DTIC ADA509753: An Enhanced Logistics Section Required: Logistical Agility of a Marine Corps Infantry Battalion in the Counterinsurgency Fight

by: Defense Technical Information Center

Publication date: 2009-02-20

Topics: DTIC Archive, , MARINE CORPS COMBAT DEVELOPMENT COMMAND QUANTICO VA, *INFANTRY, *LOGISTICS, *COUNTERINSURGENCY, *BATTALION LEVEL ORGANIZATIONS, AFGHANISTAN, BATTLEFIELDS, MARINE CORPS, IRAQ,

Collection: dticarchive; additional_collections

Language: English

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past six years have proven that counterinsurgency (COIN) operations will be a major focus of the Marine Corps' future planning and training. In the Marine Corps Vision and Strategy 2025, General James Conway states: 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 statement echoes many doctrinal COIN principles and confirms that the Marine Corps must prepare for COIN environments beyond Iraq and Afghanistan. However, current Marine Corps combat service support organizations do not provide adequate flexibility to counter the logistical demands of a COIN fight, specifically at the infantry battalion level. In order to solve the deficit of logistical capability experienced by Marine Corps infantry battalions engaged in COIN operations, it is essential to allocate permanent organic medium lift assets and operators both on the battlefield and in garrison.