Future Changes to Marine Corps Units and Tactics

According to Lt. Gen. Jim Amos, 2 MEF Commander, who has been selected to become the Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for combat development and integration, future Marine Corps units will be smaller and lighter. The new units will consist of five or six Marines that are trained in new tactics learned in Iraq. These small units can be inserted behind the enemy using the Osprey, an ultra-quiet aircraft that flies like an airplane, but can rotate its wings and hover like a helicopter. The Marines would also be wearing a new type of body armor that provides protection for the shoulders, neck, lower torso, and legs from shrapnel. Better yet, this new body armor is about 90% lighter than the current body armor in use.

The new unit sizes and tactics are needed to combat the non-traditional enemies that Marines now face. In the past, Marines mostly fought against state-sponsored forces in massive frontal assaults. Now more and more of the fighting is against smaller diverse groups of people that are attacking based on ideology or religion. This type of enemy threat is expected to increase over the next 10 to 15 years according to analysts.