R 181300Z APR 05
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL ALMAR(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 018/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/33RD COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS UPDATED GUIDANCE (THE 21ST
/CENTURY MARINE CORPS - CREATING STABILITY IN AN UNSTABLE WORLD)//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  WHEN I ASSUMED DUTIES AS THE 33RD COMMANDANT OF
THE MARINE CORPS ON 13 JANUARY 2003, I PUBLISHED MY GUIDANCE IN
ORDER TO PROVIDE DIRECTION DURING THE FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS.  TODAY,
THE ENTIRE MARINE CORPS IS ENGAGED IN SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL WAR ON
TERROR.  WHILE THIS MISSION IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, WE ALSO HAVE
THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE.  THIS MESSAGE UPDATES
THE GUIDANCE OF 13 JANUARY BY LAYING OUT OUR VISION FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY MARINE CORPS.  ADDITIONALLY, IT CONTAINS MY INTENT FOR
ACHIEVING THIS VISION. 
2.  VISION.
    WE REMAIN THE NATION'S PREMIER EXPEDITIONARY COMBAT
FORCE-IN-READINESS.  WE ARE PRIMARILY A NAVAL FORCE WHOSE STRENGTH
IS OUR ABILITY TO ACCESS DENIED AREAS FROM GREAT DISTANCES.  WE
PROJECT MARINE FORCES FROM LAND OR SEA BASES FOR OPERATIONS AS PART
OF A JOINT OR COMBINED FORCE.  WE PROVIDE DEFENSE OF THE HOMELAND BY
OPERATING FROM FORWARD DEPLOYED LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.  WE
SUSTAIN OUR DEPLOYED FORCES FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. 
    WE FIGHT ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF CONFLICT.  HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE
THAT OUR FUTURE WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY IRREGULAR WARS.  WE FOCUS
ON WARFIGHTING EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING WE DO.  A GUIDING PRINCIPLE
OF OUR CORPS IS THAT WE FIGHT AS COMBINED-ARMS TEAMS, SEAMLESSLY
INTEGRATING OUR GROUND, AVIATION AND LOGISTICS FORCES. WE EXPLOIT
THE SPEED, FLEXIBILITY, AND AGILITY INHERENT IN OUR COMBINED-ARMS
APPROACH TO DEFEAT TRADITIONAL, TERRORIST, AND EMERGING THREATS TO
OUR NATION'S SECURITY.
    EVERY MARINE IS A RIFLEMAN AND A WARRIOR - OUR LINK TO THE PAST
AND OUR KEY TO THE FUTURE.  WE TRAIN AND EDUCATE OUR MARINES TO
THINK INDEPENDENTLY AND ACT AGGRESSIVELY, WITH SPEED AND INITIATIVE,
AND TO EXPLOIT THE ADVANTAGES OF CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING.  WE THRIVE
IN THE CHAOTIC AND UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH OUR FORCES
ARE EMPLOYED.  WE ARE COMMITTED TO AND SUSTAINED BY OUR FAMILIES,
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND OUR OPERATIONAL PARTNERS.  WE ARE DEVOTED
TO EACH OTHER AND THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM.
3.  INTENT.
A.  PURPOSE.  TO PROVIDE THE CAPABILITIES JOINT FORCE COMMANDERS
WILL NEED TO MEET THE WIDE SPECTRUM OF CHALLENGES THAT OUR NATION
WILL FACE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. 
B.  METHOD.  WE WILL PRESERVE OUR TRADITION OF BEING MOST READY WHEN
THE NATION IS LEAST READY.  WE WILL CONTINUE TO RELY ON OUR
FUNDAMENTAL TENETS OF EXPEDITIONARY MANEUVER WARFARE AND
COMBINED-ARMS AIR-GROUND TASK FORCES.  WE WILL ENHANCE AND EXPAND
THESE CAPABILITIES THROUGH THE AGGRESSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF
SEA-BASING AND DISTRIBUTED OPERATIONS.  THESE TRANSFORMING CONCEPTS
WILL INCREASE OUR AGILITY AND SPEED IN OPERATIONS FROM COOPERATIVE
SECURITY TO MAJOR COMBAT. 
