Marine Corps Compass Points

Compass Points - Mother’s Day 26

Marine Corps Compass Points — Sun, 10 May 2026 15:10:24 GMT

Compass Points - Mother’s Day 26

Celebrating Mom

May 10, 2026

One Marine combat veteran reports that Marines wounded in battle often cry out, not only for a corpsman, but also for their most important person.

Sometimes in life there is difficult, exhausting work to be done. Marines learn from their first days in the Corps that though they may be tired, though they may be exhausted, if there is work to be done, they need to get after it and get it done.

Young mothers do important work, and they learn very early the same lesson. They push through their own exhaustion to do the work that needs doing. The incredible work Mothers do everyday, mends the spirit, uplifts the heart, and makes the world go ‘round.

On this Mother’s Day 2026 we celebrate the power and strength of mothers. There are all kinds of mothers -- some wear the uniform -- but all mothers deserve our appreciation and respect.

It has been said throughout the ages that there is no end to wars.

Only the dead have seen the end of war.

— Plato

Thanks to moms, however, despite all the fighting and dying, life goes on.

Marines work hard, train hard, and fight hard, not for themselves, but for the person next to them. Marines in battle fight for the Marine on their right and the Marine on their left. Shoulder to shoulder they fight the good fight until the battle is won. The person next to them includes those closest to them in the battle and also those closest to them in life, especially mothers. Marines fight to protect their loved ones and to honor them with their service.

Mothers are not perfect. Some are deeply flawed. But virtually all Marines have someone in their life who loved them, raised them, and cared for them with the unselfish love of a mother. One person can change a life.

Marines are able to fight so ferociously on the battlefield because of the people praying for them back home. Death is no barrier to a mother’s love and influence. Marines find that even mothers who are gone from this world are often still powerfully with them in the midst of the most difficult challenges, still providing crucial encouragement and love.

To have someone in life who cares so deeply about who you are, who you could be, and who you should be, is a tremendous blessing.

How powerful are mothers in the life of a Marine? Marines wounded in battle often cry out to God and cry out to their mothers.

Compass Points salutes the mothers and grandmothers of Marines who by their daily work and devotion, give Marines the strength to get up and battle one more dragon.

Thanks Mom!

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Mother’s Day Mystery

What do leaves whisper, caressed by the breeze?

How does the sand know to outline the sea?

Where does dew come from? And where does it go?

How do stars practice their nightly show?

These miracles of nature, these great mysteries,

Yet mom is so far greater than these.

How can so much

Strength, love, and smarts,

Fit inside a mother’s heart?

.

A child grows first in mom’s womb.

And then grows always in her views.

Through every struggle, fear and doubt.

Her children want to make mom proud.

.

Moms are strong in love and giving.

Strong in wisdom and forgiving.

Strong in seeing and in knowing,

Strong in guiding and in growing.

.

It’s mom who cares, when kids are young,

Pets are fed and prayers are said,

Before all souls are tucked in bed.

.

The unfailing radar of mom

Always sees just what you’ve done.

Was the science project solved?

Was the squabble all resolved?

.

When things seem lost and things seem gone,

It’s mom who says, you can go on.

And even offspring far away,

They always hear what mom would say.

.

Moms have their quirks and their flaws.

They make mistakes and make wrong calls.

But with constant course corrections,

Perfect in their imperfections.

.

Moms may work in high positions.

Leading some great expedition.

Of great positions, kids don’t care.

They are just glad that mom is theirs.

.

Wounded men alone in battle

As they gasp with cold death’s rattle.

Call out to their cosmic maker.

And call for their earthly mater.

.

No matter what the race we run,

All through the tears and through the hugs,

It’s mom who saw us well begun.

We’re wrapped at first in mother’s love.

.

What do leaves whisper, caressed by the breeze?

How does the sand know to outline the sea?

Where does dew come from? And where does it go?

How do stars practice their nightly show?

These miracles of nature, these great mysteries,

Yet mom is so far greater than these.

.

