Equipping the Corps

Combat Development and Integration, or CD&I, is the institutional and intellectual epicenter for the evolution of the Marine Corps. They assess the environment, develop and validate concepts, identify capabilities, and develop solutions to ensure Marine Corps operating forces have the necessary capabilities to remain the world’s foremost expeditionary warfighting organization. As part of CD&am...

Mobility is key to survivability. The Marine Corps’ Light Tactical Vehicle Program has over 20,000 pieces of rolling stock in our tactical vehicle fleet. From the joint light tactical vehicle to the ultra-light tactical platform, the Corps’ LTV program is constantly evolving as part of Force Design 2030. The program has a unique mission to divest, field and modernize our fleet to ensure Marines ha...

When you think logistics, your brain may conjure up thoughts of a warehouse full of goods, or the delivery company who didn’t get you that important package in time. But in the world of acquisition, logistics is so much more. Acquisition logistics isn’t just getting equipment from Point A to Point B – SYSCOM’s logisticians have critical input to all phases of the system’s lifecycle. From maintenan...

Marines need a variety of equipment to ensure an unfair advantage, but one thing comes before everything else – food. The Shelters, Field Feeding and Containers, or S/FF/C, team acquires and sustains the Fleet Marine Force with tents, containerized maintenance shelters, cargo containers, and our topic today – field feeding equipment. Field feeding equipment provides Marines the right meal, at the...

Have you ever wanted a better view of the air on the battlefield? Well, Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar has entered the chat. G/ATOR multi-mission air surveillance system provides 360-degree coverage. As an ACAT I program, this system resides within Program Executive Officer Land Systems under Program Manager G/ATOR.   PM G/ATOR delivers the G/ATOR, a highly mobile multi-mission radar system design...

Equipping a Marine doesn’t only mean gear. Marines need grit, resilience and above all else: paperwork. Let’s be honest, paperwork is at the heart of any government or military organization, and ensuring a Marine has their records and documentation in order is critical to their career and mission success. Admin officers are often the unsung heroes of a Command. Manpower officers plan, track, monit...

The Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, was established to accelerate the adoption of commercial technology throughout the U.S. military to ensure our forces continue to have a technological advantage over our adversaries and competitors. DIU partners with organizations across the Department of Defense, from the services and components to combatant commands and 4th estate agencies, to rapidly prototy...

If you open any internet browser and search “3D Printing,” you can find countless items, large and small, that went from idea to reality with the help of 3D printing technology. What you may not know is the Marine Corps also uses this technology to provide organic logistics, supply, and sustainment solutions to the Fleet. Marine Corps Systems Command’s Advanced Manufacturing Operations Cell, or AM...

Special Operations Forces are historically known to have specialized training and innovative gear to carry out elite missions. They are the first to call for hostage situations, reconnaissance, surveillance and much more. Have you ever wondered how Special Ops have the gear needed to remain safe and lethal? Established in 1991, the Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics C...

When most people think of a Marine, they first think about lethality, but survivability is another critical component to success on the battlefield. The last thing a Marine wants to be without while forward-deployed is medical equipment and supplies. Every Marine loves their doc. From bandaging wounds to saving lives, Corpsmen are essential. The Expeditionary Medical Systems Team within the Logist...

In the Marine Corps, training isn’t something you do just once. Marines are continuously training and improving their skills, from physical fitness to rifle qualifications and beyond. They deepen their knowledge of military strategy through formal education programs and professional development. In addition, they train on how to use our gear properly and effectively. The Marine Corps’ training and...

Surviving and sustaining in an operational environment requires a logistical trail that will be ready and able to deliver the supplies and personnel needed to execute the mission. In short, it requires a fleet of capable haulers that can get the job done in any clime and place. There is no better example of that than the medium and heavy haulers the Marine Corps has been using for the last 20-plus...

