Given the realities of the modem battlefield ranging from major contingency operations to hybrid threats. the current fiscal restraints and the rapidly decreasing combat overmatch of the M1A1 Abrams tank compared to other tanks throughout the world, the Marine Corps must determine its future tank acquisition strategy in the near future in order to maintain a platform that will fulfill its roles beyond 2025. This paper presents four relevant courses of action for the Marine Corps to pursue m aquiring its next tank platform. and utilizes the history of tanks in the Marine Corps, the roles tanks...

U.S. amphibious warfare began its development in the early 1900's, became a real capability in World War II, and today provides the nation with a means to achieve its policy objectives with an ability to project military power from the sea. During World War II, the first real test of this amphibious assault capability came at the beginning of the Central Pacific drive on Tarawa in 1943 and culminated with the final amphibious operation in the Pacific at Okinawa, some 350 miles south of mainland Japan. Ultimately, the U.S. military's tactics, techniques, and procedures for conducting...

General George Crook's initial experiences in Native American warfare were so profound that they shaped him in a way very much unlike his contemporary officers. During General George Crook's Second Apache Campaign (1882-1886), his unique approach to the use of Apache scouts and his culturally sensitive leadership were so misunderstood by his contemporaries that it eventually led to his resignation of command and the imprisonment of all Chiricahua Apache scouts who faithfully served the US Army following General Nelson Miles' successful completion of the Apache campaign. General Crook...

This paper is designed to explain the capabilities of the LAR battalion, and how it can be used to operate for an extended period behind enemy lines or in denied enemy territory in order to shape the battlefield for commanders. It begins with the Marine Corps' acquisition of the LAV platform, covers the various initial concepts of employment, then discusses the current organization of the battalion, followed by a description of the current doctrine. The paper then describes the deployments and combat operations of LAR units, discusses the origins of modern operational maneuver groups, details...

Shaping efforts In the Maghreb and Sahel are extensive and commendable but lack appropriate interagency synchronization and an appropriate balance between the development and defense approaches. In order to achieve greater success in this critical region of Africa, the United States must adapt to the asymmetric environment, empower the DoS to lead and execute foreign policy, decrease the perceived militarization of foreign policy, and adjust within DoD to address the likely challenges of today and tomorrow.

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has a long history of seizing and defending advance bases;. Prior to World War I, base defense was the Marine Corps' main mission. l During World War I, the Advance Base Force was created to seize and defend enemy territory, primarily bases. In 1933, the Advance Base Force transformed into the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) under Commandant Major General Ben Fuller.2 By 1939, the looming threat of Japanese aggression in the Pacific solidified the need for' advance base defense and Commandant Major General Thomas Holcomb formed four Defense Battalions to defend...

This paper is an historical analysis of the effectiveness of General Lee's command during the .Battle of Gettysburg: The argument is made and defended that General Lee's effectiveness of command during the Battle of Gettysburg was reduced because of the absence of two of his trusted subordinates and his interaction with other senior leaders in the Army of North.em Virginia. This paper examines the period from the Battle of Chancellorsviile to the BattlE? of Gettysburg, 186 . The life of General Lee is discussed briefly' up t111 the Battle of Gettysburg, along with t e topics: Lee's Trusted...

Today's strategic environment is dynamic and rapidly changing. Warfighting domains, including air, land, and sea, where the United States has dominated for almost one half-century, are increasingly being tested by traditional states, as well as non-state actors. Globalization has facilitated the ability of less capable nations to garner critical warfighting technology. The parity in technology between nations at war is no longer as great. This leveled the playing field and allowed for non-state actors to have dramatic influence on powerful nations, which has not been the case in the past....

In 2008, two Marine Corps infantry battalions (Battalion Landing Team 1/6 and Task Force 2/7) operated in Helmand . Province, Afghanistan. Each battalion operated in a different sized battlespace in rural areas and each battalion met with a different degree of success. Both battalions found that in rural counterinsurgency operations a unit's Area of . Influence ebbs and flows over time and is driven by physical and moral factors that must be taken into consideration when designing a unit's campaign plan and formulating a realistic desired endstate. The analysis concludes that a unit's area of...

U.S. amphibious warfare began its development in the early 1900's, became a real capability in World War II, and today provides the nation with a means to achieve its policy objectives with an ability to project military power from the sea. During World War II, the first real test of this amphibious assault capability came at the beginning of the Central Pacific drive on Tarawa in 1943 and culminated with the final amphibious operation in the Pacific at Okinawa, some 350 miles south of mainland Japan. Ultimately, the U.S. military's tactics, techniques, and procedures for conducting...