In the summer of 2019, the 38th commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David Berger, published his Commandant’s Planning Guidance, intended to align the Marine Corps with the 2018 National Defense Strategy. While it is standard for a new service chief to issue such a “vision” statement, Berger’s plan was noteworthy for its revolutionary character.

The guidance immediately generated discussion and debate. As a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Jim Webb, legendary Marine, former secretary of the Navy, and U.S. senator from Virginia, illustrates, the debate has only intensified.