The pressure is on for a Marine Corps return to naval presence. But the initiative needs much more work to succeed.
After a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps’ combat capability is clear. The success of young Marines and sailors has been magnificent, in both conventional and counterinsurgency operations in al Anbar and Helmand provinces. But prolonged ground operations hundreds of miles from the closest ship have led to characterizations of the Corps as a “second land army.” 1
