Berger unveils 'intent' and 'planning guidance' for Marine Corps

By Mallory Shelbourne / July 17, 2019 at 11:22 AM

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger this week unveiled both his "intent" and "planning guidance" for the service now that he has officially assumed the top position.

In a tweet yesterday evening, Berger said the guidance would "serve as the roadmap for where the Marine Corps is going, and why."

The document breaks down five components the service plans to focus on in the coming years, which include warfighting, values, leadership, training and education, and force design.

For the warfighting portion, Berger wrote the service would evaluate new options for its amphibious fleet, including a potential "'hybrid' amphibious ship to transport landing craft and enable the ability to fight in a contested littoral."

"The amphibious fleet must be diversified in composition and increased in capacity by developing smaller, specialized ships, as a complement to the existing family of large multipurpose ships," the document reads.

"Doing so will improve resilience, dispersion, and the ability to operate in complex archipelagoes and contested littorals without incurring unacceptable risk," it continues.

The commandant briefly summarized the five concentrations in a separate "intent" document.

"My vision is for the Marine Corps to be manned, trained, and equipped as the world's premier naval expeditionary force-in-readiness; forward-postured with the fleets to deter conflict and respond to crisis; and globally recognized as an elite Corps of Marines of exceptional talent and virtue," Berger wrote.

Berger formally replaced Gen. Robert Neller as commandant last week. Neller retired after serving in the role since 2015.

Before becoming commandant, Berger led Marine Corps Combat Development Command.

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