This monograph examines whether the Norway Airlanded Marine Expeditionary Brigade (NALM), a unique MAGTF, will be a viable concept for crisis response as part of America's defense strategy for the 1990's. The NALM concept was designed to provide the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the theater level planners with a viable instrument of war with which to execute their campaign plan on the northern flank of Europe. A strategic deployment option, the NALM concept consists of the use of selected equipment and supplies prepositioned in facilities In Central Norway. A Marine Expeditionary Brigade will be airlifted to link up with prepositioned equipment for further movement to an employment area within Norway. The methodology of this monograph is to examine why amphibious warfare represents the essence of the operational level of war. Second, this paper reviews the anticipated security environment facing the nation based upon selected historical examples of the use of amphibious forces during the last decade. Third, it provides an analysis of a unique Marine Air-Ground Task Force, the NALM, utilizing the functions and capabilities that generate combat power at the operational level of war as delineated in Fleet Marine Force Manual 1-1, Campaigning. These seven functions and capabilities are the criteria by which the NALM is evaluated. This monograph concludes that in the commitment of Marines to answer global crises during the last decade and in looking at the "threat" environment into the 1990's, the NALM is not relevant to the Marine Corps' mandated roles and missions. The NALM should be done away with but political realities in Europe will pressure the United States to maintain the prepositioning stocks in Norway.

ADA 251934 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)