Strategic Corporal

The Strategic Corporal is the notion that leadership in complex, rapidly evolving mission environments devolves lower and lower down the chain of command to better exploit time-critical information into the decision making process, ultimately landing on the corporal, the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer, typically commanding a fire or reconnaissance team of 3 to 6 Marines.

The term ``strategic corporal was coined by Gen Charles C. Krulak as entitling an article in Marines Magazine about the "three block war," an increasingly important arena of military operations characterized by engagement with hostile, neutral and friendly forces, all at the same time, in a very geographically limited area, e.g., three blocks.