In 2009 the Commandant of the Marine Corps declared energy a top priority and challenged the Corps to be more combat effective by changing the way we use energy on the battlefield. Today, that guidance underscores the Marine Corps' efforts to rebalance the force and ensure that America has a forward deployed, self-sustained, amphibious capability able to respond to crises around the world.
In March 2011, the Commandant issued the
Expeditionary Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan with the goal of increasing our combat effectiveness through ethos, efficiency and renewable energy--from "Bases to Battlefield." Later that year, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps signed out a comprehensive requirements document, the Expeditionary Energy, Water, and Waste Initial Capabilities Document (
E2W2 ICD), that identifies and prioritizes 152 capability gaps (material and non-material) that must be addressed in order to meet the Commandant's 2025 goal. These two core documents, together with the
2012 Marine Corps Science and Technology Strategic Plan, provide a strategic framework for investment and drive modernization in expeditionary energy. The "return" on this investment - more than $352M to date - is increased military capability gained through dramatic savings in weight and fuel transported.
In 2012, the Commandant identified Expeditionary Energy as one of the six pillars of modernization in the Marine Corps -- "areas critical to maintaining operational capabilities and readiness," -- in his annual posture statement to Congress. Modernizing the Marine Corps' capabilities in expeditionary energy is critical to maintaining operational readiness of the Force, for today's fight and tomorrow's conflicts.