Allocating Marine Corps Intelligence Resources for Phase Zero Operations

Abstract : The Marine Corps allocates intelligence resources primarily to the command elements of deploying forces in accordance with current Marine Corps tables of organization. Operations in complex operating environments such as Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM demonstrate the need for modified intelligence resource allocations to satisfy emerging intelligence requirements. While the counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan remains the near-term Marine Corps focus, the Marine Corps intelligence community must consider increasingly complex future operating environments to assess potential impacts on intelligence resource allocation within and external to the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) organizational construct. This study analyzes engagement and shaping activities to identify allocation requirements, and proposes courses of action regarding intelligence support concepts of operation. In conclusion, the Marine Corps should develop an intelligence support concept of operations that institutionalizes the sourcing and reallocation of scalable intelligence support teams from a MAGTF's command element to satisfy future operating environment intelligence requirements.