How can so much

Strength, love, and smarts,

Fit inside a mother’s heart?

-- JDK

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Compass Points - Marine Missiles? Part 2

Marine Corps Compass Points — Sat, 09 May 2026 15:15:13 GMT

Compass Points - Marine Missiles? Part 2

Comments fly over Marines at Balikatan 2026

May 9, 2026

A recent Compass Points post began, “The missiles are flying in the Philippines at exercise Balikatan 2026. Japan fired its Type 88 anti-ship missile, and the US Army fired its HIMARS. What about the US Marines?”

That question about the US Marine participation in this year’s Balikatan exercise has stimulated a robust discussion about current and future US Marine capabilities. While other military forces used Balikatan 2026 as an opportunity to live fire their missiles, US Marines focused instead on command and control.

While some thought that US Marines serving in a command and control role in Balikatan 2026 showed the usefulness of the Marine Corps’ controversial Force Design, many others disagreed. Among those who weighed in on the discussion, was one of the architects of the Marine Corps’ global 911 crisis response force. This Marine is a career ground combat officer who served as the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, General C. C. Krulak.

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General C. C. Krulak, (USMC, ret)

The Compass Points post about Balikatan 2026 should give pause to all Marines, both Active Duty and Reserve. As noted, Balikatan was initially a formal exercise designed to enhance the interoperability of US Marine Forces and those of the Philippines. It has obviously grown much larger in participation which is, for the Region, a good thing.

What is concerning is that the Army's 25th ID appears to have taken over the central role: a focus on defeating an Amphibious Operation conducted by the PLA/PLAN. When Force Design began 7 years ago, the concept was essentially what the 25th ID demonstrated during Balikatan 2026. To achieve this capability, the Army did not "Divest to Invest"...they did not emasculate existing capability to create what was seen at Balikatan 2026. Instead, they apparently resorted to the Marine Corps tried and true concept of task organizing!

Here we are, 7 years into Force Design and, much of what we determined to be the requirements to exercise our EABO effort, remain either still on the drawing board, or in our hands but not in the quantity or quality needed for the fight we see ahead. Of particular concern is the Stand-in Force and the ability to resupply those forces and, if necessary, evacuate dead and wounded. After 7 years into the Force Design, the same logistical challenges remain.

The failure to initially utilize the MCCDC Combat Development Process to determine requirements prior to divestment has been noted multiple times. At the end of the day, "The Campaign of Learning" has proven to be a poor substitute for the proper use of the Combat Development Process.

No one is disputing the role the Corps played in Balikatan 2026 was a critical role. The larger concern is that serving as "JTF HQ exercising command and control across the combined exercise" certainly did not require the emasculation of the combat capability across the Corps caused by the flawed concept of "Divest to Invest."

The Marine Corps has served as a JTF HQ exercising command and control before FD was implemented. It was done by simply task organizing the JTF utilizing MEF assets as well as from other Services —thus the "Joint" part of the JTF. To think that FD enabled the Marine Corps to undertake this role is simply wrong. Improvements in sensing, command and control capability were not a result of misguided "Divesting." Improvements were the natural progression of technology that was on the drawing board of all Services well before the Marine Corps started "Divesting" capabilities.

I would have thought that Balikatan 2026 would have provided the Marine Corps the opportunity to "test" its own operational capability as compared to what the Army brought to the table. Perhaps even "gamed" an honest evaluation of the Marine Corps ability to logistically support its own EABO. Again, 7 years into the Force Design and the long pole in the tent remains Logistics.

— General C. C. Krulak, (USMC, ret)

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Compass Points salutes Gen Charles Krulak and all those working to enhance and update the Marine Corps’ global, crisis response, 911 force of Marines.

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Compass Points - Marine Missiles?

