Background

The Commandant established a Strategic Vision Group (SVG) in

June of 2007. The group was created in order to aid General

Conway to posture the Marine Corps for the future. With a small

dedicated cell, and connecting files to our current and past

leadership and the operating forces, the group has been working

now for a year to fulfill its charter.

The SVG was charged to assess the emerging and future security

environment facing the United States and potential adversaries.

The initial mark given for future environments was 2025. After

assessing the range of potential futures and the changing character

of conflict, the SVG was tasked with determining the implications

to national security and proposing steps to ensure the Marine

Corps’ continued readiness.

The SVG assessment was informed by a number of studies such

as the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, National Intelligence

Council assessments, the U. S. Joint Forces Command’s Joint

Operational Environment, and the Marine Corps Intelligence

Activity mid- and long-range threat estimates. The SVG also

reached out to U.S. and allied studies, fostered relationships with

similar cells in sister Services, and consulted with business and

academic experts to define the strategic and operational

environment that the Marine Corps will find itself in tomorrow.

The synthesis of these assessments and the future force

implications led to the development of an updated Marine Corps

Vision and Strategy publication. This document is excerpted

below. It provides a comprehensive, actionable, and compelling

narrative that ensures the Marine Corps’ continued service as the

Nation’s “force in readiness.” A full version can be found in the

publications section at www.marines.mil along with additional

information on the SVG home page, listed under the MCBQ

Activities tab at www.quantico.usmc.mil.

Marine Corps Vision and Strategy 2025

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Purpose and Role in the Future Security Environment . .3

Marine Corps Values, Principles, and Competencies . .5

Marine Corps Vision 2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Strategy Statement and Objectives for 2025 . . . . . . . .15

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Foreword

Our Nation faces challenges that are global

in reach and scope. While today’s Marines are

performing superbly in every clime and place,

our institution must also devote attention to

tomorrow’s threats and opportunities.

It is our obligation to subsequent

generations of Marines, and to our Nation, to

always have an eye to the future — to prepare

for tomorrow’s challenges today. This Vision

and Strategy document confirms who we are, what we believe, and

what we do. It establishes the foundation for our operational

concepts and identifies the critical steps needed to shape our Corps

for an increasingly volatile and uncertain future. It is grounded

firmly in our legislated role as the Nation’s “force in readiness,” and

it will guide our Service so that we are properly organized, trained,

equipped, and prepared for tomorrow’s challenges.

With little warning, our Nation calls its Corps of Marines front

and center during its most challenging times. Responding rapidly to

crisis and strategic surprise is an integral part of our history as a

Corps. In the South Pacific after Pearl Harbor, in Korea after the

communist invasion in 1950, in the jungle outposts of Viet Nam, in

the deserts of Southwest Asia, and in the mountains of Afghanistan

— Marines have distinguished themselves as an expeditionary,

multicapable force able to respond and win battles for our Nation.

We have been prepared in the past because we understood that a

force in readiness must be well-trained, broadly educated, and

properly equipped for employment across all forms of warfare. We

believe the individual Marine is the most formidable weapon on

today’s battlefield and will remain so tomorrow. Whatever the

future holds, our emphasis on making Marines will not change.

1
Expeditionary excellence requires Marines who are morally,

physically, and mentally tough. Marines must be agile, capable of

transitioning seamlessly between fighting, training, advising, and

assisting — or performing all of these tasks simultaneously.

Though our Corps has recently proven itself in “sustained

operations ashore,” future operational environments will place a

premium on agile expeditionary forces, able to act with

unprecedented speed and versatility in austere conditions against a

wide range of adversaries. We must be a two fisted fighter — able

to destroy enemy formations with our scalable air-ground-logistics

teams in major contingencies, but equally able to employ our hard

earned irregular warfare skills honed over decades of conflict. Our

Corps must serve credibly as a persistently engaged and

multicapable force, able to draw upon contributions from our Total

Force, in order to address the full range of contingencies the future

will undoubtedly present. In short, we must be prepared to move

with speed, “live hard,” and accomplish any mission.

This document details my vision of the future Corps and a plan

for creating the Marine Corps of 2025. The future Marine Corps

will fulfill its unique role and extend its legacy as the world’s

premier expeditionary fighting force. To enhance its operational

utility to combatant commanders, the Corps will be preventative in

approach, leaner in equipment, versatile in capabilities, innovative

in mindset, and increasingly reliant on naval deployment.

