Organization Organization is tailoring the composition of the operational forces to provide forward deployed forces capable of conducting expeditionary operations.
Marine operating forces must maintain the capability to deploy by whatever means appropriate for the situation while maintaining their unique
amphibious capability.
Impact of
Organization on the Marine NCO
The Marine NCO needs to understand that the mission requirements drive the size, composition, and equipping of Marine units down to the squad or section level.
For example, a Marine NCO may be tasked with a mission in a mechanized environment. In order to meet the opposing threat, he or she may have to modify the weapons, equipment, and munitions load to meet the mission requirements. This is how organization influences units at the lowest levels.
Doctrine Doctrine, as defined by Joint Publication 1-02 DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, is the principles that guide military forces in their activities in support of national objectives.
Marine Corps
Doctrine Marine Corps doctrine is a teaching of the fundamental beliefs of the Marine Corps. It establishes a particular way of thinking about war and fighting. It also provides a philosophy for leading Marines in combat—a mandate for professionalism and a common language.
Professionalism Professionalism requires Marine NCOs to be
· Experts in the conduct of war
· Competent to meet the challenge of defending the Nation
· Skilled at getting things done
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MCI Course 8014A 3 - 5 Chapter 3
Warfighting Preparations,
ContinuedProfessionalism for Marine NCOs
Maneuver warfare requires leaders with boldness and initiative down to the lowest levels. As the Marine NCO experiences a broader perspective of the Marine Corps, he or she gains a greater understanding of the military, Marine Corps, and operating environment. The NCO’s responsibility in terms of lives, material, and resources grows with each promotion. To effectively manage these scarce and precious resources, the NCOs must expand their horizons to think and act with initiative and focus.
Training Commanders establish standards that communicate the intent of training and establish the main effort of training. These training guidelines provide subordinate leaders with what is to be accomplished. Subordinate leaders have to organize and develop training plans to support the commander’s guidelines.
Training
Critiques Training critiques are an essential part of an effective training program. They are generally opinions made by individuals monitoring or participating in the training. The purpose is to draw out the lessons of training. Critiques are conducted immediately after training before memory of events fades.
Participants need to be willing to admit mistakes and discuss them.
NCOs Role in
Training The Marine NCO is a link between the training applications and the warfighting concepts contained in doctrine. Although the commander is responsible for training Marines under their command, it is the NCOs who provide the necessary skills to assist the commander in obtaining this goal.
Marine NCOs train their Marines from personal knowledge, acquired experiences, lessons learned, mentoring, and other practical application methods.
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MCI Course 8014A 3 - 6 Chapter 3
Warfighting Preparations,
ContinuedProfessional Military Education
Professional military education (PME) describes the education that Marines receive through a combination of
· Resident PME
· Non-resident PME
· Military studies conducted at the unit level
· Individual study
· Experience
Professional military education is designed to develop creative, thinking leaders. All Marines should view this PME as a continuous, progressive process extending throughout their careers.
PME Triad Professional military education is built upon a three-tiered approach:
· Education establishment—schools administered by the Marine Corps, subordinate commands, or outside agencies
· Commanders—development of their subordinates to include developing military judgment and decision making, and teaching general
professional and specific technical subjects
· Individual Marines—self-directed study in the art and science of war
PME Goal The goal of PME is to develop an expert in warfighting and professional leadership. In addition to the three-tier approach, a well rounded PME program should include a combination of the following elements:
· An individual professional reading program
· Map exercises
· War gaming
· Simulation training
· Battle studies
· Terrain studies
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MCI Course 8014A 3 - 7 Chapter 3
Warfighting Preparations,
ContinuedPME
Applications for NCOs
Marine leaders at every level should see the development of their
subordinates as a direct reflection of themselves. Marine NCOs should not only participate in PME as students, but also develop the ability to teach their Marines the skills and information that they have mastered.
Additionally, individual efforts should be made to conduct self-education through individual learning programs such as distance education and reading.
Every Marine leader has a responsibility to study the profession of arms to improve themselves, their Marines, and the effectiveness of the units in which they serve. PME should assist in the development of leaders with the ability to think and act as warfighters.
Personnel
Management All Marine NCOs should understand the basic concepts of personnel
management to improve the performance of the personnel and processes that they supervise. Marine NCOs have an opportunity to exercise personnel management since they manage multiple functions within their sections.
They have to lead proceses and manage the skills and personnel
simultaneously. Effectively manning the billets and training personnel has a direct impact on the unit’s warfighting capabilities. Remember, all Marines of a given grade and occupational specialty are not always interchangeable and should be assigned to billets based on specific ability and temperament.