Missiles fly at Balikatan 2026

May 7. 2026

marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-marine-missiles

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Reuters - 05/06/2026

Japan Fires Missile In Joint Drill With US And Allies In Northern Philippines, Facing South China Sea

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/japan-fires-missile-joint-drill-with-us-allies-northern-philippines-facing-south-2026-05-06/

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USNI News - 05/05/2026

Littoral Deep Battle

The Army’s Plan to Defeat an Amphibious Invasion in the Indo-Pacific

By Aaron-Matthew Lariosa

https://news.usni.org/2026/05/05/littoral-deep-battle

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Compass Points - Appreciation

Marine Corps Compass Points — Fri, 08 May 2026 12:31:29 GMT

Compass Points - Appreciation

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

May 8. 2026

While US forces remain in and around the Strait of Hormuz, back in the US, the military is observing Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

In the Middle East, multiple news outlets are reporting that US warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz were attacked by Iran.

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The US military says it struck Iranian military targets after Tehran launched missiles, drones and fast attack craft at three US Navy vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The event confirms the latest Iran-US flare-up around one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The targeted ships were the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason. The US Central Command (CentCom) said none of the incoming munitions hit any US assets.

-- Gulf News

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Today, the Friday before Mother’s Day, has been designated as Military Spouse Appreciation Day, as part of Military Appreciation Month.

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May is National Military Appreciation Month in the United States. Unlike many government designated days and months of appreciation, this has a surprisingly rigorous intellectual rationale that goes far beyond the calendar placement of Memorial Day. Thanks in no small degree to Senator John McCain’s spearheading of the legislation passed by the 106th Congress on April 30, 1999, woven within the resolution’s text is a timely civic lesson for all Americans.

Its teaching extends beyond mere commemoration of historical events to the sinews of American democracy. The Armed Forces are to be appreciated throughout May not just because they have put on the nation’s uniform while others have not and have sacrificed physically and mentally while wearing it. It is also because “preserv[ing] and foster[ing] the honor and respect that the United States Armed Forces deserve” is, in fact, the key to those military forces “preserv[ing] the freedoms and liberties that enrich the Nation” by their active supporting of the Constitution.

-- Real Clear Defense

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On this Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Compass Points joins in saluting all military spouses who do so much to help so many. Compass Points has received a poem which provides an example of how spouses provide leadership to change the lives of those around them.

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Mom Never Suspects

Junior’s in college but still lives at home.

He does a few things that mom doesn’t know

There’s drinking and smoking and vaping too much.

And women, young women, such women to love.

But mom never suspects.

His mom never suspects.

He’s come home late and stumbled the stairs.

Bumped into the walls and slide off his bed.

Even a few times, stairs insurmountable.

Collapsed on the couch, comfortably comical.

But mom never suspects.

His mom never suspects.

Too many nights lately when out with friends,

He can’t even recall all the trouble they’re in.

Where did the night go? Where is the car?

Who is the girl asleep on his arm?

But each night when her son skips from the home.

His mother embarks on plans of her own.

She reviews all the photos of her little sweetie.

From infant to toddler to teenage weenie.

Then she thinks future and imagines his life:

Good job and good friends, good home and good wife.

With the skill of a surgeon sewing a suture

She stitches together his brand new future.

Dear Lord, I’m a mother please hear my prayer.

I’ve done all I can and you know how I care.

But without a father to guide him and show

The way he should act and all he should know.

He needs your help, Lord. Please give him a nudge.

Forgive, uplift, and encourage my son.

She prays for her baby every night.

Slowly the nights when he stumbles in,

Slowly they fade and new thoughts begin.

He begins to ask, what is life for?

Do I have a purpose? Could I be something more?

Is there a real woman who could really love me?

Could we start a home and have everything?

Slowly so slowly he ends nightly derangement,

He wins a new girl and considers engagement.

His grades start to climb, as his drinking slows.

He starts to wise up and he starts to grow.

What he decides next remakes everything.

With a small box in hand, he gets on one knee.

He’s now out of college. He once lived at home.

He did a few things that mom doesn’t know

He still thinks mom never suspects.

But the walls of her house are soaked deep in prayers.

From the comfortable couch to the stumbling stairs.

And that naughty toddler who’s now a young man,

His life has been guided by celestial hands.

But he never suspects.

And he never suspects.