Marines are a breed apart — born of epic battles and tempered in

the ultimate crucible of combat. We will carry our rich legacy

forward and continue to honorably serve our Nation. The Marine

Corps is committed to providing the Nation its expeditionary “Force

of Choice” for tomorrow’s challenges.

James T. Conway

General, U.S. Marine Corps

Commandant of the Marine Corps

2
Purpose and Role in the Future Security

Environment

Purpose

The purpose of the vision and strategy document is to inform all

Marines where we intend to take our Corps, to give combatant

commanders a concept of how we might best be employed, and to

provide our civilian leadership a reference point as to how we see

Marine Corps contributions to national defense in the coming years

and decades. This document is grounded in the Marine Corps’

identity, ethos, values, and competencies. It serves as the principal

strategic planning document for our Corps and reflects our

legislated roles, functions, and composition. Derived from strategic

guidance at the national and departmental level, it illustrates our

utility and value within the joint warfighting community.

The vision section describes a Marine Corps adapting to fulfill

our role in the Nation’s defense in an inherently unpredictable

future. It is founded on our enduring characteristics and capabilities,

but also reflects shifts in posture and practice designed to enhance

today’s Corps for tomorrow’s challenges. The strategy section lays

out a strategy statement as well as a set of institutional objectives to

realize the vision and meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Our Service capstone concept and supporting operating concepts

will flow from the vision and strategy, as will the more detailed

plans of the deputy commandants and subordinate commanders.

The development of these plans will be directed by the

Implementation Planning Guidance which will be published in

subsequent documents. Together these documents will provide an

actionable plan to ensure the Corps preserves its fundamental ethos,

adaptability, and relevance to the combatant commanders’

requirements today, while shaping itself to meet tomorrow’s

security challenges.

3
Role in the Future Security Environment

As we prepare for an unpredictable future, we must continue to

adapt to the ever-changing character and conduct of warfare, while

remaining cognizant of its

fundamentally unchanging

nature. What Congress described

as “fleet marine forces of

combined arms, together with

supporting air components” –

known today as Marine air –

ground task forces (MAGTFs) –

provides the primary means

through which we engage with

partners, assist victims, or strike with determination against our

foes. Our future remains true to the idea that a Corps of Marines –

who are well-trained, equipped, and educated in the art and

science of war – can leverage the great advantages of seapower

through rapid and decisive action in and around the littorals.

Our Nation’s global interests, the international community’s

need for stability, and the range of missions that must be fulfilled

demand a discriminating, multicapable force. This force must be

highly trained and educated to function in both current and

emerging operational environments against evolving foes. The

Nation requires very capable forces, covering the greatest range of

tasks, at an affordable cost that can minimize the risks inherent in

an unforeseeable future. Truly expeditionary forces must have the

ability to engage rapidly and in all conditions against enemies that

adapt weapons or tactics to fight us asymmetrically. For the Corps,

we must continue to prepare for the challenges that loom on the

horizon. We are by law, and will continue to be, the Nation’s

force in readiness – “most ready when the Nation is least ready.”

“The first feature we can 

predict with confidence is

that there is going to be a 

blurring, a further blurring,

of warfare categories.”

Colin S. Gray,

Another Bloody Century:

Future Warfare

4
Marine Corps Values, Principles, and Competencies

This chapter describes our values, principles, and competencies.

They capture who we are, what we believe, and what we do.

a. Core Values. Our values reflect those of the American

people and define who we are. We are men and women who

hold true to our Core Values of Honor, Courage, and

Commitment. They are our touchstones in times of peril and

adversity. They guide the actions of every individual who has

earned the title ... “Marine.”

b. Enduring Principles. Principles define fundamental beliefs

that form the foundation from which Marines derive their ethos

and basic operating instincts. The following principles help to

further define the cultural identity of Marines in the most basic

terms - they express what we believe:

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Every Marine a Rifleman. Every Marine — regardless of

military occupational specialty — is first and foremost a

disciplined warrior.

Expeditionary Naval Force. Marines are “soldiers of the sea,”

an integral part of the naval Services — lean, versatile, flexible,

and ready. We are organized, trained, and equipped to conduct

naval campaigns and operate on and from naval platforms, or to

fight in protracted campaigns ashore.

Combined Arms Organization. In 1952, Congress directed the

Marine Corps’ composition as an air-ground combined arms force.

This integrated force, known as the MAGTF, has unique and

incomparable warfighting capabilities. Our MAGTF contains

organic air, ground, and logistics elements under a single command

element, making it an effective and integrated combined arms force.

