R 272032Z MAR 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 165/13
SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SECOND ANNUAL LTCOL EARL PETE ELLIS ESSAY CONTEST//
REF/MARINE CORPS GAZETTE/APRIL 2013//
AMPN/MARINE CORPS GAZETTE PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL OF U.S. MARINES MAY 2013 VOL 97 NO 5//
POC/JEROME DRISCOLL/COL/UNIT:  CDI/NAME:  COML (703) 693-1962/EMAIL:  JEROME.DRISCOLL(AT)USMC.MIL//
POC/DOUGLAS KING/CIV/UNIT:  CDI/NAME:  COML (703) 432-8494/EMAIL: DOUGLAS.KING(AT)USMC.MIL//
POC/TIMOTHY KAMB/MAJ/UNIT:  CDI/NAME:  COML (703) 432-8380/EMAIL: TIMOTHY.KAMB(AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE FEBRUARY 2012 MARINE CORPS GAZETTE ANNOUNCED AN 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.  THE ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST IS 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 THEME FOR 2013 CONCERNS THE NEED FOR MANEUVER CAPABILITY WITH INCREASED RANGE AND REDUCED SIGNATURE DUE TO DEVELOPING CHALLENGES POSED BY AREA DENIAL WEAPONS.
3.  THEME.  DURING WWII, ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO POWER PROJECTION WAS THE CORAL REEFS THAT LIMITED ASSAULTS.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMPHIBIOUS TRACTOR COUNTERED THAT SPECIFIC PROBLEM.  SINCE THEN, THE AMPHIBIOUS TRACTOR HAS BEEN EMPLOYED IN MANY OTHER ROLES.  TODAY, POWER PROJECTION FROM THE SEA IS CHALLENGED BY AREA DENIAL WEAPONS WITH INCREASED LETHALITY, PRECISION, AND RANGE.  THE RESULT IS A NEED FOR MANEUVER CAPABILITY WITH INCREASED RANGE AND REDUCED SIGNATURE. 
    A.  DESCRIBE THE MANEUVER REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL SUPPORT SHIP TO OBJECTIVE MANEUVER IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
    B.  DESCRIBE A WARFIGHTING INNOVATION NECESSARY TO OPERATE IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT?
    C.  HOW CAN U.S. NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS FORCES INCREASE THEIR RELEVANCY TO THE GEOGRAPHIC COMBATANT COMMANDERS IN THE MODERN ANTI-ACCESS, AREA DENIAL (A2AD) ENVIRONMENT?
4.  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.
5.  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(AT)MCA-MARINES.ORG.
    G.  IF SUBMITTING BY MAIL, INCLUDE AN ELECTRONIC COPY ON CD.
6.  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.
7.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
8.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN RICHARD P. MILLS, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION.//