-- JDK

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Gulf News - 05/08/2026

Confirmed: Iran military sites hit after Hormuz attacks on 3 US warships

Missiles, drones and fast boats escalate US-Iran standoff in key oil chokepoint

By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor

https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/confirmed-iran-military-sites-hit-after-hormuz-attacks-on-3-us-warships-1.500533331

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Real Clear Defense - 05/08/2026

Kicking Off Military Appreciation Month

By Rebecca Burgess

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/05/08/kicking_off_military_appreciation_month_1181493.html?mc_cid=f2d1e115b5&mc_eid=73d4a7d572

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Compass Points - Marine Missiles?

Marine Corps Compass Points — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:21:47 GMT

Compass Points - Marine Missiles?

Missiles fly at Balikatan 2026

May 7. 2026

The missiles are flying in the Philippines at exercise Balikatan 2026. Japan fired its Type 88 anti-ship missile, and the US Army fired its HIMARS. What about the US Marines?

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Japan’s Self-Defense Forces fired a Type 88 anti‑ship missile during a joint maritime exercise with U.S., Australian, and Philippine forces on Wednesday, hitting a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship in waters facing the South China Sea.

. . . “The exercise showcased coordinated maritime strike operations among allied forces and highlighted the AFP’s growing capability to operate alongside international partners in promoting regional security and freedom of navigation,” it said in a statement.

The Philippine military said two Type 88 volleys were fired, hitting the BRP Quezon within six minutes of the launch. The strike took place about 75 km (46.6 miles) off the coast of Paoay in the northern Philippines, which faces the South China Sea.

-- Reuters

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In northern Luzon, the US Army’s 25th Infantry Division took charge of hundreds of troops from four different nations to conduct a major counter-landing event.

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Once Ghost-X and other unmanned systems identified the amphibious targets, the drone operators relayed targeting data information to the 25th Infantry Division’s recently acquired M142 High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS). After receiving their fire orders, two launchers a few hundred meters to the rear of the defensive line slewed their launching pods toward the coast and rippled off a total of six rockets in their first salvo. The ripple-fired missiles flew overhead at a depressed trajectory and slammed into the waters offshore. A brief pause ensued as the HIMARS crews repositioned to a new firing location to avoid adversary counterfire. Within 10 minutes, the launchers emptied their remaining six rockets into the sea.

U.S. and Philippine leadership have strategically positioned HIMARS throughout the Southeast Asian archipelago for this year’s Balikatan and recent exercises. While the American missile system currently lacks a widely fielded munition capable of conducting maritime strikes, upcoming missiles will allow the launcher to target ships at ranges between 310.7 to 621.4 miles away. With these future capabilities in mind, American missile forces could lock down maritime chokepoints or threaten Chinese naval movements in the event of a conflict.

A few moments after launching the HIMARS salvos, U.S. and Philippine troops rushed toward prepared fighting positions in Infantry Squad Vehicles or on foot.

-- USNI News

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In Balikatan 2026, Japan fired their missiles and the US Army’s 25th Infantry Division fired their missiles. Where were the US Marines?

Late in the article about Japan firing “two Type 88 volleys” during Balikatan 2026, Reuters also mentions in passing that, “American troops also deployed the anti-ship missile NMESIS in Batanes province.” US Marines do not even get mentioned by name any more? Perhaps that is because the Marine NMESIS just sits on the shore and does not fire.

Another report indicated that while the 25th ID was firing their HIMARS, some Marines from I MEF were 250 miles south at Camp Aguinaldo, Manila, practicing command and control.

The annual exercise Balikatan between the US and the Philippines began in 2001 and in its early years was mainly an opportunity for the Philippine military and the US Marines to train together. Over the years, the size and importance of Balikatan has increased year by year. As Balikatan has grown larger, however, the US Marine contribution has grown smaller.

Perhaps the Marine Corps has grown smaller in capabilities as it has changed its battlefield focus from a unified single battle concept, including the deep, close, and rear areas, to a fragmented focus only the deep battle.