Ready and Forward Deployed. Congress’ intent that the

Marine Corps serve as the “force in readiness” was founded on a

recognized national need for a force capable of rapid response to

emerging crises. This requirement mandates high standards of

readiness across the force. We are routinely forward deployed around

the globe and stand prepared to respond quickly in times of crisis.

Agile and Adaptable. The Marine Corps’ agility is based on its

expeditionary mindset and flexible structure, able to operate either

from the sea or in sustained operations ashore. We can adapt quickly

with unparalleled speed across an extraordinary range of military

operations. Our organizational design and training facilitate a

seamless transition between these operations, providing the necessary

capability to operate effectively.

Marines Take Care of Their Own. We

are stewards of the most important resource

entrusted to us — our Nation’s sons and

daughters. We make Marines, imbue them

with our Core Values, and offer them the

opportunity to serve a cause greater than

themselves. Marines live up to the motto,

Semper Fidelis. We are faithful to those who

fall and we care for our wounded Marines

and their families.

6
c. Core Competencies. Core competencies reflect our

particular skill sets and thus describe what we do. They provide

the basis for the level of expertise and effectiveness of Marine

Corps forces. They are our fundamental contribution to our

Nation’s defense. Though enduring, they are not static; as

necessary, new competencies must be developed and honed to

meet emerging challenges.

1. The Corps conducts persistent forward naval

engagement and is always prepared to respond as the

Nation’s force in readiness. We understand that true

readiness means much more than being deployable. It

requires a force that is

deployed with our Navy

shipmates, engaged in the

littorals, and contributing

to the prevention of

conflict. This agile force

can react rapidly across

the range of military

operations and must prevail, even thrive, in the uncertainty

and chaos of emerging crises.

2. The Corps employs integrated combined arms across

the range of military operations and can operate as part

of a joint or multinational force. Marine employment and

integration of air- and ground-based capabilities reflects

our innovative approach to warfighting. History has shown

that this approach can be applied with effect in missions

that range from security cooperation to major combat

operations. Our

MAGTFs are taskorganized for each

mission and can be

employed independently,

or as part of a joint or

multinational force.

7
3. The Corps provides

forces and specialized

detachments for service

aboard naval ships, on

stations, and for operations

ashore. Our modernization

programs for the future are

being designed to allow

Marine Corps forces to

seamlessly deploy, project power, and fight from naval

vessels or austere expeditionary bases, or any combination

thereof. Our close association with the Navy continues

today, along with a growing interaction with the Coast

Guard.

4. The Corps conducts joint forcible entry operations

from the sea and develops amphibious landing force

capabilities and doctrine. When access to critical regions

or allies is denied or in jeopardy, forward deployed,

rapidly employable Marine Corps forces are trained and

ready to execute amphibious operations to overcome

enemy defenses. Together, the Navy and Marine Corps

provide the Nation with its primary capability to swiftly

project and sustain combat power ashore in the face of

armed opposition. We leverage available joint and naval

capabilities, project sustainable combat power ashore, and

secure entry for follow-on forces.

“There is little that will sober an enemy more surely than the

knowledge that somewhere, just over the horizon, lies a force of

well-trained,well-equipped Marines in competently manned ships

capable of delivering a stunning amphibious blow at a point and

time of their own choosing.”

Lieutenant General 

Victor Krulak,

United States Marine Corps

8
5. The Corps conducts complex expeditionary operations

in the urban littorals and other challenging

environments. The Marine Corps’ historical ability to

conduct expeditionary operations, such as irregular

warfare, against emerging threats in complex environments

is well documented. These operations include

counterinsurgency; counterterrorism; train, advise, and

assist activities; and stability

tasks. The complexity of

these missions has increased

due to the presence of large

numbers of noncombatants,

urbanization in the littorals,

and the dynamics of the

information environment.

6. The Corps leads joint

and multinational operations and enables interagency

activities. Marines are well qualified to enable the

introduction of follow-on forces and facilitate the

integration of military and interagency efforts. This

interoperability mandates the establishment of enduring

relationships and the orchestration of diverse capabilities,

organizations, and cultural awareness across all aspects of

an operation.

9
Marine Corps Vision 2025

The Marine Corps of the future will be the Nation’s

expeditionary force of choice. It will be —

a. Dedicated to making Marines imbued with the ideal of

selfless service to the Nation. Our success as a Corps depends

directly on our ability to recruit, train, and retain the best

Marines possible. Young men and women will join our Corps

confident in our ability to train and lead them well and employ

them in ways that make a difference. Our Battle Colors have

been passed to a new generation of Marines who are shouldering

them with the same grit and determination as generations past.

