THE NOMINATION PROCESS.  PERSONS WHO ARE
VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE COAST GUARD AND ITS MISSIONS CANNOT BE
CONSIDERED FOR JCOC.
5. NOMINATORS:ELIGIBLE NOMINATORS INCLUDE AREA, DISTRICT AND HQ
UNIT COMMANDERS, ASSISTANT COMDTS, AND HEADS OF DIRECTORATES.
ELIGIBLE NOMINATORS WILL DESIGNATE ONE POC FOR THE ENTIRE COMMAND
WHO WILL GATHER AND COLLECT NOMINATIONS. DESIGNATED POCS SHOULD
EMAIL LT SARA WALLACE AT SARA.A.WALLACE(AT)USCG.MIL WITH THEIR NAME
AND THE NOMINATOR WHO DESIGNATED THEM.  ONCE ALL POCS HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED, AN EMAIL WILL BE SENT WITH DIRECTIONS DETAILING THE
NOMINATION PROCESS.
6. NOMINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES: NOMINATORS SHOULD SEEK OUT AND
NOMINATE APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUALS.  NOMINATORS SHOULD INFORM THEIR
NOMINEES OF THE FACTS BELOW:
 A. NOMINATION ALONE DOES NOT MEAN SELECTION.
 B. ONCE A NOMINEE HAS BEEN SELECTED AND INVITED TO ATTEND THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE TRIP IF THEY CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THEIR
SELECTION. THE COST OF THE TRIP CAN VARY FROM 2000 DOLLARS TO 3000
DOLLARS DEPENDING UPON THE LOCATION OF THE CONFERENCE.
 C. NOMINEES WILL BE INFORMED OF THE COST BEFORE THEY ARE ASKED TO
ACCEPT THEIR SELECTION.
 D. THE EXACT LOCATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE WILL NOT BE PROVIDED
UNTIL THE START OF THE CONFERENCE.
7. SELECTION PROCESS: BETWEEN 300-400 NOMINATIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR
THIS CONFERENCE YEAR WITH ONLY 50 SLOTS AVAILABLE FOR EACH
CONFERENCE. SELECTIONS ARE BASED ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE
NOMINEES AS DETERMINED BY THE SELECTION PANEL - NOT BY THE RANK OR
THE POSITION OF THE NOMINATOR. NOMINATORS MUST INFORM NOMINEES THAT
BEING NOMINATED DOES NOT GUARANTEE INVITATION. IT IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NOMINATOR TO ENSURE THAT HIS OR HER NOMINEE
IS FULLY INFORMED OF THE DATES OF THE CONFERENCE AND IS REASONABLY
ABLE TO COMMIT TO PARTICIPATING SHOULD HE OR SHE BE SELECTED.
8. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON JCOC CAN BE FOUND AT
HTTPS://JCOC.DOD.MIL.
9. THE COAST GUARD HAS A STRONG INTEREST IN THIS MULTI-SERVICE
PROGRAM, WHICH IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THE
PERFORMANCE OF COAST GUARD PEOPLE IN A HIGH PROFILE WAY.
10. POC IS COMDT(CG-09223), LT SARA WALLACE AT (202) 372-4641, OR
E-MAIL: SARA.A.WALLACE(AT)USCG.MIL.
11. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
12. RDML MARY E. LANDRY, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC
AFFAIRS, SENDS.
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