A new commandant and sergeant major of the Marine Corps will lead Marines through the transition from 13 years of large-scale land wars to an increasingly unpredictable global battlefield as the Corps picks up more crisis response missions around the world.
Thousands of Marines will head to Kuwait and Spain each year to remain forward deployed and poised to respond to crises in the Middle East and Africa. Another smaller special purpose Marine air-ground task force is being stood up in Central America during hurricane season to respond to emergencies in the Western Hemisphere.
The Corps also continues to expand its embassy security program, standing up new Marine security guard detachments in some of the most dangerous cities in the world. And Marine expeditionary units are heading to sea for seven to nine-month deployments.
All this is happening as the Corps continues shedding thousands of Marines during the drawdown. And Marines will have new leadership at the helm as they continue this transition with Gen. Joe Dunford as the commandant and a new sergeant major expected to be named within months.
Here’s a closer look at what’s tracking for 2015:
THE DRAWDOWN
CHANGES IN AVIATION
WHAT’S NEXT FOR WOMEN IN COMBAT
BIG CHANGES FOR MARKSMANSHIP TRAINING
THE NEW COMMANDANT’S PRIORITIES
NEW COMBAT GEAR AND UNIFORMS
THE OUTLOOK FOR DEPLOYMENTS
DEFENSE SPENDING AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CORPS
A NEW SERGEANT MAJOR
MANPOWER CHANGES
CHANGES TO FAMILY SERVICES
COMING SOON:
Big changes for professional military education
2015 promotion forecast
The outlook for re-enlistment bonuses
