Why is climate change considered a global challenge for the Marine Corps?

• A. It increases humanitarian crises, strains basing and training, and affects readiness and security
• B. It improves basing stability and reduces training needs
• C. It has no impact on military operations
• D. Only affects naval fleets

Answer: (C)

Climate change reshapes the environment in which the Marine Corps must operate, making it a global challenge. It drives more humanitarian crises and disaster events, increasing the demand for expeditionary aid and rapid response. That same instability also strains our basing and training infrastructure—coastal bases face threats from sea‑level rise, flooding, and extreme weather, while essential training ranges can be intermittently unusable due to weather or damage. All of these factors feed back into readiness and security, since sustained pressure on basing, training, and mission demand can erode our ability to deploy, train, and deter effectively across the globe.

The other options don’t fit because climate change does not improve basing stability or reduce training needs; it introduces new challenges. It certainly does impact military operations, and its effects extend beyond naval fleets to all domains Marines operate in.