Ideas & Issues - Marine Corps Association

Sensing in the Shadows

Integrating autonomous and human intelligence for decision superiority in the Pacific Modernizing Intelligence for Distributed Littoral Operations In April 2023, in response to former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy

Mobilization as a Theory of Victory

Deploying all elements of national defense Vignette On 1 August 2027—the 100th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army—the Chinese Communist Party launches a preplanned invasion of Taiwan. The operation begins

Mobilizing the Marine Corps

Why the Service is incapable of repeating June 1950 When the Korea People’s Army stormed across the 38th parallel on 25 June 1950, the Republic of Korea Army and the

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

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

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

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