MEU (SOC)s and Operational Maneuver from the Sea: There Needs to be a Change
Abstract
The beginning of the 21st century will confront the U.S. Marine Corps' forward-deployed Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable) (MEU (SOC)) with challenges and opportunities while operating as the Nation's "Force in Readiness". The challenges are caused by the demise of the Soviet Union and the rise of regional conflict, which affects the United States national interests. As the world's population explodes in the coastal regions, the potential for conflict and possible Marine Corps intervention grows. The opportunities for the Marine Corps entering the 21" century are in the emerging technologies that will enhance the way Marines operate in the future. This monograph suggests changes required in the MEU (SOC) organization that will allow it to operate under the new Marine Corps doctrine entitled Operational Maneuver from the Sea (OMFTS). Beginning with a history of key Marine Corps challenges, the monograph demonstrates how the Marine Corps has recognized changes in conflict and technology throughout its history and adapted accordingly. Although the study proves the Marine Corps can adapt to change, it demonstrates the Marine Corps has always maintained its expeditionary ethos and naval heritage. This monograph reviews and explains the key concepts of the threat and new operating doctrine to confront that threat. The threat study, entitled "Chaos in the Littorals," predicts a complex operating environment along the world's coastlines and urban areas. To confront these challenges, the Marine Corps has defined seventeen new concepts for future operations within OMFTS. Ship to Objective Maneuver, Sustained Operations Ashore and Comprehensive Command and Coordination are three key concepts of OMFTS that will have immediate effects on how a MEU (SOC) operates in the future. After examining the organization and capabilities of the MEU (SOC), this monograph analyzes a present day MEU (SOC) attempting to operate under OMFTS within
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 17, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA383693
Entities
People
- Phillip W. Boggs
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College