United States Marine Corps

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  • Jonathan Wong and Joslyn Fleming at RAND's Santa Monica headquarters in September 2021, photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND Corporation

    Q&A

    A Tradition of Service: Q&A with Two Veterans

    Before they became RAND researchers, Jonathan Wong and Joslyn Fleming served as U.S. Marines. In this interview, they discuss what made them want to join the service, what led them to research, and how their military experience guides the work they do at RAND.

    Nov 7, 2021

  • U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Samuel Taylor, combat videographer, with Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division returns from deployment at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 19, 2017, photo by Lance Cpl. Tanner Seims/U.S. Marine Corps

    Tool

    A Guide to Evaluating Marine and Family Division Programs, Services, and Capabilities

    For Marine and Family Division programs and services to remain meaningful, credible, and practical, their effectiveness must be able to be demonstrated. How might program implementers determine effectiveness and guide efficient use of scarce resources?

    Sep 30, 2021

Explore United States Marine Corps

  • Lt. Brendan Shields, assigned to Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), is pinned to the rank of lieutenant by Chief Warrant Officer Tony Cochran during a promotion ceremony on Ford's fo c'sle, photo by Chuck Little / Alamy Stock Photo

    Report

    Reducing Rework in Officer Appointment Processes

    Appointment scrolls are required for initial appointment of officers and for reappointment in a different grade, military service, or component. But the appointment and promotion scrolling process takes time. What improvements could increase the efficiency of these processes?

    Apr 19, 2021

  • A U.S. Marine with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa 19.1 loads equipment onto a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, Dec. 13, 2018. SPMAGTF-CR-AF is deployed to conduct crisis-response and theater-security operations in Europe and Africa, photo by Cpl. Bethanie Ryan/U.S. Marine Corps

    Report

    Equipping the 21st Century Marine Corps

    The United States Marine Corps has implemented some proactive measures to respond to global events and crises. One such measure is deploying task-organized units, also referred to as provisional units. How do these provisional units currently source personnel and equipment requirements?

    Feb 18, 2021

  • Report

    Report

    Monetary and Nonmonetary Compensation for High-Value U.S. Department of Defense Civilian Skill Sets

    Motivated by concern that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will struggle to recruit and retain civilian talent for the U.S. Space Force, the authors compared DoD and private-sector monetary and nonmonetary compensation for high-value skill sets.

    Nov 16, 2020

  • Commentary

    Commentary

    Unlocking NATO's Amphibious Potential: Lessons from the Past, Insights for the Future

    Researchers analyze the past, present, and future employment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's amphibious forces, highlight ongoing initiatives, and identify several efforts that should be pursued to advance its amphibious capabilities.

    Nov 9, 2020

  • USS New Jersey fires its main battery during the Lebanese civil war in the 1980s

    Report

    Naval Surface Fire Support: An Assessment of Requirements

    The authors developed recommendations to improve existing formal requirements and technological solutions regarding naval surface fire support, a way for the U.S. Navy to provide the equivalent of artillery support for forces operating ashore.

    Apr 16, 2020

  • A Marine fires a Javelin during Operation Lava Viper at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, May 27, 2015, photo by Cpl. Ricky Gomez/U.S. Marine Corps

    Commentary

    Indications of Institutional Inertia: The FY2021 USMC Budget

    The Grim Reaper is a 700-foot-tall series of hills that Marine Corps recruits must summit to graduate from boot camp. As the Marine Corps attempts to transform from a second land army and counterinsurgency force to operate within contested maritime spaces, its recent budget request suggests that it will need to climb its own Grim Reaper to get there.

    Mar 26, 2020

  • Jonathan Wong, Sangeeta Ahluwalia, Hardika Dayalani, and Robert Bozick of the RAND Corporation.

    Blog

    Ink Tank: At RAND, Tattoos Sometimes Reflect the Research

    Three RAND experts and one Pardee RAND student explain how their tattoos reflect their research on the problems Marines face, end-of-life care, migration-related issues, and the changing needs of the labor force.

    Jan 10, 2020

  • uturistic soldiers wearing virtual reality goggles, photo by Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images

    Report

    Next-Generation Wargaming for the U.S. Marine Corps

    The U.S. Marine Corps has an opportunity to adopt wargaming best practices, tools, and approaches from other sources and adapt them to suit its needs. What courses of action should the Marine Corps take toward building its next-generation wargaming concept?