They are part of a great legacy of Marines that will someday pass

our Battle Colors to yet another generation.

b. Prepared to “live hard” in uncertain, chaotic, and austere

environments. Marine Corps forces must be organized, trained,

equipped, and deployed with the expectation of operating in

inhospitable conditions against committed and competent foes.

10
We will maintain

an expeditionary

mindset in our air

and ground

elements and in all

we do –

emphasizing speed

of execution,

agility, and

flexibility.

c. Deployed forward with relevant and timely capabilities.

Marine Corps forces will bring proven capabilities to combatant

commanders to accomplish a wide range of tasks. We will —

1. Operate forward with a regional focus, yet be globally

capable.

2. Execute persistent forward engagement and security

cooperation activities.

3. Respond swiftly, with

little warning, to

emerging crises.

4. Maximize speed and

freedom of action

through seabasing, while

minimizing footprint

ashore.

5. Conduct joint forcible entry operations from the sea.

6. Engage in sustained operations ashore, as required.

d. Forged to be lean, agile, and adaptable as individuals and

as an institution. We will practice a self-disciplined approach

to force design and development. These efforts will strike a

balance between being heavy enough to sustain expeditionary

warfare and light enough to facilitate rapid deployment. We will

apply lessons learned from current operations to maintain an

edge against ever-adapting opponents.

11
e. Focused on executing

sustainable expeditionary

operations. We will ensure that

we maintain the ability to sustain

ourselves in operations through

the use of either a sea base or an

initial lodgment ashore. The

organic sustainability of our

MAGTFs is a unique and critical

force enabler in such conditions,

particularly early in an operation.

We must remain committed to

fielding sustainable forces,

exploiting joint capabilities, and

leveraging the advantages of seabasing.

f. Trained and equipped to lead joint and multinational

operations and enable interagency activities. Marines take

pride in being “first to fight,” and historically have a record of

being the first to respond to many emergencies and disasters.

As first responders, we have experience integrating many

organizations with different levels of capability into an effective

team. In the future, Marine Corps forces may be required to

remain actively engaged for longer periods alongside our joint,

multinational, and interagency partners.

“The essence of maneuver is 

taking action to genrate and

exploit some kind of

advantage over the enemy as

a means of accomplishing

our objective as effecively as

possible. That advantage

may be psychlogical,

tecnological, or temporal 

as well as spatial.”

Marine Corps Doctrinal

Publication 1, Warfighting

12
g. Educated and trained to understand and defeat

adversaries in complex conflicts. We will go to greater lengths

to understand our enemies and the range of cultural, societal,

and political factors affecting all with whom we interact. Our

training and education programs will provide skills that enable

civil-military and combat operations and are particularly

important in complex environments. The ability to conduct both

types of operations, simultaneously, is the essence of the force

as a “two-fisted fighter” — capable of offering an open hand to

people in need or a precise jab to an adversary in an irregular

warfare environment; while at the same time, ready to wield a

closed fist in the event of major combat operations.

13
h. Committed to taking care of

Marines and their families. While

the ideals of service to Corps and

Country have not changed, the

conditions of service are constantly

changing, as are the needs and

wants of Marine families. Marines

have reasonable expectations

regarding housing, schools, and

family support, and it is incumbent

upon us to support our Marines in

these key areas.

Vision Statement

The Marine Corps of 2025 will fight and win our Nation’s battles

with multicapable MAGTFs, either from the sea or in sustained

operations ashore. Our unique role as the Nation’s force in

readiness, along with our values, enduring ethos, and core

competencies, will ensure we remain highly responsive to the needs

of combatant commanders in an uncertain environment and against

irregular threats. Our future Corps will be increasingly reliant on

naval deployment, preventative in approach, leaner in equipment,

versatile in capabilities, and innovative in mindset. In an evolving

and complex world, we will excel as the Nation’s expeditionary

“force of choice.”

14
Strategy Statement and Objectives for 2025

The following strategy statement and prioritized objectives

reflect the Marine Corps’ concept to implement our Service vision.

a. Strategy Statement.

The Marine Corps’ unique contribution to national defense is its

role as the Nation’s force in readiness, able to respond rapidly

and decisively to crises anywhere in the world. The Corps will

continue to fulfill that role — while improving its combat

capability to prevail against emerging threats in complex

environments.

The Corps will be —

1. Organized to execute operations with lethal and lean

MAGTFs that are mission tailored and able to operate as

part of a naval and joint team. 

