IAW DA PAM 600-3, Functional Area 51 (FA51) officers must attain the Professional (Area of Concentration (AOC) C) or Practitioner (AOC A) level certification to compete for lieutenant colonel Centralized Selection List (CSL). Officers are required to obtain a professional certification in accordance with the DAWIA, Public Law 101-510, 10 USC Chapter 87, and other DOD directives and instructions. The levels of certification build upon acquisition skills and competencies gained at each level which include education, training, and experience against established criteria. In some cases, based on the officer’s desires and/or needs of the Army, an officer may have the opportunity to seek broadening assignments and training in both AOCs. However, given time constraints to satisfy experience requirements for certification, it is recommended to focus on the officer’s primary AFA prior to seeking certification in a secondary AFA.
