Compass Points - Storm Secrets
Desert Storm provides a model for future capabilities
Compass Points - Storm Secrets
Desert Storm provides a model for future capabilities
January 22, 2026
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It was 35 years ago this month when Operation Desert Storm began. Yesterday, we featured the success of the US Marines in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Many readers online and off have their own memories of the events 35 years ago.
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Neural Foundry
Powerful reminder that the Corps stayed mission-ready despite nobody predicting a major mechanized war in the Gulf just months before. The stat about 100 miles in 100 hours against 7 Iraqi divisions with minimal casualties really underscores what proper training and adaptability can do. Semper Fi to all who served there.
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Joel T Bowling
Bravo Zulu sir for the time traveling back to a time when our MAGTF capabilities were many and flexible to meet the mission requirements! FD2030 has ruined our beloved Corps’ MAGTF capabilities.
I fought in Operation Desert Storm as a US Marine 1985-91. Our ability to fight as a MEF (REINFORCED) that saw 1 MEF operate with lethality and precision and combat efficiency as an overwhelming, total combined arms force proved vital in the limited casualties and equipment damaged/lost/destroyed aspects! . . . the Corps’ ability to accomplish this mission in the manner in which it was done was called “textbook” by the Allies force leadership in the immediate aftermath and after-action briefings and assessments, and is still hailed as such and studied today by current students and leaders alike.
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Polarbear
As an Infantry BN XO in the breaching force, after we completed the second breach and started a roll up of the Iraq Division, our AAV mounted Rifle Company’s (with attached M-60 Tanks) sent over 2400 Iraq POWs to the BN’s rear. The rifle companies did a great job handling these POWs, ensuring the POWs were searched and disarmed. This enabled the BN to continue the attack by sitting the POWs in the sand understanding that designed security units coming through the six breaching lanes would take control.
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Coffeejoejava
The biggest reason the Marines were so successful and fully ready the moment they arrived in country was the MPS fleet. Those giant ships, filled to the brim with trucks, weapons, ammo, fuel, food, were the key. While the 82 Airborne was sitting in the city eating Hardees, the Corps flew in, married up with their trucks and tanks and toys and said “see you later” and headed out to the “line in the sand”.
Today, the MPS fleet is a shadow of its former self.
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Michael T Gerdau
It’s hard to believe it’s been 35 years. But what a perfectly orchestrated Operation. I was with 7thMEB under General Hopkins, we left 29 Palms on the 10th of August. Got to love a MAGTF!
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US Marine Corps forces in Desert Shield and Desert Storm were a powerful, prepared, and professional combined arms warfighting force. From a Marine Corps combat development perspective, there are two questions:
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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 answer is the Marine fighting force of the future will come from an integrated and comprehensive combat development process.
The Marine Corps Combat Development Command 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.
— MCCDC / CDI
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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.
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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. DOTMLPFP Review.
DOTMLPF is an acronym for doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy. 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 DOTMLPFP 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 Operation Desert Storm in 1991 a million-man enemy force was defeated by the US in 100 hours. US Marines were a vital part of that success.
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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, where proven capabilities are ‘divested’ before a replacement has arrived. Successfully building the global, combined arms Marine Corps of the future requires proven, integrated, and comprehensive, combat development.
Compass Points salutes the Marines of Desert Shield and Desert Storm and all those across the broad community of Marines today who are working to rebuild comprehensive Marine Corps combat development. Marine Corps combat development is the secret to building the Marine Corps’ enhanced and ungraded, global, combined arms, crisis response 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/
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I caught this article on Real Clear Politics _ Defense this morning.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2026/01/20/us-military-to-expand-by-more-than-30000-troops-this-year/
BLOODY HELL! Why didn’t the US Marine Corps get a piece of this 30,000 troop expansion?
“US Army will grow to 454,000, up 11,700 …The Air Force’s end strength will rise by 1,500 to 320,000, while the Space Force is slated to increase by 600 to 10,400. In the Department of Homeland Security, the size of the Coast Guard will increase to 50,000, up from 44,500. The Marine Corps will remain at 172,300.”
How and why did this happen? Did the Commandant tell Congress, I don’t need an increase in order to “divest to invest” for FD2030? Did the Secretary of War say no increase for the Marines because Marines experimental units have not contributed to recent military operations since the new administration took over? As a Force Provider did the Commandant submit a justification for an end strength increase based on requests from the Combatant Commanders? Did the Commandant say I don’t need an increase because the US Navy does not have the amphibious ships we Marine Corps and Combatant Commanders need? What happened here?
U.S. Marine Corps Authorized Active Duty End Strength (FY2011–FY2025)
Total force only — no officer/enlisted breakdown, no reserves.
Fiscal Year Authorized Active Duty End Strength
FY2011 202,100
FY2012 202,100
FY2013 182,100
FY2014 190,200
FY2015 184,100
FY2016 184,000
FY2017 185,000
FY2018 186,000
FY2019 186,100
FY2020 186,200
FY2021 181,200
FY2022 178,500
FY2023 177,000
FY2024 172,300
FY2025 172,300
Was any effort made by the current Commandant to reverse this downward trend? WTF, OVER? S/F
We can discuss equipment, tactics, training, manpower numbers, unit organization, logistics, aircraft sortie rates……. The most fundamental break in the institution with General Berger’s arrival was the loss of integrity. For six years subterfuge, lying my omission and commission, underhanded dealing, misleading the American people and their representatives, destroying careers and outright dishonesty have eroded the most critical element in an institution- trust. The Corps did not reach its current state through sincere mistakes, honest errors in judgment or simple but sincere bad decisions. It was instituted in deceit. For those reasons a good number of individuals must be charged under the UCMJ. Failure to address this will make a return to our position as an elite fight force impossible.