Colonel John Boyd, The Airman Who Changed Warfare and the Marine Corps

Colonel John R. Boyd, U.S. Air Force is well known in Marine circles as one the fathers of Maneuver Warfare. His theories and ideas have had a lasting impact on Marine Corps Warfighting philosophy to this day. Boyd served briefly in the Army/Army Air Forces from 1945-47. After graduation from the University of Iowa he served in the Air Force from 1951 until his retirement in 1975. Although he was a Fighter Pilot, Boyd had very little flying time in Korea and missed combat in Vietnam entirely when the Air Force canceled his orders. He was ordered to the Pentagon to help save the FX (F-15) Project for the Air Force instead.

Boyd had a reputation within the Air Force as intense and confrontational earning him nicknames like the “The Mad Major”, “Genghis John” and others. He and a few other officers, known as the “Fighter Mafia”, worked together to conceive programs with resulted in the F-16, F/A-18 Hornet and the A-10 Thunderbolt (the Warthog). Boyd continued to work in the Pentagon in Program Analysis and Evaluation after his retirement.

Boyd developed a 196 slide presentation called "Pattern's of Conflict". Its intent was "to unveil the character of conflict, survival and conquest." The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Robert H. Barrow and future Commandant Lieutenant General P.X. Kelley were two Marine Officers who heard the nearly five hour brief. Both would spend time with Boyd later.

Boyd's ideas, radical even to the majority of the Marine Corps, went over big with a small group of Marine Officers who heard him speak at Amphibious Warfare School (AWS) (now Expeditionary Warfare School). The Director of AWS, Colonel Mike Wyly had served in Vietnam where he experienced the ineffectiveness of attrition warfare. He and his bosses changed the curriculum to reflect a different way of thinking

This was the very beginning of a relationship that Air Force Colonel John Boyd had with the Marine Corps that would last until the end of his life in 1997.

Military theorist William (Bill) Lind was heavily involved in developing a different warfighting philosopy for the Marine Corps. It was Lind who introduced Boyd to Colonel Wyly and also to the Marine responsible for Marine Corps Doctrine, Brigadier General Alfred (Al) Gray. General Gray would go on to become the Commanding General (CG) of 2nd Marine Division and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. As CG of the 2nd Marine Division, General Gray began experimenting with maneuver warfare concepts. He would invite both Bill Lind and John Boyd to the division to teach maneuver warfare concepts and evaluate his Marines.

John Boyd's concepts were different from what the traditional Marine Corps was used to, but more and more Marines began to listen and to embrace his concepts. The new Marine Corps philosophy, Maneuver warfare, was developed using Boyd's Theory. Bill Lind has said "the Boyd Theory is the theory of maneuver warfare."

When General Gray became Commandant he had FMFM-1 (Fleet Marine Force Manual -1) Warfighting published. FMFM-1 (now called MCDP-1) instantly became the capstone document for all other Marine Corps doctrine. John Boyd, and others, had a direct hand in the development of FMFM-1. It completely changed Marine Corps Warfighting Philosopsy.

"Maneuver warfare is a warfighting philosophy that seeks to shatter the enemy's cohesion through a variety of rapid, focused, and unexpected actions which create a turbulent and rapidly deteriorating situation with which the enemy cannot cope."

Air Force "Mad Major" John Boyd made a significant contribution to the Marine Corps helping to completely change its Warfighting Philosophy and culture. The young Officers who listened intently to his lectures in the late 70s and early 80s are now old the General Officers who are successfully using Boyd's lessons in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.