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The deep, close, and rear areas of the battlefield are inherently interdependent, and operations in one area will influence events in another. The commander must consider the toal battlespace or the entire operational environment as an indivisible entity.

-- Marine Corps Planning Process

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The US Army’s 25th ID participation in Balikatan 2026 reflects a significant increase in the Army’s capabilities in the Pacific. When the US Army saw the need to increase its forces in the Pacific, the Army did not use the Marine Corps’ “divest to invest” approach. Instead of divesting proven capabilities, the Army went to Congress and made the case for adding new capabilities. Congress agreed.

Compass Points salutes the live fire missile launches by Japan and by the US Army’s 25th ID. The Marine Corps has spent several years cutting capabilities to focus on sensor and missiles units. If Balikatan 2026 is any indication, the Marine Corps has little to show for its years long missile focus. The Pacific is a big place, however, with many challenges. The next battle in the Pacific may be a pure missile contest or it may not.

No one can predict with certainty where the next battle in the Pacific will arise or what form it will take. What is certain is that since the 1940’s the US Navy and Marine Corps team have shown their ability to fight the complete deep, close and rear -- single battle -- in the Pacific. It is not just in the Pacific. Around the globe, the US needs a forward deployed, flexible 9-1-1 force that can arrive rapidly to any crisis to deter, assist, rescue, strike, and fight. That kind of Marine Corps does not need an excessive focus on missiles, but it does need leadership with a global focus.

The missiles are flying in the Philippines at exercise Balikatan 2026. The US and allies need missiles in the Pacific. The US and allies also need a potent US Marine Corps.

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Reuters - 05/06/2026

Japan Fires Missile In Joint Drill With US And Allies In Northern Philippines, Facing South China Sea

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/japan-fires-missile-joint-drill-with-us-allies-northern-philippines-facing-south-2026-05-06/

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USNI News - 05/05/2026

Littoral Deep Battle

The Army’s Plan to Defeat an Amphibious Invasion in the Indo-Pacific

By Aaron-Matthew Lariosa

https://news.usni.org/2026/05/05/littoral-deep-battle

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Compass Points - Live Fire MME

Marine Corps Compass Points — Wed, 06 May 2026 12:47:44 GMT

Compass Points - Live Fire MME

US Marines in Balikatan 2026

May 6. 2026

US Marines are participating in Balikatan 2026, a large multi-nation annual exercise in and around the Philippines.

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Members of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 and Task Force Ashland, composed of Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) and embarked Marines from the I Marine Expeditionary Force, completed the Multilateral Maritime Event portion of Exercise Balikatan 2026, May 1.

At sea, DESRON 7 staff members embarked aboard Ashland to serve as the MME Task Group for maritime forces, including Australia, Japan, and Canada. The successful completion of the MME builds upon regular high-end Maritime Cooperative Activities, expanding multilateral cooperation and reinforcing our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The MME featured training in live-fire gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, medical evacuation, replenishments-at-sea, as well as deck landing qualifications for rotary-wing aircraft to enhance interoperability and operational readiness among participating forces.

“Each year, Balikatan evolves with the growing demands of the maritime environment,” said Capt. John Baggett, commodore, DESRON 7. “This year was no different. The strength of our partnerships throughout the region was on full display as 11 ships, 8 aircraft and several thousand Sailors, Marines and Coastguardsmen from around the Pacific stood shoulder-to-shoulder, increasing our lethality, expanding our interoperability and working together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

-- SeaWaves

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Also in Balikatan 2026, US Marines from the 3rd MLR have transported NMESIS launchers to the exercise.

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Around 1,300 Marines and Sailors from the Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment are in the Southeast Asian archipelago for Washington and Manila’s largest annual military drills. The regiment, designed to provide maritime sensing and anti-ship capabilities in littoral environments to joint and allied forces, routinely deploys to the Philippines for drills with local forces. While this is not the first time American forces have deployed the Naval Strike Missile-equipped Navy-Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) to the Philippines, their presence comes during an increased U.S.-Philippine alliance focus on the Luzon Strait amid concerns over a Taiwan contingency spillover.

