R 271658Z APR 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 0277/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/CDI//
SUBJ/THREE NEW CONCEPTUAL PAPERS RELEASED//
POC/SMITH/COL/UNIT:G3G5/-/TEL:TEL/EMAIL: (703) 784-0241//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THIS MESSAGE ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF THREE NEW DOCUMENTS INTENDED TO PROMOTE AWARENESS, THOUGHT, AND INFORMED DISCUSSION ON A TOPIC OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE TO ALL MARINES, THE FUTURE OF OUR CORPS AND THE ROLE WE MUST PLAY IN THE CURRENT AND FUTURE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.  OUR HERITAGE AND EXPERIENCE IN BOTH AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS AND IN THE SMALL WARS OF THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY PROVIDE BOTH A LEGACY AND A READY SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.
2.  THE FIRST DOCUMENT IS A CONCEPT PAPER, EVOLVING THE MAGTF FOR THE 21ST CENTURY THAT EXPLORES IDEAS FOR REFINING THE MAGTF IN LIGHT OF LIKELY FUTURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS, ADVERSARIES, TACTICS, AND TECHNOLOGIES. THE CENTRAL IDEA IS THAT THE MARINE CORPS NEEDS TO EXPLORE REVISIONS TO MAGTF TABLES OF ORGANIZATION AND EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS SELECT TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES IN ORDER TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY. THE CONCEPT RECOMMENDS THAT THIS EXPLORATION BEGIN AT THE RIFLE COMPANY LEVEL IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AN INNOVATION BASELINE FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE EVOLUTION THROUGHOUT
THE MAGTF.
3.  THE SECOND DOCUMENT IS A CONCEPT PAPER, AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY, THAT IS INTENDED TO INSPIRE AN INTELLECTUAL RENAISSANCE IN AMPHIBIOUS THINKING IN THE CORPS. IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR EXAMINING THE PURPOSES, METHODS, AND MEANS OF BRIDGING THE INTERFACE BETWEEN SEA AND LAND IN THE CURRENT SECURITY ERA.  IT WAS WRITTEN FOR USE BY OUR OPERATING FORCES, EDUCATORS, TRAINERS, AND FORCE DEVELOPERS. THE DOCUMENT DISCUSSES OUR HISTORICAL AMPHIBIOUS COMPETENCY AND HOW DISTRIBUTED AMPHIBIOUS ACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE GLOBAL LITTORALS REMAIN RELEVANT IN TODAYS OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.  IT THEN DEFINES CURRENT GAPS IN AMPHIBIOUS CAPABILITIES AND SETS THEM AGAINST THE REGIONAL COMBATANT COMMANDERS DEMANDS FOR AMPHIBIOUS FORCES PERSISTENTLY POSTURED FORWARD FOR RAPID RESPONSE.
4.  THE THIRD DOCUMENT IS A PAPER, SEABASING FOR THE RANGE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS, THAT COMPLETES THIS NEW TRIAD OF CONCEPTUAL THOUGHT.  THE UTILITY OF A SEA-BASED APPROACH TO CONDUCTING OPERATIONS ACROSS THE RANGE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE DIPLOMATIC, MILITARY, AND GEOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES TO ACCESS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE 21ST CENTURY IS SOMETIMES NOT WELL RECOGNIZED.  SEABASING FOR THE RANGE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS AIMS TO CORRECT THESE MISUNDERSTANDINGS BY CAPTURING THE INTELLECTUAL UNDERPINNINGS AND EVOLUTION OF THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL ARTICLES, FORMAL CONCEPTS, WARGAMES, DOCTRINE AND STRATEGIES THAT HAVE EVOLVED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SEABASING.
5.  ALL MARINES SHOULD READ THESE DOCUMENTS, THINK HARD ABOUT THEIR IMPLICATIONS, AND DISCUSS THEM AT PME SESSIONS. THEY NEED NOT BE READ IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER.  AS WE SEEK TO EXPAND OUR AWARENESS OF AND INSTITUTIONAL RELEVANCE FOR THE HYBRID THREATS AND COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS OF THE FUTURE, THESE PAPERS WILL PROVE VALUABLE IN HELPING TO ENSURE OUR CORPS REMAINS READY, RELEVANT, AND INSTITUTIONALLY EXCELLENT.
6.  THESE THREE NEW DOCUMENTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT:WWW.QUANTICO.USMC.MIL/ACTIVITIES/?SECTION=CDI.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN GEORGE J. FLYNN, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION.//