1988 Reports

• Turbojet Tankers For The Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) by Major A. P. Avery, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The U.S. Marine Corps needs turbojet tankers to ensure timely deployment of its tactical fixed-wing aircraft. The Marine KC-130 turboprop tanker is very limited in its strategic tanking capability. The U.S. Air Force controls all U.S. turbojet tankers for support of strategic deployment. The potential demand for turbojet tanker support in crisis and war is much greater than the Air Force can support in a timely manner.
• 2500 Year Old Prophecy: Soviet Armed Invasion? by Major Gerald L. Boldt, ARNG, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Conflicts and political instability of the Middle Eastern governments provides opportunities for the communists. With only 600 miles between the USSR and the Middle East, Soviet military expansion into the region is very possible.
• Formal Power And Prerogative: The Presidency And National Security by Major Fergus Paul Briggs, USMCR, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Analyzes methods that Presidents employ in the realm of foreign policy
• Marine Integrated Fire And Air Support System (MIFASS) 150 Million Dollar Failure by Major G. F. Brady, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] In 1987, five years behind schedule, having failed the EDM operational assessment test and now at a cost of over 150 million dollars, MIFASS was canceled. What went wrong?
• Vietnam: Army Multiplier, The Birth Of Air Mobility by Major J.W. Barton, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] In Vietnam, Airmobility was a misapplied combat multiplier and as such, a failure to understand the nature of that war. In perspective, airmobility was not the cause of the ultimate defeat of the U.S. national objectives. It did, however, contribute to that defeat.
• Assault Support With A Future: Marine C-17s by Major T.P. Brehm, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The Marine Corps can significantly increase the efficiency and capability of fixed-wing assault support with the acquisition of the C-17 aircraft.
• Perestroika: Fighting The War On A New Front by Major William L. Bair, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Despite glasnost improved international relations, and emphasis on internal economic restructuring within the Soviet Union, world domination still remains the primary goal of the Soviets.
• A Case For Reorganization by Major W.M. Bann, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] If the Marine Corps plans to fight as MAGTFs, then it should organize all of its peacetime forces accordingly.
• Troops In Europe: Can The United States Afford Them? by Major Charles K. Curcio, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The United States should withdraw the bulk of its troops from Europe because of the changing strategic environment, its own military decline, and its economic difficulties.
• Iran and Iraq Perspectives In Conflict by LCDR Gregory S. Cruze, USN, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] An overview of the history of Iran and Iraq and background on the war between the two states.
• Body Armor...A Historical Perspective by Major James P. Carothers, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Projectile shielding for the individual soldier was pioneered by ancient civilizations and has seen a technological rebirth in the 2Oth century.
• Che Guevara: Fundamentals of Guerrilla Warfare by Major Jackie K Clark, U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] This paper explores the underlying circumstances which stimulate populaions to engage in revolutionary guerrilla warfare, and presents a brief biographical sketch of Guevara's development into a revolutionary leader.
• The Perfect Choice by Major John P. Cushing Jr., USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] United States Navy and Marine Corps fighter/attack aircraft must have the flexibility to easily upgrade their capabilities to keep pace with rapidly changing and advancing technology, particularly in an era of increased fiscal constraints and reduced military spending. In the near term the F/A-18 Hornet gives us this flexibility.
• The AV-8B -- A Limited Warrior By No Other Name by Major William M. H. Clark, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The Marines and Navy have incorporated the AV-8B into fleet operations without providing it with its full combat potential.
• AV-8B Super Harrier: Separating Myth From Reality by Major F. S. Durtcne, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The United States Marine Corps became so mesmerized by the V/STOL capability of the AV-8B aircraft that it acquired an aircraft deficient in its mission performance. This paper will address the deficiencies of the aircraft in conducting its assigned missions in today's battlefield and the required changes needed to be incorporated.
• Marine Airborne Opertions As Part Of The Amphibious Assault by Major Jeffrey R. Earley, USA, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The employment of Marine airborne units into the amphibious operations area would add a new dimension to the Commander,Landing Force's options of securing the designated amphibious task force objectives.
• Are U.S. -Soviet Relations Rational? by Major Larry W. Fivecoat, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The U. S. has experienced distorted views creating four decades of irrationality in U.S.-Soviet relations.
