Each year the Marine Corps Program works collaboratively with the senior Marine Corps leadership to develop a program of research that addresses the Marine Corps's most critical issues. Analysts conduct research in six subject areas:
Logistics
Analysts have examined the combat service support implications of seabasing and assisted the deputy commandant for installations and logistics in his efforts to develop and implement new and innovative approaches for providing logistics support to the warfighter.
Manpower and Training
Our manpower analysts have helped the senior Marine Corps leadership understand the implications of high operational tempo on retention, developed tools to assist Marines in making sound retirement choices, and helped the Marine Corps better understand the manpower implications of emerging concepts such as distributed operations. Our operational training experts have been assisting the Marine Corps in their efforts to better understand how training needs to be modified to meet the counterinsurgency operational requirement.
Operations
CNA analysts have provided on-site support to deployed Marine Corps forces in Iraq, helping them to better understand the effectiveness of counterinsurgency tactics and assisting in the assessment of Iraqi Security Force training. We have also helped the Marine Corps assess the effectiveness of counter-IED (improvised explosive device) operations and develop new methods for addressing these threats. We have also assisted the Marine Corps in their efforts to better understand their role in homeland defense and civil support missions such as the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Programs and Resources
CNA analysts supported the Marine Corps during the recent Quadrennial Defense Review and are providing analysis that supports major programmatic decisions.
Aviation
Our analysts have helped the aviation community determine the most effective command and control structures for managing unmanned aerial systems and have helped the Marine Corps understand the implications of their airborne fire support processes for future warfighting concepts.
Combat Development and Integration
CNA analysts have been helping the Marine Corps identify how seabasing capabilities can be positioned and employed to meet presence, contingency, and major combat operation requirements. In addition, we have worked with the Marines to identify future Marine Air Ground Task Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements and potential deficiencies and gaps.
Other projects
Analysts working with the Marine Corps Program have developed innovative, timely research projects that address questions that are important to the Marine Corps leadership and staff at all levels.
To help Marines choose between two military retirement plans, analysts created a retirement calculator that allows future retirees to determine how much they would earn under each plan and decide which is best for them.
Analysts are also studying agent-based models to determine how accurate they are in simulating small-unit combat.
Field Program
Through its renowned field program, CNA analysts are located at Marine Corps commands worldwide: the three Marine Expeditionary Forces; the major Marine service component commands, including Marine Special Operations Command; and Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One. Field representatives are currently stationed in Iraq, providing on-site analysis to deployed Marine forces.
Our analysts have also supported the Marine Corps in recent operations, including Hurricane Katrina relief operations, Operation Unified Assistance (tsunami relief operations), and Operation Iraqi Freedom.