Blinding First, Striking Fast: Why the Marine Corps Needs Information Groups

The U.S. Marine Corps is actively debating the value of operations in the information environment and the role of new structures like the Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group. These units are designed to integrate intelligence, cyber, electronic warfare, and deception to deny an adversary the ability to coordinate on the battlefield. The central theory of victory is "disorientation," which aims to disrupt an enemy's decision-making cycle by manipulating what they observe and how they orient themselves to the situation. This approach is presented as a critical component of modern warfare, allowing forces to blind and mislead an enemy before striking decisively.