Strong personnel management skills are required for supervisors to assess individuals’ skills and abilities. NCOs need to understand proficiency and technical requirements in addition to the Marines’ overall performance.
Equipping Equipping is the process of supplying the Marine Corps to meet its strategic and operational goals. To minimize research and development costs, the Marine Corps will use off the shelf technology to the greatest extent possible.
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MCI Course 8014A 3 - 8 Chapter 3
Warfighting Preparations,
ContinuedEquipping
Requirements The selection of equipment to support the operational forces within the Marine Corps requires mission specific requirements, projections, and
rigorous testing. When equipping the Marine Corps, the equipment should be as follows:
· Easy to operate and maintain
· Reliable and interoperable with other equipment
· Minimal specialized operator training
· Consistent with established doctrine and tactics
· Strategic and tactical lift capabilities
· Employable and supportable in undeveloped theatres of operations
Dangers of
Equipping The two dangers of equipping are listed below:
· Over reliance on technology
· Failure to make the most of technology
The Marine Corps must not become so dependent on equipment that it can no longer function effectively when the equipment fails. An example of this would be relying on Global Positioning Systems while neglecting basic land navigation skills.
Conclusion The ability to transition advances in technology to battlefield requires Marines to continually upgrade their individual skills and abilities. The ability to integrate new equipment and technology into the operational environment enhances operational effectiveness and performance.
Advances in technology and the development of new equipment require the Marine Corps to test, acquire, and field new equipment to meet current and projected threats. Yesterday’s technology can become tomorrow’s
vulnerability, so implementing change is a challenge leader’s continuously face.
MCI Course 8014A 3- 9 Chapter 3 Exercise
Chapter 3 Exercise
Estimated
Study Time 10 minutes
Directions Complete items 1 through 5 by performing the action required. Check your answers against those listed at the end of this lesson.
Item 1 What is the definition of doctrine?
a. A theoretical approach to warfighting that is discussed at the highest levels and is approved by Congress
b. Principles that guide military forces in their activities in support of national objectives
c. A permanent record of warfighting studies at the joint level
d. The process and procedure for reduction of Department of Defense plans and operational concepts
Item 2 Marine Corps doctrine is defined as
a. the process and procedure for developing operational plans and operations at the strategic level.
b. a teaching of the fundamental beliefs of the Marine Corps on the subject of war, from its nature and theory to the preparation and conduct.
c. the use of command and control to bring force onto the enemy and then smash his warfighting systems.
d. a tool used by commanders to transform focus to warfighting force into a pliable form of power in the operating environment.
Item 3 What are the three tiers of the professional military education system?
a. Sergeants, career, and advanced b. Initial, sustainment, and expansion
c. Education establishment, commanders, and individual Marines d. Resident, non-resident, and interactive media instructions
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MCI Course 8014A 3- 10 Chapter 3 Exercise
Chapter 3 Exercise,
Continued
Item 4 Understanding that ___________________________________ is an important concept for effective personnel management.
a. officers handling personnel issues within squads and sections
b. filling the billet is more important than proficiency and training for the billet
c. Marines of certain grades and occupational specialties are not always interchangeable
d. billets can only be filled by incoming personnel
Item 5 What are the dangers of equipping?
a. Over reliance on technology and failure to make the most of technology b. Untrained equipment operators and hazardous materials management in
the operating environment
c. Conducting equipment specific training and operational risk assessment surveys
d. Storage and maintenance of fragile equipment in the operating environment, and ensuring the Marines follow the procedures for use
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MCI Course 8014A 3- 11 Chapter 3 Exercise
Chapter 3 Exercise,
ContinuedItems 6
Through 9 Matching: For items 6 through 9, match the warfighting preparation terms in column 1 with the definitions in column 2.
Column 1
Preparation Terms
Column 2 Definition ___ 6. Force Planning
___ 7. Organization ___ 8. Professionalism ___ 9. Training
a. Tailors the composition of the
operational forces to provide forward deployed forces capable of conducting expeditionary operations
b. Plans associated with the creation and maintenance of military capabilities c. Requires Marine leaders to be experts in
conducting war and executing its policy d. Organizes and develops training plans
that support the commander’s guidelines
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MCI Course 8014A 3- 12 Chapter 3 Exercise
Chapter 3 Exercise,
ContinuedAnswers The table below provides the answers to the exercise items. If you have any questions, refer to the reference page listed for each item.
Item Number Answer Reference
1 b 3-4 2 b 3-4 3 c 3-6 4 c 3-7 5 a 3-8 6 b 3-3 7 a 3-4 8 c 3-4 9 d 3-5
MCI Course 8014A 4- 1 Chapter 4