2. Optimized to conduct naval expeditionary operations

while retaining the institutional agility, battlefield

flexibility, and initiative to meet constantly changing

conditions of war.

3. Modernized with equipment and logistics that expand

expeditionary capability and preserve our ability to operate

from the sea.

4. Postured to prevent or respond to crises with forward

positioned MAGTFs — both afloat and ashore — that are

engaged and ready to act decisively in response to

combatant commanders’ requirements.

These methods will be employed in order to provide the Nation

unmatched strategic freedom of maneuver and operational

flexibility throughout the 21st century.

15
b. Objectives. The Marine Corps

will achieve the following

objectives:

1. Focus on the Individual

Marine. The individual Marine

will remain our most important

warfighting asset. The

recruitment, training, professional

education, and retention of highquality, disciplined warriors

imbued with our core values is paramount to our mission.

We will continue to exploit technology to enhance the

performance of the individual warrior. Marines at all levels

must be prepared to excel in ambiguous and dangerous

conditions, operate from a commander’s intent, and with

minimal direct supervision.

2. Improve Training and Education for Fog, Friction,

and Uncertainty. Our realistic

training and education system will

prepare Marines for complex

conditions and to counter the

unexpected. It will provide small

unit leaders the tactical acumen

and knowledge to develop and

assess these conditions in order to

make sound decisions, and the

proficiency to employ supporting

intelligence, fires, and information

resources. Our noncommissioned

and junior officers will be

prepared for greater responsibility

in an increasingly complex environment while potentially

operating in a decentralized manner.

3. Expand Persistent Forward Presence and

Engagement. The Marine Corps will develop a plan to

provide a tailored, persistently engaged, contingencycapable MAGTF in five prioritized regions:

16
a) East and Southeast Asia Littorals (US Pacific

Command).

b) Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea Littorals (US

Central Command [USCENTCOM]).

c) East and West Africa Littorals (USCENTCOM, US

Africa Command [USAFRICOM]).

d) Latin America and the Caribbean Basin (US

Southern Command).

e) Mediterranean Sea/North Africa Littorals (US

European Command and USAFRICOM).

Marines will be consistently deployed in the littoral

areas of these regions and deliberately engaged per the

campaign plans of the respective combatant commanders.

First, this includes the routine, rotational deployment of

Marine expeditionary units (MEUs) to traditional Pacific,

Indian, Arabian, and Mediterranean waters in the role of

theater “first responders.” Second, it compels the routine,

rotational deployment of special purpose MAGTFs

17
(SPMAGTFs) employed in missions such as training and

advising, stability, humanitarian support, and other theater

security cooperation activities. Lastly, it requires an

advisory group capacity within each Marine expeditionary

force (MEF).

We will look for opportunities to increase the number

of Marines assigned to government and military assistance

organizations, including country teams. At the conclusion

of these tours, we will assign them to follow-on duties that

apply their experience to regionally-focused operating,

advisory, and security forces. We will institutionalize

training and advisory duties as legitimate, normal career

activities for all Marines, and ensure promotion policies

reflect appropriate consideration of these duties.

4. Posture for Hybrid Threats in Complex Environments.

Without sacrificing its conventional capabilities, the Corps

will prepare to conduct operations against hybrid threats in

complex environments; such as urbanized littorals,

mountainous terrain, and dense jungles. We must

successfully identify, engage, and operate against ever

evolving opponents who will exploit irregular approaches

18
with modern lethal

capabilities and

advanced

cybertechnology. Robust

intelligence capabilities

will support all levels of

command awareness and

decisionmaking.

Advancements in secure

communications will

extend the commander’s

operational reach and enhance force protection. Our

approach to problem solving and organization, our

maneuver warfare philosophy, and our combined arms

skills will continue to serve us well in these chaotic

environments.

5. Reinforce Naval Relationships. We share with the

Navy a remarkable heritage and a common perspective on

the fundamental necessity of maintaining the ability to

operate freely in the littorals. This underwrites our ability

to maintain access to foreign markets, provide

humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, conduct theater

security cooperation, and protect our national interests. To

maintain this ability, we need the capability to conduct

robust forcible entry operations from the sea, maritime

interception operations (MIO), and other naval

expeditionary force tasks. This operational capability

requires the constant maintenance of relationships and

skills developed through years of side-by-side service with

the fleet. The demands of the past few years have reduced

those side-by-side service opportunities. The Corps will

place renewed emphasis on such training and deployments

in order to reinvigorate that capability.