Have you ever wondered how we test gear before it is fielded to Marines? Testing and evaluation is essential for Marine Corps leadership to make independent, objective and defensible acquisition decisions. One organization is tasked with ensuring this is possible - the Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity, also known as MCOTEA. MCOTEA plans, executes and evaluates materiel solutio...

The 2022 National Defense Strategy emphasizes that international partnerships and alliances remain a priority. In a time where we must continuously adapt, one thing remains true - building an unmatched international network of allies and partners makes us stronger. Marine Corps Systems Command works to ensure we develop warfighting capabilities with our allies and partners. Our International Progr...

Force Design 2030 guidance emphasizes the need for "resilient communication architectures capable of closing kill chains in austere environments." With that comes the need to equip our Marines with the communications equipment to meet that mission. Communication and information systems, such as ground radios, are critical to providing Marines reliable, secure and flexible communication networks -...

Have you ever wondered how Marines who might be operating out in the middle of nowhere have access to fuel and clean drinking water? These two resources are critical to sustaining our Marines in any environment. From fueling ourbodies to powering our vehicles, clean water and fuel are vital to the survivability of our forces. Current and future operating environments require resilient and stable w...

From the first Marines at Tun Tavern to today’s modern force, one thing helps the world identify Marines in the field – their uniforms. As the nation’s only premier naval expeditionary force-in-readiness, the Marine Corps can be called upon to serve in any clime or place, and they need a selection of uniforms that can help them meet that mission. Program Manager for Infantry Weapons Clothing and E...

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger’s Planning Guidance underscores the need for enterprise IT engineering and the importance of meeting peer competitors on a complex future battlefield. This future environment requires a unified network in which Marines can quickly transmit data for command and control purposes. Cue Technical Management and Analysis Directorate, a team of technical e...

On this bonus episode, Manny introduces Equipping the Corps’ new host, Tripp Elliott. Tripp is Marine Corps Systems Command’s Head of Command Safety. His charismatic, dedicated and his fun demeanor make him a ‘trip’ to work with. To learn more about Tripp, make sure to check out Episode 23, MCSC’s Command Safety Office with Tripp Elliott. The views expressed in this podcast reflect those of the sp...

Living in a world where the threat is constantly evolving and changing is challenging. Finding the technology and capabilities to meet and defeat those threats in a timely manner can sometimes prove twice as daunting. But for one team at Program Executive Office Land Systems, those challenges do not deter them, but rather energizes and drives them to find creative solutions for Marines who face th...

The Force Design 2030 update released in May emphasized that the Corps must continue to develop concepts for resilient logistics webs in a contested environment with multiple options for support, to include distribution networks, and multi-domain delivery methods. Marine Corps Systems Command’s Logistics Combat Element Systems Portfolio provides and sustains many of these capabilities for the Flee...

The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory or MCWL, is tasked by the Commandant to identify future challenges and opportunities, develop warfighting concepts, and comprehensively explore options available to the warfighter, in order to inform the combat development process to meet the challenges of the future operating environment. In more simplistic terms, the Lab is tasked with the experimentation...

Marine Corps Systems Command is responsible for a lot of high-value gear, but our people remain our most valuable asset. One office at Marine Corps Systems Command is tasked with the great responsibility of ensuring our Marines are safe and preventable mishaps are eliminated throughout the acquisition process— the Command Safety Office. The Command Safety Office provides assistance and education t...

On June 9, Marine Corps Systems Command welcomed a new Commander, BGen David Walsh. He’s an aviator by trade with a wealth of acquisition knowledge including time serving as the USMC Light/Attack Helicopters assistant program manager for systems engineering for the Marine Aviation Detachment at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. During that period, he was selected as part of the first cad...

Marine Corps Systems Command collaborated with Marine Corps Recruiting Command to develop the Marine Corps Recruiting Information Support System, also known as MCRISS. This system has been vital in streamlining recruiting operations, enabling the command and control of systematic recruiting operations across all distributed locations from coast-to-coast. The latest version, MCRISS II, is a mobile...