ABSTRACT
The U.S. Marine Corps has always been a learning organization, but onMay 17, 1999, it took a giant step toward expanding its learning capacity. On that day, it signed a contract with Pennsylvania State University to establish the Marine Corps Research University (MCRL1). The contract enables the Marine Corps to use Penn State's multidisciplinary research and education capabilities to address the complex issues facing the Marine Corps in the 21st century-in essence to expand its mission of teaching, research, and public service. The implications of this initiative are significant; it has the potential to make the Marine Corps one of the most effective learning organizations in the country.
