Doctrine - Marine Corps Association

Opening the Loop

A look inside the mind of John Boyd

Determined that the FWS' tactics program not languish after his departure, he decided to develop and codify his own manual on fighter tactics.8 The resulting Aerial Attack Study was such a thorough piece of work that no significant contributions have been made to fighter tactics since its

A Manœuvre Renaissance

Overcoming the attritionist tendency

An eccentric retired Air Force colonel accepted an invitation to speak to the students oí Amphibious Warfare School class of 1979 only after the staff grudgingly agreed to his demand for a five-hour block of time.1 From this slightly awkward beginning, the Marine Corps' doctrine of manoeuvre

Maneuver Warfare: A defense

Reaffirm MCDP 1

Since the last revision of Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1 (MCDP 1), Warfighting 17 years ago, the Marine Corps' fighting philosophy has proven itself time and again. [...]the actions after tactical victory is achieved determine strategic effects.

Maneuver Warfare in the 21st Century

The continuing study and conduct of war

[...] destroying the enemy's command and control structure was essential to the success of the operation. [...] critical to our success is the understanding of the changing relationships between the forces at play; if not, we will be forever mired in the old think of the past and unable to adapt

On the Conduct of War

Applying theoretical doctrine into practical application

The numbers themselves highlight the effectiveness of the enemy's principal weapon against coalition forces.2 While we train our Marines in the classroom to find gaps to maneuver on the enemy, the continuing course of action in Iraq has been to bolt more armor onto our vehicles and develop more

Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1-0, Marine Corps Operations

MCDP 1-0 sits amid the hierarchy of doctrinal publications that sets forth the Marine Corps' philosophy of maneuver warfare, bridging it (the philosophy) to the 21st century tactics, techniques, and procedures developed and articulated in Marine Corps warfighting and reference publications.

Bass discusses the Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1-0 (MCDP 1-0) of the Marine Corps Operations. MCDP 1-0 sits amid the hierarchy of doctrinal publications that sets forth the Marine Corps' philosophy of maneuver warfare, bridging such philosophy to the 21st century tactics, techniques, and

Commander’s Intent: Easy to understand, tough to articulate

The commander's intent is the most important element of the commander's battlespace area evaluation.

"Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication (MCDP) 5, Planning" states that "the commander is probably the single most important factor in effective planning." The central role of the commander in planning is discussed.

The MCDPs

Information is offered on six Marine Corps Doctrinal Publications.

MCDP 4 Approved

Recently the Corps published Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication (MCDP) 4 Logistics. MCDP 4 provides a conceptual framework for the understanding and practice of effective logistics. Because logistics is an essential

Aviation’s Maneuver Doctrine

Editorial

Questions about how Marine aviation should respond to the Corps' adoption of maneuver warfare doctrine first arose more than a decade ago. Would this change in doctrine affect the operational concepts, training, and focus of effort of Marine aircraft wings-perhaps even their organization and

Synchronization

The U.S. inheritance of Soviet military doctrine?

The USSR's military doctrine long emphasized synchronization of battlefield elements to achieve maximum combat power. Soviet experience with this tactic has shown that centralized control does not work under actual battlefield conditions; the USMC should consider this lesson well before applying