Publication

The commentary discusses the character of the US Marine Corps in the light of envisaged budget cuts. The author tries to tie the Corps’ position as the world’s premier crisis response force to today’s principal security challenges. He argues that the Corps’ expeditionary ethos and its devotion to readiness are highly relevant for today’s uncertain age and resource-constrained situation. A balanced force poised to respond to simple emergencies at one end of the conflict spectrum and ready to leap immediately to complex contingencies at the other end fits America’s needs now and in the foreseeable future.