• Low Intensity Conflict, Special Operations, And The Employment Of Reconnaissance by major Susan J. Flores, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] An analysis of LOIC and Marine strategy to confront such contingencies
• Over-The-Horizon Amphibious Operations: Will They Work? by Major R. R. Grider, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Utilizing the over-the-horizon concept for future amphibious operations that the Marine Corps may conduct, are in jeopardy of being unsuccessful.
• Lightweight Artillery---Procrastinating With The M101 Howitzer by Major U. T. Gabar, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] In meeting a compromise between employment of lightweight artillery and the M198 howitzer, the M101 is an overworked interim solution that is giving the Marine Corps a false sense of security.
• The Italian Military Enigma by Major Eric G. Hansen, U. S. Marine Corps, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] In view of this great cultural and military heritage, one of the great enigmas is that of modern Italy's failure to produce a military system capable of effectively projecting the country's national policy.
• Insurgency In Peru: The Shining Path by Major James V. Huston, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] This study will identify the seriousness of the problem, give a brief overview of the historical, political, and social setting in which it takes place, and analyze the insurgency utilizing current U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine as a framework.
• Strategic Material-U.S. Vulnerability by Major Gilda a. Jackson, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The United States must place greater emphasis on reducing its import vulnerability in non-fuel materials and, in particular, critical strategic minerals.
• Sustainment by Major Robert E. Johnson, USA, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Can AirLand Battle be sustained overseas?
• Marine Corps Close Air Support: What Aircraft Are Really Needed? by Major W. M. Jones, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Technology has created improved weapon systems, but at the same time has dramatically increased the costs for those systems. It is very possible that technological advances are not always the answer to every situation. In the case of close air support aircraft, technology and rising costs have caused a decline in the number of airplanes that ee can afford, so we must determine what type of aircraft will enable us to have the numbers we need to support the ground Marine.
• Foundations Of Excellence: Moshe Dayan And Israel's Military Tradition (1880 To 1950) by Major Allan A. Katzberg, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] An analysis of the relationship between Moshe Dayan and the IDF
• South Pacific Strategy 1942 Through 1945 by Major D. Lovejoy, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The purpose of this research is to provide a description and analysis of the United States Military Strategy in the South Pacific during the period from 1942 through 1945.
• SEA LINES OF COMMUNICATION CONTROL: A MARINE MISSION by Major Forrest R. Lindsey, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] An analysis of SLOCs and Marine requirements
• A Communist Philippines If... by Lt. Col. Librato S. Ladia, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The paper discusses the birth of communism in the Philippines, the "show window of America democracy in Asia." The pro-Soviet Communist Party (PKP) was established in l92Os, when the Philippines was still an American colony.
• Lasers And Their Potential For Tactical Military Use by Major David R. Mirra, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The next generation of tactical battlefield weapons will include directed energy or laser weapons against men, electro-optical sensors, and other light-sensitive targets.
• AIRMOBILE FOWARD AREA REFUELING POINTS: TACTICAL CAPABILITIES FOR THE MARINE CORPS by MAJOR G. W. McCUTCHEON, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College This paper will discuss the capabilities of the CH-53 D/E forward area refueling system and its impact on the Marine Corps' amphibious flexibility.
• BLUE WATER NAVY HELICOPTER OPERATIONS FACT OR FICTION by MAJOR JAMES E. McCORMICK, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] In today's world, the UPS. Navy's capability to conduct "blue water" helicopter operations is no longer assured due to the Navy's inability to acknowledge the anti-helicopter threat, to train helicopter aircrew to fly basic air combat maneuvers, and to equip helicopters with aircraft survival equipment.
• THEATER WARFARE: CAN THE AIRLAND BATTLE SUCCEED WITHOUT CLOSE AIR SUPPORT? by MAJOR J. M. MEITERLE, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] To provide the required air support necessary to achieve victory on the 1990's AirLand battlefield, the Army/Air Force team must modernize its warfighting doctrine by addressing the optimum use of fixed wing air power to effect the movement of ground forces.
• Taking Marine Artillery Into The Twenty-First Century by Major J. R. Murphy, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Over the past decade the Marine Corps has spent a lot of money to improve every aspect of artillery fire support; it is time to step back and see just what those improvements are and how they all fit together.
• VULNERABLE? SURVIVABLE? HELICOPTER ASSAULT SUPPORT IN MANEUVER WARFARE by MAJOR M. B. MINNEHAN, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Assault support helicopters are frequently criticized as being too vulnerable to modern threat weapons. Their survival is enhanced when employed in maneuver warfare within functional combined arms and defended as a highly mobile ground target.
