R 161825Z SEP 15
MARADMIN 445/15
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG MCWL QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL LTCOL EARL "PETE" ELLIS
ESSAY CONTEST//
REF/A/MARINE CORPS GAZETTE/AUGUST 2015//
REF/B/EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 21/DTD 4 MARCH 2014//
NARR/REF A IS THE MARINE CORPS GAZETTE PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL OF U.S. MARINES OCTOBER 2015//
REF/B/IS THE MARINE CORPS CAPSTONE CONCEPT EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 21 HTTP://WWW.MCCDC.MARINES.MIL/EF21//
POC/DOUGLAS KING/CIV/DIRECTOR, ELLIS GROUP/-/TEL: CML 703 432-0991/EMAIL: DOUGLAS.KING@USMC.MIL//
POC/GREGORY WARDMAN/LTCOL/ELLIS GROUP/-/ TEL: CML 703 432-2493/EMAIL: GREGORY.WARDMAN@USMC.MIL//
POC/JAMES M. GEIGER/MAJ/ELLIS GROUP/-/ TEL: CML 703 432-1582/EMAIL: JAMES.GEIGER@USMC.MIL//
RMKS/ 1.  THE FEBRUARY 2012 MARINE CORPS GAZETTE ANNOUNCED AN ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST SUPPORTED BY THE MARINE CORPS ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDATION AND NAMED FOR LIEUTNANT COLONEL 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 LIEUTENANT COLONEL 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 2015 CONCERNS FORMULATING SOLUTIONS FOR FIGHTING IN THE URBAN LITTORALS OF THE FUTURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT.//
3.  THEME.  IN ADDITION TO BEING DENSELY POPULATED AND INCREASINGLY URBANIZED, THE LANDWARD PORTION OF THE LITTORALS IS HOME TO A WIDE ARRAY OF COMPLEX, DIFFICULT TERRAIN. AS THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS TEAM PREPARES TO RECEIVE, EXECUTE AND SUCCEED IN TOMORROWS MISSIONS, WE MUST SERIOUSLY EXAMINE AND UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING IMPLICATIONS OF THE FUTURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT FOR HOW WE ORGANIZE, TRAIN AND EQUIP TO OPERATE AND FIGHT IN THE URBAN LITTORALS, THE CONGESTED AND DIVERSE AREAS WHERE THE SEA AND LAND MERGE.
3.A.  SUBMIT AN ESSAY RESPONSE TO ONE OF THE 5 QUESTIONS BELOW:
3.A.1.  WHAT DOES THE 21ST CENTURY MAGTF LOOK LIKE?  WHAT CHANGES MUST THE MAGTF MAKE TO OPERATE IN THE URBAN LITTORAL? 3.A.2.  WHAT IS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP A 21ST CENTURY LOGISTICS CONOPS AND CAPABILITY?  HOW CAN WE CREATE A DISTRIBUTED LOGISTICS CAPABILITY?   WHAT CHANGES NEED TO OCCUR TO SUPPORT DISTRIBUTED OPERATIONS?
3.A.3.  WHAT DOES 21ST CENTURY COMBINED ARMS (LETHAL AND NON-LETHAL) LOOK LIKE IN THE URBAN LITTORALS AND HOW DO WE ACHIEVE IT?
3.A.3.A.  INTEGRATED 21ST CENTURY COMBINED ARMS HOLISTICALLY INCORPORATES ALL AVAILABLE CAPABILITIES INTO THE CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS, TO INCLUDE IO, EW, SPACE AND CYBER, WITH MANEUVER AND FIRE SYSTEMS TO MULTIPLY THE COMBAT POWER AND OPERATIONAL INFLUENCE OF THE MAGTF BY SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGING ADVERSARIES IN THE PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE DIMENSIONS TO ACHIEVE DISPROPORTIONATE ADVANTAGE.
3.A.4.  DESCRIBE 21ST CENTURY COMMAND AND CONTROL AND THE ARCHITECTURE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT DISTRIBUTED OPERATIONS FROM THE SQUAD LEVEL UP TO THE MAGTF.  FOCUS RESPONSES ON THE INFORMATION EXCHANGE REQUIREMENTS VS. SYSTEMS.  YOU MAY FOCUS ON SPECIFIC ECHELONS, I.E. SQUAD TO BN/GROUP/SQDRN, BN/GROUP/SQDRN TO DIV/MLG/MAW, OR DIV/MLG/MAW TO MAGTF.
3.A.5.  WHAT INVESTMENTS SHOULD THE MARINE CORPS MAKE FOR THE 2030 TIMEFRAME TO CREATE CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY FOR HOW WE WANT TO FIGHT IN THE URBAN LITTORAL, WRIT LARGE?
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 WE FIGHT IN THE URBAN LITTORALS OF THE FUTURE OPERATING 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 SEPTEMBER AND 30 NOVEMBER 2015 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 AUTHORS NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.  THE AUTHORS 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 3,000 TO 4,000 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 TO ADDRESS MARINE CORPS GAZETTE P.O. BOX 1775 QUANTICO, VA 22134.
6.  JUDGING AND AWARDS. MEMBERS OF THE MARINE CORPS ELLIS GROUP AND MCA EDITORIAL BOARD WILL JUDGE THE CONTEST IN DECEMBER AND NOTIFY WINNERS SHORTLY THEREAFTER. PRIZES INCLUDE 3,000 DOLLARS AND AN ENGRAVED PLAQUE FOR FIRST PLACE, 1,500 DOLLARS AND AN ENGRAVED PLAQUE FOR SECOND PLACE, AND 1,000 DOLLARS AND AN ENGRAVED PLAQUE FOR THIRD PLACE. ALL ENTRIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLICATION. THE WINNING ENTRIES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE MARINE CORPS GAZETTE.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT HTTP: (SLANT,SLANT)WWW.MCA-MARINES.ORG/GAZETTE
7.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
8.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY BRIGADIER GENERAL JULIAN D. ALFORD, COMMANDING GENERAL, WARFIGHTING LABORATORY.//