Marine Corps Intelligence
The Marine Corps is committed to achieving excellence in intelligence capability - tailored to meet the needs of the National Military Strategy and the complexity and rigors of supporting deployed expeditionary forces.
Within the Corps, intelligence is an inherent component of the command decision-making process, which "drives operations" and is the foundation upon which plans are developed and executed. Intelligence also provides the basis for all training, doctrine, and equipment development. Marine Corps Intelligence exists to support Marine Corps Service and operational missions in maritime, expeditionary, land, and air warfare.
Marine Corps' Contribution to Intelligence
The Marine Corps has a strong tradition of conducting successful operations "in every clime and place." The Intelligence mission is to provide commanders at every level with seamless, tailored, timely, and mission-essential intelligence and to ensure this intelligence is integrated into the operational planning process. Because Marine forces are employed primarily at the operational and tactical levels of war, Marine Corps intelligence activities are oriented toward that level of support. Accordingly, two-thirds of all intelligence Marines serve in the operating forces, with the majority assigned to the staffs and units of tactical commands.
The Marine Corps' Director of Intelligence (DIRINT) is the Commandant's principal intelligence staff officer and the functional manager for intelligence, counterintelligence, and cryptologic matters. Through his staff within the Intelligence Department, Headquarters Marine Corps, the DIRINT allocates resources and manpower to develop and maintain specific expertise in the areas of human and technical reconnaissance and surveillance, general military/naval intelligence duties, human-source intelligence, counterintelligence, imagery intelligence, signals intelligence, and Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities.
The Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA) is the USMC service production center collocated at facilities at Quantico, Virginia and with the Navy's National Maritime Intelligence Center at Suitland, Maryland. As a recognized "Center of Excellence" for Expeditionary Intelligence, the MCIA provides the Marine Operating Forces with intelligence in support of operational and pre-deployment planning, training and exercises. The MCIA also provides combat developers with threat data and other intelligence support for doctrine and force structure development, systems and equipment acquisition, war-gaming, and training and education. MCIA also supports Headquarters Marine Corps with threat assessments and intelligence for Service planning and decision making.
MCIA is fully integrated into the Department of Defense Intelligence Production Program. Through this program, MCIA can be tasked to provide expeditionary warfare intelligence to support any national, theater, or operational command in the US Armed Forces. Thus, the unique and tailored analysis and production done by MCIA and its reserve production elements support not only the Marine Corps, but also the national decision-maker, theater commander, and operational warfighter.
The Marine Corps is the nation's premier "Expeditionary Total Force in Readiness". Its strategy for the 21st century demands the most accurate and most timely intelligence support available. As an important element of the US Intelligence Community, USMC Intelligence professionals are ready, willing, and able to provide this support on a moment's notice.
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