Compass Points - Building the Future
The power of the combat development process
Compass Points - Building the Future
The power of the combat development process
August 19, 2023
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marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com
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Over the next weeks and months, Compass Points will review the foundations of the future Marine Corps. The Marine Corps of the future begins with the combat development process.
The Marine Corps combat development process builds the future Marine Corps. To make sure that when the future crisis arrives, the future Marine Corps will be ready, the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC) at Quantico directs the integrated, comprehensive, and creative combat development process.
The Marine Corps must continually upgrade the force to remain ready, relevant, and capable. In 1971 major Marine combat forces were redeployed from Vietnam. The Marine Corps force of 1971 was a superb jungle force. Over the next twenty years, that force had to be upgraded and improved into the superb desert force of 1991.
In 1991, during operations Desert Shield and Storm, Saddam Hussein's forces had a ground army estimated at 1,000,000 men, including 47 infantry divisions and 9 armored and mechanized divisions, grouped into 7 corps.
US military and coalition forces, including the Marine Corps, defeated them in roughly 100 hours.
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At about 0400 on 24 February 1991, the 1st Marine Division began its penetration of the twin obstacle belts between the Umm Gudair (South) and Al Wafrah oil fields as the I MEF supporting attack. Major General Myatt employed two infantry regiment task forces to infiltrate the obstacle belts by foot between the Iraqi 29th and 42d Infantry Divisions: Grizzly, commanded by Colonel Jim Fuiks, and Taro, under Colonel John H. Admire. Grizzly had actually moved about 20 kilometers into the noman's land between the Saudi Berm and the first belt beginning on 21 February. This action constituted the first retaking of Kuwaiti territory by the allied forces.
-- Colonel Charles J. Quilter II (The Liberation of Kuwait: The Breach)
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From a Marine Corps combat development perspective, there are two questions:
1) Where did that superb Marine Corps desert force come from?
2) Where will the next superb Marine Corps force come from?
The answer is the Marine fighting force of the future will come from the integrated and comprehensive combat development process.
The MCCDC overview of the combat development process explains,
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We assess the environment, develop and validate concepts, identify capabilities, and develop solutions to ensure Marine Corps operating forces have the necessary capabilities to remain the world's foremost expeditionary warfighting organization.
Our focus is to develop future operational concepts and determine how to best organize and equip the Marine Corps of the future.
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The combat development process is complex but no more complex than it needs to be to create the future force. The combat development process takes time, but constructing an office tower takes time and an office tower is a simple thing compared to constructing the Marine Corps of the future.
A simplified version of the Marine Corps combat development process involves 8 steps. These 8 steps are not strictly sequential but instead are iterative cycles, repeated again and again, as a new solution is developed.
1. Concept Creation.
The future Marine Corps begins with a concept, a picture, a scenario of future conflict.
2. Capability Comparison.
Current Marine capabilities are compared to capabilities needed in the future.
3. Gap Analysis.
Capability gaps are identified that need filled so the future force will be ready for future conflict.
4. DOTMLPF Review.
DOTMLPF is an acronym for doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities. In other words, a capability gap that needs to be filled might be filled, not by a piece of gear, but by a new school, new training, or new facilities.
5. Testing & Experimentation.
Possible DOTMLPF solutions must undergo rigorous testing and experimentation.
6. Integration.
Integrate and coordinate within the Marine Corps and with joint and combined partners.
7. Requirements.
Define requirements for acquisition.
8. Programming.
Support the Planning, Programming, Budget, and Execution (PPBE) process.
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In 1991 a million-man force was defeated by the US in 100 hours.
1) Where did that superb Marine Corps desert force come from?
2) Where will the next superb Marine Corps force come from?
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The superb Marine Corps force of the future cannot be built from a haphazard, lopsided, rushed, fragmented, or incomplete process. Successfully building the future requires proven, integrated, and comprehensive, combat development.
Compass Points salutes Marine Corps leaders today who are using the integrated and comprehensive Marine Corps combat development process to build the Marine force of the future.
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History and Museums Division, HQMC
U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991: WITH THE I MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM
By Colonel Charles J. Quilter II
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MCCDC - CDI
What we do
https://www.cdi.marines.mil/About/What-we-do/
Among General Al Gray's most significant achievements was his creation of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), which oversaw the powerful combat development process. His immediate successors, General Mundy and Krulak, refined that process to the point it was the envy of every other Service. I watched over the past 25 years as other commandants transferred elements of that process to other parts of the Marine Corps each time weakening the process to some degree. The separation of doctrine, training, and education (leader development) into the Training and Education Command was a near fatal blow to General Gray's original vision. When Doctrine, Organization [Structure], Training, Material, Leader Development, Personnel, and Facilities (DOTMLPF) were under the purview of one general officer integration of all was possible. It must of necessity be more difficult today.