This monograph examines whether current Marine Corps cold weather doctrine and related training are adequate to prepare individuals and units for employment in that environment. Relatively new, Marine Corps cold weather doctrine is still being written with the first doctrinal manuals published in 1988. The Secretary of Defense, in 1978, directed that the Marine Corps be committed to the defense of Norway. With this mission came implicit understanding that forces would need a solid doctrine and training base for operations in a cold weather environment. Based on its reinforcement mission to Norway, the Marine Corps began implementing an integrated plan to establish a doctrinal basis for cold weather operations, integrate a training and exercise program, and field a force that modern technology would fully clothe and equip. The methodology of this cold weather doctrine and training review is to examine the role of theory and its link to current Marine Corps cold weather doctrine. Second, this paper reviews the historical underpinnings of 20th Century cold weather warfare in current doctrine and training. Third, it provides an analysis of existing cold weather tactical doctrine utilizing the functions and capabilities that generate combat power as delineated in FMFM 1-1, Campaigning. A second part of the analysis evaluates cold weather training doctrine using the operational priorities of cold weather as explained in FMFRP 7-24, Commanders Guide to Cold Weather Operations, as measures of effectiveness.

Over 3,600 total pages ... Contains the following publications: Small Unit Leader's Guide to Mountain Warfare Operations Mountain Leader’s Guide to Winter Operations Mountain Leader’s Guide to Mountain Warfare Operations Cold Region Operations Mountain Warfare Operations SUMMER SURVIVAL COURSE HANDBOOK WINTER SURVIVAL COURSE HANDBOOK ASSAULT CLIMBERS HANDBOOK COLD WEATHER MEDICINE COURSE WILDERNESS MEDICINE COURSE MOUNTAIN LEADER BOOK (SUMMER) MOUNTAIN LEADER MANUAL (WINTER)

Mountains present leaders and units with unique challenges that compound existing difficult combat realities. This handbook addresses the principal gap of informing leaders and staff of the considerations necessary to plan, operate, fight, and win in mountainous terrain at the company level and above. Leaders will find this handbook valuable in prioritizing tasks for training and predeployment planning for any military operations in the mountains.Recently, many additional Army references dealing with this subject have been created or updated, following more than 10 years of combat experience and identification of best practices in the mountains of Afghanistan. These documents address individual or squad-level tasks and concerns. In this handbook, AWG will address the principal gap of informing leaders and staff of the considerations necessary to plan, operate, fight, and win in mountainous terrain at the company level and above. Many charts, references, and examples from other Army publications are incorporated into this handbook where appropriate.The information contained in this handbook is a result of observations made by AWG unit members conducting operations in mountainous terrain worldwide, and a review of Army doctrine. The Army Mountain Warfare School, Northern Warfare Training Center, Ranger Training Brigade, sister-services, and allied institutions provided additional insights.The observations in this handbook are Geographic Combatant Command (GCC) agnostic and adaptable to mountain operations throughout the world. Mountains present leaders and units with unique challenges that compound existing difficult combat realities. The adverse environmental conditions in the mountains can make basic tasks seem almost impossible.