Thinking First, Adapting Fast: Debating the Marine Corps’ Need for the Information Group
Brian Kerg
November 7, 2025
Thinking First, Adapting Fast: Debating the Marine Corps’ Need for the Information Group
A decade into the effort to concretely integrate information warfare into its operations, the Marine Corps appears to be in the thick of another intellectual firefight. Consternation abounds regarding the value of the Marine units organized to employ information related capabilities. Moreover, some observers claim there is a deeper debate about the value of information operations as a central aspect of maneuver warfare.
Such arguments are common in the Marine Corps, especially in the face of change. The professional journal of the Marine Corps was replete with arguments about the service’s identity as early as the journal’s establishment in 1916. The maneuver warfare movement led to fierce debate across the service, culminating in doctrine that defines the Marine Corps to this day. Arguments clamored for a new mission and identity for the service in the waning days of the Global War on Terror. The adoption of Force Design 2030 led to a renaissance in Marine Corps thinking, writing, and speaking on its future, matched by stalwart and stubborn opposition from its fiercest critics. Critical dialogue on every front of the Marine Corps’ future continues, with a special emphasis on the roles and authorities of the Marine littoral regiment and the stand-in force.
As such, another hearty argument about warfighting should be seen as a sign of healthy discourse within the service. However, such discussions should be framed correctly and soundly if they are to serve the good of the Marine Corps and the nation.
https://warontherocks.com/2025/11/thinking-first-adapting-fast-debating-the-marine-corps-need-for-the-information-group/
