Why the United States Still Needs the Marine Corps.
Abstract
In a time of dwindling resources, does the United States Marine Corps (USMC) still play a valid role in the strategic defense of the United States, or are there efficiencies to be gained by incorporating their roles and missions into the Army and other services without sacrificing the current level of combat support to the worldwide Commanders in Chief (CINCs)? A variety of recent articles and studies support the continued existence of the USMC, unfortunately, few provide much explanation of what the USMC does for the United States or discussion as to why we still need it. The purpose of this paper is to explain, in layman's terms, what unique capabilities the Corps provides towards our strategic defense, and why the United States still needs the USMC. To fully understand the contribution of the USMC to the national security strategy, the paper begins with a brief historical background of the Corps to include the evolution of the roles and missions. From this starting point, a study of their organizational structure and doctrine explains what unique warfighting capabilities the USMC provides to the worldwide CINCs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA308901
Entities
People
- Timothy J. Baker
Organizations
- United States Army War College