Marine Corps Policy Documents

The Marine Corps publication hierarchy is comprised of Marine Corps Service doctrinal publications, dual-designated publications, and multi-Service publications

Marine Corps Service doctrine consists of publications created to describe the warfighting doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) of the Marine Corps. Doctrine provides the fundamental principles by which our forces guide their actions in support of national objectives. TTP provide the detailed description of how our forces perform assigned tasks.

As of December 2010, there were a few remaining publication designations of Fleet Marine Force Manuals (FMFMs), Fleet Marine Force Reference Publications (FMFRPs), and Operational Handbooks (OHs) that were being phased out as publications are reviewed and rewritten.

Fleet Marine Force Manuals




Fleet Marine Force Reference Publications




Marine Corps Doctrinal Publications

MCDPs are higher order doctrinal publications that contain the fundamental and enduring beliefs of warfighting (Capstone publications - MCDP 1, 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3) and the guiding doctrine for the conduct of major warfighting activities (Keystone publications - MCDP 1-0, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).




Marine Corps Reference Publications

MCRPs contain general reference material that is more specific/detailed than the MCWPs. MCRPs are given the same number as the parent MCWP with an alpha designator added to the number.




Marine Corps Warfighting Publications

MCWPs are doctrinal publications that have a narrower focus that details TTP used in the prosecution of war or other assigned tasks.




Marine Corps Orders




Organization Documents

Commandant’s Planning Guidance

• Installations and Logistics 2030 USMC Feb 2023, Released 23 Feb 2023
• Training and Education 2030 USMC Jan 2023
• Talent Management 2030 USMC Nov 2021
• Talent Management 2030 - March 2023 Update USMC 06 Mar 2023
• Force Design 2030 USMC Mar 2020
• Force Design 2030 - Annual Update USMC Apr 2021
• Commandant’s Planning Guidance 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps Jul 2019
• Commandant’s Planning Guidance 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps 2015

USMC Concepts

• Marine Corps Strategy 21 [PDF]
• 21st Century Marine Corps Brief [PPT]

Capstone Concept

• Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare [PDF]

Operating Concepts

• Operational Maneuver From The Sea [PDF]
• Ship-To-Objective Manuever [PDF]
• Sustained Operations Ashore [PDF]
• Other Expeditionary Operations Draft [PDF]

Functional Concepts

• Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain [PDF]
• MAGTF Aviation and OMFTS [PDF]
• Maritime Prepositioning Force 2010 and Beyond [PDF]
• Future Naval Mine Countermeasures [PDF]

Enabling Concepts

• Enhanced Networked Seabasing [PDF]
• GCE Campaign Plan 2004 [PDF]

Other

• Advantage at Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All-Domain Naval Power USMC/USN/USCG Released 17 Dec 2020 -- "Advantage at Sea is a Tri-Service Maritime Strategy that focuses on China and Russia, the two most significant threats to this era of global peace and prosperity. (...) Other rivals, including Iran, North Korea, violent extremist organizations, and transnational criminal organizations, also continue to subvert the international rules-based order."


• A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower Released Oct. 2007 -- "This strategy stresses an approach that integrates seapower with other elements of national power, as well as those of our friends and allies. It describes how seapower will be applied around the world to protect our way of life, as we join with other like-minded nations to protect and sustain the global, inter-connected system through which we prosper."