R 012015Z FEB 12
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 058/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CDI//
SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE LTCOL EARL PETE ELLIS ESSAY CONTEST//
REF/MARINE CORPS GAZETTE/FEBRUARY 2012///
AMPN/MARINE CORPS GAZETTE PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL OF U.S. MARINES FEBRUARY 2012 VOL 96 NO 2//
POC/MICHAEL GROEN/COL/UNIT: CDI/NAME: COML (703) 784-6194/EMAIL: MICHAEL.GROEN@USMC.MIL//
POC/DOUGLAS KING/CIV/UNIT: CDI/NAME: COML (703) 432-8494/EMAIL: DOUGLAS.KING@USMC.MIL//
POC/PHILLIP SCHENDLER/LTCOL/UNIT: CDI/NAME: COML (703) 432-8129/EMAIL: PHILLIP.SCHENDLER@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  IN THE FEBRUARY 2012 MARINE CORPS GAZETTE, READERS WILL FIND A NEW ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST SUPPORTED BY THE MARINE CORPS ASSOCIATION AND NAMED FOR LTCOL EARL 'PETE' ELLIS, WHO FORETOLD THE STRUGGLE FOR THE PACIFIC 20 YEARS BEFORE WORLD WAR II.  HIS ABILITY TO ASSESS THE UNCERTAIN SECURITY ENVIRONMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON U.S. ECONOMIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY SPAWNED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SERIES OF CONCEPTS, DOCTRINE, AND EVENTUALLY, A HALLMARK CAPABILITY FOR NAVY-MARINE CORPS AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS.  THIS ESSAY CONTEST IS ESTABLISHED IN KEEPING WITH LTCOL ELLIS' VISIONARY APPROACH TO EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE.
2.  PURPOSE.  THIS CONTEST SEEKS TO STIMULATE OPERATIONAL/TACTICAL THINKING BY INVITING ARTICLES THAT FOCUS ON PREPARING THE MARINE CORPS FOR FUTURE CONFLICT THROUGH PERSPECTIVES RANGING ACROSS DOCTRINE, EMERGING THREATS, CAPABILITIES, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES, FORCE COMPOSITION, MATERIEL SOLUTIONS, AND OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS.  THE INAUGURAL THEME FOR 2012 IS AN OPERATIONAL FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF THE NAVY-MARINE TEAM AS A CRISIS RESPONSE FORCE IN THE UNCERTAIN SECURITY ENVIRONMENT OF 2015-24. 
3.  ELIGIBILITY.  THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO ANYONE, CIVILIAN OR MILITARY, WHO IS INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THE DIALOGUE WITH CREATIVE IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS FOR HOW A FISCALLY CONSTRAINED NAVY-MARINE CORPS TEAM CAN EFFECTIVELY EXECUTE THE FULL RANGE OF NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN THE FUTURE THREAT ENVIRONMENT.  TO QUALIFY, ENTRIES MUST PROPOSE AND ARGUE FOR MODIFICATION OR INTRODUCTION OF NEW CONCEPTS, ORGANIZATIONS OR MATERIEL SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS EXPECTED OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES IN CRISIS-RESPONSE.  AUTHORS MUST PROVIDE A THOROUGH TREATMENT OF THE PROPOSAL, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE VIEWPOINTS, TO COMPEL FURTHER EXPLORATION OF THE TOPIC.
4.  SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS.  ENTRIES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BETWEEN 1 MAY AND 30 JUNE TO THE EDITOR, MARINE CORPS GAZETTE.  THE TEXT SHOULD BE IN MICROSOFT WORD FORMAT AND FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:
    A.  IDENTIFICATION OF THE ESSAY AS A PETE ELLIS CONTEST ENTRY.
    B.  INCLUDE A COVER PAGE WITH THE TITLE OF THE ESSAY.
    C.  INCLUDE AUTHOR'S NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.  THE AUTHOR'S NAME SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE BUT ON THE COVER PAGE.
    D.  THE TITLE SHOULD BE REPEATED ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE ESSAY.
    E.  SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED, AND RANGE IN LENGTH FROM 2,000 TO 3,000 WORDS.
    F.  E-MAIL ENTRIES ARE ACCEPTABLE AND PREFERRED.  APPEND THE ARTICLE AS A MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT AND E-MAIL TO GAZETTE@MCA-MARINES.ORG.
    G.  IF SUBMITTING BY MAIL, INCLUDE AN ELECTRONIC COPY ON CD.
5.  JUDGING AND AWARDS.  MEMBERS OF THE MARINE CORPS ELLIS GROUP AND MCA EDITORIAL BOARD WILL JUDGE THE CONTEST IN JULY AND NOTIFY WINNERS SHORTLY THEREAFTER.  PRIZES INCLUDE 5,000 DOLLARS AND AN ENGRAVED PLAQUE FOR FIRST PLACE, AN ENGRAVED PLAQUE FOR SECOND PLACE AND HONORABLE MENTION.  ALL ENTRIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLICATION.  THE WINNING ENTRIES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE MARINE CORPS GAZETTE.
6.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN RICHARD P. MILLS, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION.//