Contingency Planning and Execution. Planning for the Modern Battlefield

Abstract

The United States Marine Corps is the world’s premier fighting force and has been in action against our Nation’s foes for over 200 years. As successful as the Marines have been on the battlefield, the current planning process is in dire need of an overhaul if they are to maintain their combat superiority.

The planning process is outdated and does not have the faith of the commanders and ground troops. Faced with the myriad of changes on the modern battlefield, today’s military member is forced to rely solely on commander’s intent for guidance. This is largely due to the inability of senior leadership to change the planning process, allowing it to adapt and keep up with the evolution of warfare. There is a considerable void left when planning is not accurate or missing critical elements and scenarios faced by our forces in contingency operations.

This project will examine the current planning process and how it is implemented in the Marine Corps today. Solutions will be developed and instituted into all levels of command, pending senior leadership approval. The goal is to have significant changes made to the planning process in time for the upcoming deployment of Marine forces to Afghanistan. Long term solutions will also be developed for approval and full implementation in all future contingency exercises and operations.