• Cold Weather Combat: What Is The Marine Corps Doing About It? by Major Richard F. Natonski, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the Marine Corps' program to improve its ability to fight and to win in the cold.
• "Marine GCI": Past, Present And Future by Major William J. O'Connell, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] This paper will trace the historical development of the equipment and mission of the Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS), commonly known among United States Fighter and Interceptor aircrews as simply "Marine GCI".
• Reconnaissance and Special Operations: The Key to Maneuver Warfare by Major Thomas W. Parker,USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] As the Marine Corps coves to fully embrace the doctrine of maneuver warfare, the MAGTF Commander requires enhanced ground reconnaissance forces capable of a wide variety of special operations.
• Low Intensity Conflict: A War By Any Other Name by Major J. A. Robbs Royal Australian Infantry Corps, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] A review of the theory behind LOICs and methods to employ during LOIC
• The Panama Canal: Can We Afford To Give It Up? by Major Frank M. Stewart, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Although the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 outlines the return of the Canal to Panama and initially improved diplomatic relations, the return of the Canal will have significant strategic, political, and military repercussions for the long-range interests of the United States.
• Combat Suport Versus Combat Services Support: The Combat Engineer Dilemma by Major J. L. Sweeny, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] To correct the neglect of the combat engineer's combat support mission caused by the G-4's cognizance of the engineer officer, a realignment of the division staff which places the engineer officer under the G-3 will insure a resurgence and a fuller exploitation of the combat engineer's combat support capabilities.
• China: Will The 20th Century Giant Become A 21st Century Superpower? by LCdr. S. K. Singh, Indian Navy, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Current indications are that China will become a major world power by the 21st century unless certain events slow it down. What are these factors and what effect could they have on the country ?
• Over The Horizon Amphibious Assault: Making The Best Of Equipment Incompatibility by Major Carl D. Turk, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The over the horizon (OTH) assault concept will offer a new dimension to future amphibious operations; this capability however, will be inhibited due to equipment incompatibilities.
• Can We Move The Men And Equipment To North Norway In Time? by Major Micheal J. Vrabel, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Because of the limited LOCs that exist in central and north Norway it seems doubtful that this force of 13,000 Marines can be deployed north fast enough to provide a creditable deterrence to the Soviets.
• The U.S.S. Indianapolis--Tragedy Amid Triumph by LCdr. C.R. Woodward, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Indianapolis was not lost by poor seamanship; she was lost as a result of ineffective command and staff action on the part of her superiors, The commanding officer was court-marialed as a "fall guy", to protect the ineffective ship movement control system at the time, and most importantly, the image of the victorious United States Navy from further public scrutiny.
• The Bitter Struggle To Independence by Major John F. Waweru, Kenya Army, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The significance of these celebrations is that Kenyans seize the opportunity to look back to the history of the long and bitter struggle for freedom in the country and address themselves to the crucial task of consolidating the country's hard earned independence while at the same time forging national unity.
• The C-Rating Smoke Screen Of Readiness Reporting by Major James H. Wilson, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The Marine Corps must review the baselines involved in status reporting, and develop a warfighting capability evaluation that will complement the SORTS system.
• The Maturing of America by Major Paul H. Watson,USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] In view of LIC's broad nature, the U.S. is faced with the prospect of reassessing the manner in which it views national security in general: its overarching policy of containment, its view of the threat, and its internal mechanism to deal with the formulation and execution of policies designed to combat the threat.
• Drug Interdiction And The Military by Major Richard M. Whaley, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] The threat narcotics traffickers pose is viewed as a threat to the national security of the United States. The Department of Defense and the military has, since the passage of a 1981 Congressional amendment to the Posse Comitatus Act, provided support to the law enforcement communities' efforts to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
• Defence Of The Western Hemisphere by Major W. A. Warner, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] While the defense of Western Europe [NATO] and the concept of bottling-up the Soviets in their own waters is a critical aspect of our National and Maritime Strategies, are we doing enough in our hemisphere to thwart Soviet expansion and aggression?
• Future War And The 24th Marine Motorcycle Regiment by Major David J. Young, U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] Discusses the role of the motorcycle in WWIII
• Integration: The Key To Success In Anti-Helicopter Operations by Major M. D. Ziobro, USMC, Marine Corps University Command and Staff College [1988] In view of the large number of Soviet attack helicopters and the limited number of U.S. Marine Corps attack helicopters, the Marine Corps must train its personnel to fight an integrated battle to succeed in future anti-helicopter operations.