Marine Corps Systems Command

Marine Corps Systems Command
MARCORSYSCOM insignia
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Supporting command
Role	Acquisition and sustainment of materiel and equipment
Part of	Headquarters Marine Corps
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, U.S.
Motto(s)	"Equipping the warfighters to win." "Equipping our Marines." "Home of the Marine Corps Acquisition Professionals."

"Equipping the warfighters to win." "Equipping our Marines."

Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) is the acquisition command of the United States Marine Corps, made up of Marines, sailors, civilians and contractors. As the only systems command in the Marine Corps, MCSC serves as Head of Contracting Authority and exercises technical authority for all marine Corps ground weapon and information technology programs. MCSC is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

Marine Corps Systems Command serves as the Department of the Navy's systems command for Marine Corps ground weapon and information technology system programs in order to equip and sustain Marine forces with expeditionary and crisis-response capabilities.

MCSC traces its beginning to the Marine Corps Research, Development and Acquisition Command (MCRDAC), which the Marine Corps established Nov. 18, 1987, as required by the Goldwater Nichols Act. General Alfred Gray, then-Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC), established the MCRDAC to streamline the systems acquisition process, incorporate the operating forces in identifying deficiencies and establish clear lines of authority, responsibility and accountability.

In addition to improving the acquisition process, MCRDAC was organized to comply with Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of the Navy initiatives. MCRDAC took the majority of the following separate activities and integrated them into one: the Development Center at Quantico, Va., the current Headquarters Marine Corps staff of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Studies, and the Acquisition Division of the Deputy Chief of Staff of Installations and Logistics.

A little more than four years later, as directed by Marine Corps Order 5000, on Jan. 1, 1992, the Corps re-designated MCRDAC as MCSC. The new Command was established to streamline the acquisition and life cycle management processes to improve readiness of the Fleet Marine Force (FMF), increase responsiveness and support for the FMF, and reduce costs. MCSC became responsible for those processes and functions that involve system acquisition and life cycle management formerly assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC), Marine Corps logistic bases and MCRDAC.