{"id":15219,"date":"2017-09-22T20:43:02","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T20:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/22\/information-domain-demands-major-force-structure-changes-for-marines\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:57:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:57:28","slug":"information-domain-demands-major-force-structure-changes-for-marines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/c2-comms\/2017\/09\/22\/information-domain-demands-major-force-structure-changes-for-marines\/","title":{"rendered":"Information domain demands major force structure changes for Marines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Marine Corps has been looking to take advantage of the often referred to \u201cinformation\u201d domain, which encompasses cyberspace, the electromagnetic spectrum, social media and everything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the measures the Marine Corps has taken in this sphere is the standing up of a deputy commandant for information, a three-star position that will oversee all aspects of information within the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This role, established in early 2017, came out of the Marine Corps Information Warfare Task Force in 2015, according to a Marine Corps spokesman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust this last week I saw that Secretary Mattis had put out a memo saying that information is now another domain,\u201d Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, said at Modern Day Marine in Quantico, Virginia, held the week of Sept. 18. \u201cI would say good on the Marine Corps, good on the deputy commandant for information for being out in front in leading that effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Marines look to dominate in information environment<\/i><\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following his appearance on a panel, Walsh told reporters that this push in the information space stems from the Marine Corps Operating Concept released last year, which, according to Walsh, \u201creally had us operating in the information domain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we went into Marine Corp Force 2025 and did all of our wargames, our experiments, our exercises, the major driver was the information warfare area \u2014 the information domain,\u201d Walsh said.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much like how the Army is examining injecting similar capabilities into their maneuver elements and figuring out how this will change their force structure, Walsh asserted that operations in the information domain will create major force structure changes for the Marines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case in point is the new Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group \u2014 called the MEF Information Group, or MIG \u2014 which officially activated in early July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve created new formations; we\u2019ve changed some formation in the [Marine Air Ground Task Force]. How do you bring together cyberspace, electronic warfare, information operations, command and control, and intelligence functions all together to best support the senior operational commanders out there?\u201d Maj. Gen. Lori Reynolds, commander of Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command, asked April 4 at the Navy League\u2019s Sea Air Space Symposium. \u201cWe have a path; we have the new Marine Corps structure to get after this. We\u2019re starting to implement that now after a year of designing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reynolds told C4ISRNET that this effort is similar to what the Army is doing with its new cyber directorate at the Pentagon that fits cyber, electronic warfare, information operations and related areas under one hat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re trying to get at \u2015 bring all those elements together, dominate the information environment when we have to,\u201d she said. \u201cI think all the services are trying to tackle this in different ways. The Army has done a lot of work at the brigade and below,\u201d bringing these effects to the tactical edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MIG may not sound like a lot, but it\u2019s really changing how the Marines will operate in that information domain, Walsh added, noting that by standing up the new deputy commandant for information and bringing in anything that\u2019s information domain policy or strategy to be developed under that deputy commandant puts the service right in line with where the department is going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walsh also explained how the Marines just published an information operating concept of employment, which really lays out how the MEF Information Group is going to operate, providing them a playbook for given they were just newly stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the document, there is an inadequate mechanism for the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) commander to comprehensively understand, plan and execute information environment operations. Furthermore, the MAGTF commander has a limited ability to understand relevant threats and vulnerability in this space and has limited command and control mechanisms to integrate information capabilities across the MAGTF. As such, \u201cthe MAGTF must develop a new approach to maneuvering in the IE and conducting Information Environment Operations at the tactical level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MIG\u2019s mission, according to the document, is to \u201cCoordinate, integrate and employ IE Ops capabilities in order to ensure the MAGTF Commander\u2019s ability to facilitate friendly forces maneuver and deny the enemy freedom of action in the information environment. Provide communications, intelligence, supporting arms liaison, and law enforcement capabilities in support of MAGTF operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MIG will develop an integrated information plan and coordinate these missions and tasks within the larger MEF concept of operations and scheme of maneuver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The document envisions a 2025 MAGTF that will be able to operate within this information space by integrating four central ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n