General Gray's decision to establish MCU was a logical extension of the historical legacy of many famous Marine leaders who valued the importance of education, as well as a natural extension of the contemporary shift of the Corps' warfighting doctrine to one of "maneuver warfare," with its concomitant demand for leaders who can think critically and act decisively in the face of ambiguity, fog, friction, and chance.

The Marine Corps University's history dates back to 1891 when 29 company officers attended the School of Application.

Beginning in 1930, Brigadier General James C. Breckinridge led a comprehensive redesign of the entire curriculum of all Marine Corps Schools, emphasizing amphibious warfare and close air support.

He formed special groups from selected Field Officers School graduates and students to work on amphibious doctrine and requirements.

In fact, General Breckinridge temporarily discontinued Field Officers School classes so that the staff and students could devote their full attention to developing the new doctrine.

In 1946, the Marine Corps revisited using its previous, three-tiered system, incorporating lessons learned from World War II.

Recognizing the need for enhanced enlisted education, on 16 February 1971, the Marine Corps convened the first course of the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Quantico, Virginia.

This foundational document would cement the Marine Corps' commitment to maneuver warfare and initiate a modernization of the professional military education system.

[citation needed] Recent changes at MCU include the establishment of the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare, or the "Krulak Center" for short, and the re-designation of the Enlisted Professional Military Education (EPME) directorate as the College of Enlisted Military Education (CEME).

[3] Formerly Amphibious Warfare School (AWS), the mission of the Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) is to provide Marine captains career-level professional military education and oversee their professional military training in command and control, MAGTF operations ashore, and naval expeditionary operations.

[7] The Marine Corps Command and Staff College provides graduate level education and training to develop critical thinkers, innovative problem solvers, and ethical leaders to serve as commanders and staff officers in service, joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational organizations.

[8] The mission of the School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) is to develop lead planners and future commanders with the will and intellect to solve complex problems, employ operational art, and design and execute campaigns .