    Oct 16, 2019

  • Sgt. Angie Novoa, a warehouse chief with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, organizes a shelf in her warehouse on Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, Oct. 28, 2016, photo by Cpl. Alexander Mitchell/U.S. Marine Corps

    Report

    Right-Sizing Marine Corps Intermediate Supply Units: A Staffing Model and Proposed Process Improvements

    The authors present a methodology to determine optimal personnel capacity for Marine Corps intermediate-level supply accounts and other measures to help these accounts work more effectively and efficiently to meet supported units' needs.

    Oct 14, 2019

  • Report

    Report

    Measures of Performance and Effectiveness for the Marine Corps' Sexual Assault Prevention Programs

    To assist the U.S. Marine Corps in evaluating its sexual assault prevention programs, the authors of this report identify and develop measures of performance and measures of effectiveness with which to assess the programs.

    Jul 22, 2019

  • A helicopter lands during the trident juncture exercise in the Netherlands

    Report

    NATO's Amphibious Forces: Command and Control of a Multibrigade Alliance Task Force

    At the request of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, RAND researchers facilitated three wargaming events exploring how to leverage and enhance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s existing amphibious capacity by organizing extant national forces into a coherent multibrigade command and control (C2) structure.

    Jun 27, 2019

  • Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing about Defense Department readiness September 15, 2016, in Washington, D.C., photo by Scott M. Ash/U.S. Air Force

    Report

    Culture and Competition Among the U.S. Military Services

    The personalities of U.S. military services are alive and well. Their unique cultures impact how they compete for resources, authorities, access, and influence. And their competition on the bureaucratic battlefield changes as the environment changes. How might the services react to a sudden change in resource levels or region of focus?

    Feb 25, 2019

  • A 2016 Amphibious Landing Exercise between the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

    Report

    U.S.-Japan Alliance Conference: Meeting the Challenge of Amphibious Operations

    In March 2018, the RAND Corporation convened a conference to examine the establishment of an Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade within the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

    Sep 27, 2018

  • Infographic

    Infographic

    Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Marines Taking Care of Themselves

    The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Marine Corps.

    Jun 21, 2018

  • Infographic

    Infographic

    Are They Living Healthy? How Well Are Service Members Taking Care of Themselves

    The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey sought information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. This infographic reports key findings across the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard.

    Jun 21, 2018

  • Cmdr. Jennifer Wallinger, a dietitian at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, recommends healthy food and beverage choices to a patient, December 9, 2016

    Report

    How Healthy Are U.S. Service Members?

    The DoD's Health Related Behaviors Survey asks about health and well-being issues that can affect force readiness. Results from the 2015 survey suggest that certain groups of service members warrant targeted intervention to prevent negative health outcomes and improve behaviors.

    Jun 21, 2018

  • A hand holding contraceptive pills

    Research Brief

    Sexual Behavior and Health Among U.S. Active-Duty Service Members

    The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey asked active-duty service members about risky sexual practices, contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy, and HIV testing. Levels of sexual risk behaviors across the services may be great enough to increase the potential for rapid spread of HIV and other STIs.

    Jun 21, 2018

  • A runner from the 405th Army Field Support Brigade

    Research Brief

    Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Among U.S. Active-Duty Service Members

    The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey asked active-duty service members about physical activity, weight status, routine medical care, alternative medicine, sleep, supplements and energy drinks, and texting while driving.

    Jun 21, 2018

  • A marine with a stress ball

    Research Brief

    Mental and Emotional Health Among U.S. Active-Duty Service Members

    The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey asked active-duty service members about mental health indicators, social and emotional factors associated with mental health, sexual assault and physical abuse history, non-suicidal self-injury, suicidality, and use of mental health services.

    Jun 21, 2018

  • U.S. Airmen play basketball at Shaw Air Force Base

    Research Brief

    Findings of the Health Related Behaviors Survey

    The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey collected information on the health, health-related behaviors, and well-being of active-duty service members. A summary lists the key findings by topic, such as substance use or mental health, and describes policy implications.

    Jun 21, 2018

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