Akers:

What's the Center of Excellence for Irregular Warfare all about?

Kelly:

Irregular warfare encompasses counterinsurgency, information operations, psychological operations, civil affairs, and numerous other tenets that fall underneath that moniker.

The center was established in May. I reported as director in June, and we are continuing to work the issues that deal with counterinsurgency, stability operations, [etc.]. The center has become a one-stop shop for the Marine Corps as it relates to these things.

We coordinate with all the other services. [For example,] I talk with the Special Forces guys. Then, obviously, we take a look internally at the Marine Corps and say, "OK, here's where we are at, here's where we are going, here's where we need to go."

Akers:

When you are fully operational, how many people will go through the center in a year?

Kelly:

Well, at the center we basically work issues or work on doctrine, organization, some training issues, but we won't be a center that people will come to for formal schooling. We are going to [offer], for example on our Web site, a place where everybody can come and read the current doctrine, the issues being discussed, and the latest briefs [on irregular warfare].

Then we let the smart guys do the work at the training and education commands. [They might say,] "OK, we'll integrate this at boot camp," [or] "Well, we are going to integrate this in the School of Infantry."

Akers:

It wouldn't be too far of a stretch to say that you do what a think tank does?

Kelly:

Yeah, I would say it is a think tank, but again, for the Marine Corps, we are going to [develop] the doctrine; we are going to look at organization, training, facilities, and leadership and provide input into the way the Marine Corps should go [regarding] counterinsurgency.

violent preparation

Akers:

What are your qualifications to run the center?

Kelly:

I was a company commander in Somalia in 1993. I ran my own city, so to speak. Then I worked in Kosovo in 1999, going in with the First Marines and the Army to set up containment areas for the collection of weapons, mass-grave sites, civil affairs.

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