6. Ensure Amphibious Force Levels Meet Strategic

Requirements. We are resolved to maintain the requisite

capacity of modern amphibious lift to support the Nation’s

ability to execute forcible entry operations from the sea

and other combatant commander missions.

19
The Nation’s amphibious lift requirement has two primary

drivers. The first is the capacity to support joint forcible

entry operations. This is a MEF-level requirement, defined

as the total shipping needed to lift a MEF command

element and the assault echelon of two Marine

expeditionary brigade (MEB) equivalents, reinforced by a

third MEB equivalent through the use of the maritime

prepositioning force (future) (MPF[F]). The ability to

overcome challenges to access and to project power

ashore is a basis of our combat credibility and

conventional deterrent.

The second driver is the combatant commander’s needs

for theater security cooperation, presence, and crisis

response forces. Since the end of the Cold War, the

frequency of these missions and other amphibious

operations has doubled due to increased requirements for

crisis response and flexible, persistent presence options

for theater security initiatives.

Given a need to balance a forcible entry capability and

increased sea based persistent presence, the minimum

force of operationally available amphibious ships must be

continuously assessed. This assessment will be conducted

20
in conjunction with the Navy. We will evaluate the

number and composition of ships required to maintain an

effective sea-based MEF-level warfighting capability as

well as other sea-based forward presence requirements.

7. Create Joint Seabasing Capabilities. We will improve

our ability to cross wide expanses of ocean and remain

persistently offshore at the place and time of our

choosing. Joint force commanders depend upon the sea

as both maneuver space and as a secure base of

operations to overcome antiaccess capabilities. Our

approach to both challenges is called seabasing.

Seabasing provides an initial port and airfield afloat in

the area of operations that minimizes the reliance on

ports and airfields ashore. Though the sea base must be

protected, it is the ideal method for projecting influence

and power ashore in either a discrete or overt manner.

This can be done in support of security cooperation

activities, humanitarian assistance, adversary deterrence,

or while executing major combat operations.

21
8. Lead Joint/Multinational. Operations and Enable

Interagency Activities. A clearly changing characteristic in

the modern battlespace is the shift from a primarily

military focus to one that achieves a greater degree of

operational integration of all instruments of national

power. Accordingly, we will extend our combined arms

approach and add a “combined actions” orientation. We

will better integrate interagency capabilities into our

training, education, campaign planning, and operations

while also improving our own capabilities to lead joint

task forces. We will offer training and educational venues

to joint, multinational, and interagency personnel. This

will assist our preparation for contingencies and build the

relationships needed when the Nation calls on the Corps to

lead or enable a joint, multinational, or interagency effort.

22
9. Maintain a Ready and Sustainable Reserve. We will

employ a total force approach to meet the Marine Corps’

force generation requirements. The Marine Corps will

pursue policies and operational practices to better develop

and access the skill, knowledge, and expertise of Marines

in the Reserve Component. This approach will provide the

most effective warfighting solution for the Marine Corps’

total force manpower requirements. The Marine Corps will

optimize the use of its Reserve Component as an

operational as well as a strategic force provider.

10. Build and Deploy Multicapable MAGTFs. Our

MAGTFs will be decisive across the range of military

operations with their

capacity tailored to

combatant commanders’

requirements. They will

be optimized to operate

as an integrated system

through the air, land,

and maritime domains,

and the information

23
environment. In order to reduce strategic and operational

risks and provide our Nation’s leadership with the

capabilities and right capacity to execute the missions we

are assigned, we must be properly sized. Operational

experience confirms Congress’ decision to define the

composition of the Corps as a combined arms team with a

specified structure. We will man, train, and sustain three

balanced and modernized MEFs in the Active Component.

24
Conclusion

This vision and supporting strategy establish a direction of

advance and specific objectives for our institution. This effort is

founded on our Congressionally-mandated functions, exploits our

legacy and ethos as Marines, and responds to anticipated future

challenges. As we prepare for 2025 and beyond, the Marine Corps

must pay heed to combat-proven truths that have served the Nation

well both in times of peril and in times of peace. It must also

continue to refine its capabilities for a challenging future.

In a world of dynamic change, some constants remain. The

superior performance of the Marine Corps, in every environment,

is one of those constants. Our creative and innovative mindset

ensures that we are agile — adept at anticipating and preparing for

events in an increasingly dangerous world. This agility is another

constant. Whether in the littorals, where we are most comfortable,

or in the mountains of a land-locked nation — Marines will adapt

and prevail. We are, and will remain, prepared to fight and win

when and where our Nation calls.

25