By Lt. Col. Eric Flanagan, Marine Corps Combat Development and Integration
QUANTICO, Va.— In a deliberate move to modernize the Force Development Enterprise (FDE) and deliver an integrated force at speed, the Marine Corps has announced a significant organizational realignment and an updated mission statement for the newly redesignated Capabilities Development and Force Integration Directorate (CDFI), formerly known as the Capabilities Development Directorate (CDD).
“The modernized Force Development Enterprise presents a unique opportunity to take Marine Corps capabilities development and acquisition processes to the next level,” said BGen Timothy Brady, the Director of the Capabilities Development and Force Integration Directorate. “The new structure and related authorities clear the path for us to move faster – to more rapidly identify, develop, test and field what our Marines need.”
A central component of this modernization effort is the establishment of Capability Portfolio Management. This new framework aligns capability portfolios directly to Joint Capability Areas (JCAs), driving strategic alignment across all FDE functions. To optimize support for the FDE and align with these new portfolio-based operating models, CDFI has restructured to ensure the Marine Corps is best postured to develop and integrate service-wide capabilities.
Reflecting this modernized approach, the directorate’s updated mission statement is:”The Capabilities Development and Force Integration Directorate develops and integrates service-wide capabilities across the DOTMLPF-P in order to deliver a modernized Marine Corps ready to campaign, fight, and defeat current and future threats.”
To achieve full alignment with applicable JCAs and reflect the FDE modernization, CDFI has reorganized five of its eight subordinate divisions.
The Marine Corps Integration Division, Total Force Structure Division, and Operations Division will remain unchanged during this realignment.
This redesignation and structural update represent a critical step forward in streamlining how the Marine Corps builds, integrates, and equips the modern force to meet current and future challenges.