(1) OUR SUCCESSES HAVE COME FROM THE AGGRESSIVE SPIRIT, ADAPTABILITY
AND FLEXIBILITY OF OUR LEADERS AND UNITS AT ALL LEVELS.  WE WILL
CONTINUE TO CREATE MARINES WHO THRIVE IN CHAOTIC AND UNCERTAIN
ENVIRONMENTS.   TO THAT END, WE WILL PLACE RENEWED EMPHASIS ON OUR
GREATEST ASSET - THE INDIVIDUAL MARINE - THROUGH IMPROVED TRAINING
AND EDUCATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES, CULTURAL AWARENESS, TACTICAL
INTELLIGENCE AND URBAN OPERATIONS.  WE WILL DEVELOP AND PROVIDE THE
BEST INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE.  WE WILL TRAIN, EDUCATE, ORIENT
AND EQUIP ALL MARINES TO OPERATE SKILLFULLY ACROSS THE WIDE SPECTRUM
OF OPERATIONS, BLENDING THE NEED FOR COMBAT SKILLS AND
COUNTER-INSURGENCY SKILLS WITH THOSE REQUIRED FOR CIVIL-AFFAIRS.  TO
DO SO, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ATTRACT, RECRUIT AND RETAIN THE BEST OF
AMERICA'S YOUTH.
(2) IMPLEMENTATION OF DISTRIBUTED OPERATIONS AS AN EXTENSION OF
MANEUVER WARFARE WILL REQUIRE A FOCUS ON ENHANCED SMALL UNITS: MORE
AUTONOMOUS, MORE LETHAL, AND BETTER ABLE TO OPERATE ACROSS THE FULL
SPECTRUM OF OPERATIONS. THIS WILL REQUIRE INVESTING IN THE
TECHNOLOGIES AND TRAINING THAT WILL PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL
COMMUNICATIONS, TACTICAL MOBILITY, AND NETWORKED INTELLIGENCE DOWN
TO THE SQUAD LEVEL.  OUR LOGISTICS AND FIRES CAPABILITIES MUST BE
ADAPTIVE AND SCALABLE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THESE SMALL UNITS, WHETHER
DISPERSED ACROSS THE BATTLE SPACE OR AGGREGATED FOR LARGER
OPERATIONS.  
(3) WE WILL RELY ON OUR TRADITIONAL STRENGTH OF WORKING WITH PARTNER
NATIONS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE REGIONAL SECURITY AND STABILITY.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL PLACE NEW EMPHASIS ON INTERACTION AND
COORDINATION WITH KEY INTERAGENCY AND INTERNATIONAL FORCES.
(4) WHILE EVER READY TO RESPOND TO MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS, THE
FUTURE HOLDS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF IRREGULAR WARS FOUGHT IN URBAN
ENVIRONMENTS, AGAINST THINKING ENEMIES USING ASYMMETRIC TACTICS.
THUS, WE WILL ADAPT OUR TACTICS, TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES AS WELL
AS TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE OUR CAPABILITIES TO SUCCEED IN THESE
ENVIRONMENTS.  WE WILL SHAPE AND ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR
RESERVE FORCES TO RESPOND TO THE 21ST CENTURY ENVIRONMENT, AND
IMPROVE OUR INTEGRATION AND COORDINATION WITH SPECIAL OPERATIONS
COMMAND.
(5) WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENHANCE AND TRANSFORM OUR CAPABILITIES FOR
FORCIBLE ENTRY FROM THE SEA.  SEABASING WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE
OUR DEPLOY/EMPLOY TIMELINES WHILE ALSO DRAMATICALLY REDUCING OUR
FOOTPRINT ASHORE.  WHILE THE MARINE EXPEDITIONARY BRIGADE IS OUR
PRIMARY FORCIBLE ENTRY FORCE, OUR PRINCIPAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE
JOINT FIGHT IN MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS WILL REMAIN THE MARINE
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
C.  END STATE.  A MARINE CORPS THAT CELEBRATES ITS CULTURE AND
ETHOS, BUT IS NEVER SATISFIED WITH ITS CURRENT CAPABILITIES AND
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE.  A MARINE CORPS THAT IS A LEARNING
ORGANIZATION: EMBRACING INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT IN ORDER TO
INCREASE ITS EFFECTIVENESS AS PART OF THE JOINT FORCE.
4.  I CHARGE EACH AND EVERY MARINE TO READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS
GUIDANCE.  IMPLEMENTING TASKINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DELIVERED TO THE
DEPUTY COMMANDANTS, DIRECTORS AND MARINE FORCE COMMANDERS.  HOWEVER,
ALL MARINES HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FULLY SUPPORT AND
AGGRESSIVELY IMPLEMENT THE INTENT.
5.  SEMPER FIDELIS AND KEEP ATTACKING, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL,
U.S.MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//