Compass Points - Week in Review
Plus, Mission & Values
April 21, 2024
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Happy Sunday!
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Sunday is a good day to look back at the week. On Monday, we began a discussion of how Iran’s attack on Israel related to the US Marine Corps. Tuesday and Wednesday continued the discussion about the need for a balanced MAGTF even under the threat of missiles and drones. On Thursday we discussed the sad state of repair of the Navy’s USNS John P. Bobo. Friday revealed that Marine Corps MEBs are mostly “Web Site Only” MEBs. We ended the week with some outstanding reader comments.
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Monday 15 April – Missile BDA
If it hit nothing else, Iran’s air attack on Israel hit the very foundation of Force Design. The original theory of Force Design 2030 was that the threat of China's precision munitions made it impossible for US Navy ships to venture in the waters off China. The new precision munition weapons do not make it impossible for Navy ships to continue to patrol. Precision munitions are powerful new weapons, but world events are showing it is unnecessary for the Navy to retreat, or for the Marine Corps to divide itself into small, defensive, missile units.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-missile-bda
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Tuesday 16 April – Balanced MAGTF
Where does the Marine Corps go now? What should the future Marine Corps look like? It is time for the Marine Corps to rebalance its thinking, rebalance its forces, and steer toward a better future. Fortunately, there has been much good discourse about how the Marine Corps best serves the Nation, including the document, Vision 2035.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-balanced-magtf-290
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Wednesday 17 April – Missiles & Drones
The Commandant's frag order 01-2024 talks about "balancing crisis response and modernization.” This could be a step forward. For example, at least since 2018 the Marine Corps has been working to put small, portable armed drones in the hands of infantry squads. Now, the Marine Corps is one step closer to upgrading and enhancing the MAGTF by acquiring armed drones for Marine Corps squads.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-missiles-and-drones
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Thursday 18 April – John Bobo & the B52
If the Air Force has a maintenance program that can keep the same bombers flying 100 years, the Navy can straighten out ship maintenance, up the readiness rate, and keep the fleet on patrol. Despite the long line of ships needing urgent repairs, the modest USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (T-AK-3008) should go to the head of the line. Why should that ship go first? Because it is named after 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-john-bobo-and-the
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Friday 19 April – MEB (WSO)
CCDRs identify forces in advance and put them into two categories, Preferred Forces and Contingency Sourcing. Which categories do the CCDRs place the current Marine MEB? Neither. CCDRs today are not looking at Marine MEBs as forces that are ready to respond. Why? There are no fighting Marine Corps MEBs. The Marine Corps only has “Web Site Only” MEBs.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-meb-wso
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Saturday 20 April – Wise Comments
What will happen next in the growing conflict in the Middle East? No one knows. No matter what happens, however, there is no doubt Compass Points readers will have insightful analysis and comment. Over the last week, Compass Points readers have responded online and off with a treasure load of comments, insights, and analysis.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-wise-comments
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Compass Points appreciates all the great discussion this week and thanks all our readers who served as seminar leaders this week by providing topics, articles, and comments. Many thanks!
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- - - - - Compass Points Mission & Values - - - - -
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Compass Points Mission
Provide an independent source of broader thinking, deeper understanding, and better decisions, for a stronger Marine Corps.
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Compass Points Values
We believe the Marine Corps must be responsive, relevant, and ready today, and more so tomorrow.
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We believe the Marine Corps is never owned by any small group of people, but is always held in sacred trust by every Marine and friend of the Corps, past, present, and future.
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We believe Marine Corps success in garrison, in the field, and in operations is a complex ecology of the physical, the intellectual, and the spiritual.
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We believe in the complexity of combat.
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We believe good data is good, but waiting for more and more data is not necessarily better.
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We believe no information system can or will sweep away the fog of war.
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We believe nothing is more uncertain than certainty.
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We believe planning is good, but first plans rarely survive first contact.
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We believe Marines must prepare to battle skilled, devious, and unpredictable adversaries.
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We believe Marines must be always ready to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel enemy assault by fire and close combat.
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We believe in combined-arms, multi-mission capable Marine Corps units that can quickly arrive anywhere, and address any conflict or crisis.
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We believe the Marine Corps must experiment with new technology constantly, and adopt it prudently.
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We believe in practicing and perfecting proven methods, while also experimenting with and adopting new methods.
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We believe in the Marine Corps culture of teamwork, trust, creativity, and courage.
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We believe in candid culture among Marines, never cancel culture.
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We believe the strength of the Marine Corps comes from the valor at the heart of each Marine. Each Marine draws strength from the entire Corps of Marines. Together, all Marines are joined across time and geography by the unbreakable red stripe of service.