Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. (December 27, 2023): In this photo by Pfc. Eric Valerio, Marines with 3rd Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division scan for targets as a flare illuminates the field during the Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) held here. The MCCRE is a top to bottom assessment of an infantry unit’s readiness to perform its assigned tasks. Using a series of simulated combat situations, the MCCRE assesses a unit’s ability to plan, coordinate, and execute complex missions including defense, logistics, and communications.

Commanders may choose to do their evaluation based on one major exercise or through a series of events whose combined results represent the unit’s overall readiness for combat. These exhaustive appraisals of front-line units typically happen at least every two years and are a requirement before deployments.

As the world’s premier seaborne infantry, the Marines use tools like the MCCRE to ensure every aspect of their combined arms capabilities are razor sharp and ready to go.