DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE1010 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301·1010

MAY 16 2012MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARY OF THE ARMY

SECRETARY OF THE NAVYSECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE

SUBJECT: Reinstatement ofMilitary Accessions Vital to National Interest Pilot Program

On August 17, 2010, the Department issued guidance extending the Military AccessionsVital to National Interest (MAVNl) Pilot Program until December 31,2011 (TAB A). However,resumption ofrecruiting under the pilot was delayed pendir).g finalization of enhanced securityprotocols and monitoring. .

The required review has been completed allowing recruiting to resume (TAB B). TheMAVNI PtlotPrograrn is reinstated and will remain in effect for two years from the date of this .memorandum. All other provisions in the August 17, 2010, memorandum remain in effect.

Attachments:As stated

cc:CJCSUSD (policy)USD (Personnel and Readmess)usn (Intelligence)

o 11111111111111105D004502-12

TABA· ...

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF. DEFENSE1010 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1010

AUG 17 2010MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS

SUBJECT: Two-Year Extension ofMilitary Accessions Vital to National Interest(MAVNI) Pilot Progr8m

As in the first year of the pilot program, the application ofthis limited authorityunder title 10, U.S. COde, §504(b)(2), is contingent upon a case-by-case determinationthat each such enlistment is vital to the national interest Your exercise ofthis authorityr~gardiIlg health care professionats shall be limited to those holding medical specialtiesfor which a Service has a critical shortfall. The recruitment ofpersons with speciallanguage and associated cultural backgrounds shall be limited to those with qualificationsnecessary for present and future military operations, and for which the Departmentcurrently has a critical shortfall. Persons enlisted under this program may be screenedand! identified for special operations and special operations support career fieldseU~bility and, if eligible, assignment priority shall be to such a unit. Persons-under thispro~ shall not be assigned to career fields that require security clearances at the timeofenlistment. MAVNI recruits shall not be considered for security clearances or forpositions within the intelligence community until they have served in the military andlived within the U.S. for a sufficient time period whereby a thorough backgroundinvestigation and monitoring can be conducted; The attachments provide furtherguidance regarding eligibility for participation in this pilot program.

The MAVNI pilot program is extended to December 31, 2011. It app~ that theearly results from the pilot program are promising and that this timely initiative may yieldneeded improvements in the areas ofhealth care and specific language/associated culturecap~bilities required to sustain effective military operations. In light ofrecent events, the~VNI program requires additional securitY reviews to assure the safety and security ofour 'personnel, equipment and operations. Services may extend the MAVNI pilotprogram provided that all MAVNI applicants are subjected to a Single Scope BackgroundInvestigation, and each Service establishes a comprehensive counterintelligence-focusedsecurity review and monitoring program for MAVNI recruits. Each Service shall submita security review and monitoring plan to the Office ofthe Under Secretary ofDefense forIntelligence for review and approval within 60 days ofthis memo. These measures shallalsQ be applied to all Accessions thathave been recruited under the MAVNI pilotprogram to date.

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As stated, pilot authority under this program shall continue through December,2011, with annual authorizations as stated in Attachment 1. The Under SecretarY ofDefense for Personnel and Readiness shall develop guidelines to ensure that each ofyouand interested parties external to the Department remain abreast ofprogram execution.

LJ-Attachments:As stated

cc:.CJCSUSD(P)USD(P&R)

2

Attachment 1ADnual MAVNI Maximum Accessions:

.• Army - 1,000 (Health Care Professionals and Enlisted with Language/Culture)

• Navy- 250 (Health Care Professionals and Enlisted with Language/Culture)

• Marine Corps - 125 (Enlisted with Language/Culture only)

• Air Force -125 (Health Care Professionals and Enlisted with Language/Culture).

Secretaries ofthe Military Departments shall determine the distribution oftheauthorizations between health care professionals and enlistments ofpersons with specificlanguage/associated culture capabilities, with health care professionals comprising atleast 10 percent ofall accessions for Army and Navy. At least one half ofenlistments ofpersons with language skills must be at least level 2 on all modalities tested.

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Attachment 1Program Eligibility

Overall Eligibility:

1. The alien mUst be in one ofthe following categories at time ofenlistment.

a. asylee, refug~, T~mporary Protected Status, orb. nonimmigrant categories E, F, H, I, 1, K, L, M, 0, P, Q,,~ S, T, Te, TD,.TN,'U,~~ , " ","

2. The alien musthave been in valid status in one ofthos~ categories for at least the ,2years immediately po()r to the enlistment date, but it does not have to be the samecategory as the one heldoit the date ofenlistment.

3. An alien who m.ay be eligible on the basiS ofa nonimmigrant categOl'Y, at time of "enIistme~t (see tb. abOve) must not have had any single absence from tbeUcltedS~tes ()f~te' than 90 days during the 2 year period immediatelypre~g tb¢,ciateofenlistment.

4. An appli~t ,Who is eligible'Under 1-3 above is not rendered ineligible'by virtue ofhaving,a pending application for adjustment ofstatus to 'lawful'permanerit residen,ce.In the specific case ofail alien with'H nonimmigraIit status at the timeoffilmg' a 'pending application for adjustment of status who has lost such status while his Qr her,applicationf~ a:djustm~t was pending, and who is otherwise eligible f{)r e:D1~entunder the MAVNI program, ,the,military Service may on a case by case basiS m;1vethe requit.ementthat the alien be in a statl,ts desCfloed in 1 above at the~,of ,enlistment. "

Program' Specific."Eligibility (Services may add additional requirements)"

'. H~th Car~ ProfessioDals

• i Applicants must be recruited specifically to fill medical specialties whe.reiIi'theiService has a critical shortfall., . , .

• :Appli~~ ~tmeet all qualification criteria'required for their medical sp~~ty.

• Applicants must meet the criteria required for foreign-trained DOD Iiledlc:af ", " "',personn~l reCruited under other authorities. "

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• Applicantsm~t demonstrate proficiency in English -,reading, speaking, :and ;liste:tiing~ ..cin· ~ ~datdized test in accordance with all existing$ervicecri~for COJilmisS,ioitedOfficers,

• ApplicantS,,m~ C9Inmit to at least three years ofactive duty or at le~t.6 years' inthe Selecte<ilteserve. ' "

,. EDlistecI ~diyidu81s witkSpeeiai Language aDd CultureBaeqr~~~d.s ' ,:,': :

• Enlistment$tn~ be for at least four years ofactive duty service; and,eiili$te:~ "must: " , ,"

o Possess sp,ecific language with associated culture capabilities"in a lanpg~criticaf'to'DoD (attachment 3),and' , ' ..

o DemoI1;Snte language proficiency 'at the 2/2/2 level on the Defense~Proficiency Test at 2/2 on the Oral Proficiency Interview; or as:nee4edforthe'career-field, but not at less than 1+ on any modality,'

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Attaehment 3Eligible Languages

Services may recommend additional languages to meet emerging needs or requestexceptions to policy for especially meritorious individual cases to the ODUSD (MPP).

Albanian Malayalam

Amharic Moro

Arabic Nepalese

Azerbaijani Persian [Dari & Farsi]

Bengali Polish

Burmese Portuguese

Cambodian-Khmer Punjabi

Cebuano Pushtu (aka Pashto)

Chinese Russian

Czech Serbo-Croatian

French (limited to Sindhiindividuals possessing Sinhalesecitizenship from anAfrican country) Somali

Haitian-Creole Swahili

Hausa Tagalog

Hindi Tajik

Hungarian . Tamil

Igbo Thai

Indonesian Turkish

Korean Turkmen

Kurdish Urdu

Lao Uzbek

Malay Yoruba