For the U.S. Marine Corps the year 2009 - and the decade it capped-conveyed a sense of déjá vu. In the early decades of the 20th century, Marines fought in a major conventional campaign ashore followed by a series of "small wars." Concurrently, the Corps split its intellectual and institutional energies between supporting current operations and developing the sea-based power-projection capabilities envisioned by its leaders as vital to the success of future operations. Thus far, in the 21st century this pattern is repeating itself - albeit at a much faster pace.
