Ideas & Issues - Marine Corps Association

On That First Day on Guadalcanal

Why so little Japanese resistance? During the months after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and other Asian targets, the United States was driven from the Philippines, the British surrendered Malaya, Singapore,

I Didn’t Sign Up for This

Civilian contractors in combat at Wake Island To compete globally in the 21st century, the U.S. military must rely on civilian contractors to manage vital logistical systems. However, war does

Someone to Light the Path

Morals, ethics, and self-assessment Whom Shall I Send? “All around our society, you see immoral behavior … lying, cheating, stealing, drug and alcohol abuse, prejudice, and a lack of respect

Closing the Gap for Integrated Casualty Evacuation

Logistical operations in a contested environment Operational forces in future wars must be small, agile, and have a low signature to survive the Miniaturized Sensor and Precision Weapons Revolution in

PPBE Reform

Legislative action to speed innovation Under constraints in current programming and budgeting processes, the Marine Corps cannot match adversaries’ speed of innovation in today’s rapidly changing, technologically advancing environment. Many

First to the Fight in Acquisition Reform

Equipping Marines better and faster: a proactive approach The new administration’s call for a revitalized military demands a fresh look at defense acquisition reform. The DOD has wrestled with the

Force Design: Making the First Thing First – Logically

Design precedes development as the architect precedes the engineer Force design is a critically important process for any military to ensure it is ready and able to preserve deterrence and

2025 Aviation Plan Executive Summary

Balancing crisis response and modernization The Deputy Commandant for Aviation’s (DC A) 2025 Aviation Plan (AVPLAN) was signed and released this past January. The AVPLAN intends to communicate to the

The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab

Thirty years of innovation “Force Design remains the Marine Corps’ vehicle to create innovative formations, equipment, and concepts and ensures we remain lethal on any battlefield while optimized against the

30th Anniversary

Intelligence Plan of 1994 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the Intelligence Plan of 1994. The purpose of the plan, approved by Commandant (CMC) Mundy in 1994, was not just

A Worthy Investment in the Stand-In Force

MARSOC and Force Design Modernization and force structure efforts for the Army resulted in plans by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command to make cuts that would account for the