Reshaping America's Expeditionary Force in Readiness: Report of the 2010 Marine Corps Force Structure Review Group, 14 March 2011
....The geostrategic environment has changed dramatically in the last two decades, shifting from a competition between superpowers to a world of increasing instability and conflict, characterized by poverty, competition for resources, urbanization, overpopulation and extremism. Failed states or those that cannot adequately govern their territory can become safe havens for terrorist, insurgent and criminal groups that threaten the US and our allies. Characterized by inherently unpredictable hybrid threats that combine irregular and conventional capabilities in a highly lethal manner, this environment demands a flexible, adaptable, and versatile military force that is ready and capable of being forward-deployed and forward-engaged, building partnerships, and immediately responding to crises or contingencies. Responding to a wide range of crises in a timely manner will require regionally-focused headquarters and forces that are both forward-postured and immediately deployable with a minimum of strategic lift. Sea-based forces, in particular, will be invaluable for discreet engagement activities, rapid crisis response, and sustainable power projection.