According to media released by the Marines, the unit and its launchers have been staged at the Cagayan North International Airport, also known as Lal-lo Airport, one of nine sites throughout the Philippines that American forces can use under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. From this Northern Luzon airfield, the dual missile-equipped unmanned launchers could strike targets up to 185 kilometers into waters separating the Philippines and Taiwan. As one of the primary passages in and out of the first island chain, Philippine military and political leadership have highlighted its strategic value.

-- Naval News

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There is a key phrase missing from the report of the US Marine NMESIS launchers in Balikatan 2026, compared to the report of the US Marines from I MEF participating in the Multilateral Maritime Event portion of Exercise Balikatan 2026.

The MME included training in live-fire gunnery. The report of the Marine NMESIS launchers in Balikatan did not include anything about live-fire gunnery.

When will the NMESIS complete a simple firing demonstration? Set up and strike a sea target. Displace all the Marines, gear, and equipment to a new island. Strike a sea target again. Then, displace everything again and strike a sea target again. In other words, conduct a live-fire exercise.

The lack of routine NMESIS live-fire exercises is not the only issue with the system. Several reports indicate the issues with NMESIS are many, including:

-- The current launcher design is fixed; it cannot rotate and must be physically steered in the direction of the target before firing.

-- “Block 0” versions of the system, cannot transmit targeting data digitally from external sensors directly into the launcher’s computer. Instead, a Marine must sit between two different screens or systems—literally “swiveling” their chair—to read coordinates from a sensor screen and manually type them into the missile’s firing console.

-- Existing Marine artillery systems, like the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System were not originally designed to track multiple moving targets at sea or handle complex cruise missile flight plans. Integrating NMESIS into the broader joint force digital communication loop is essential has proven technically challenging.

-- NMESIS cannot “see” over the horizon on its own. It is entirely dependent on external sensors to provide real-time targeting data. If these communication links are jammed or the external sensors are destroyed, a NMESIS unit cannot engage moving targets.

-- The NMSIS’s Naval Strike Missile has a range of only 115 miles. This is insufficient to reach the Taiwan Strait except from the northern most Philippine islands to be effective against a mainland invasion fleet. So much for its supposed utility along the First Island Chain.

-- The Corps has had considerable difficulties with the NMESIS “leader-follower” navigation system as well as a newer self-driving system whose sensors struggle to differentiate between obstacles like a solid wall and passable terrain like tall grass or shifting dust, which can cause the vehicle to stall or navigate incorrectly.

-- The CSIS think tanks wargames indicated that resupplying these units with fresh missiles during an active conflict would be nearly impossible.

It is time for the NMESIS system to prove it or lose it. The Marine Corps has an alternative. The Marine Corps’ HIMARS missile system has a long history of reliable live fire performance and is being upgraded with advanced missiles.

The annual Balikatan exercise in and around the Philippines comes from a local word that means, “shoulder to shoulder.” If the the US and Philippines are ever shoulder to shoulder fighting China in the Pacific, the Philippines will want the US to bring a missile system that has proven itself again and again in routine live-fire drills.

Compass Points salutes all the US Marines, and all US and allied service members in Balikatan 2026.

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SeaWaves - 05/05/2026

Balikatan 2026 Multinational Maritime Event

By SeaWaves Magazine

https://seawaves.com/balikatan-2026-multinational-maritime-event/

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Naval News - 25/04/2026

U.S. Anti-Ship Missiles in the Philippines for Balikatan 2026

By Aaron-Matthew Lariosa

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/04/u-s-anti-ship-missiles-in-the-philippines-for-balikatan-2026/

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Compass Points - On Alert

Marine Corps Compass Points — Tue, 05 May 2026 14:43:55 GMT

Compass Points - On Alert

Marines on alert around the globe

May 5, 2026

When Great Britain’s King Charles arrived in Washington D.C. for his recent state visit, the US Commander-in-Chief proudly displayed units from the US military.

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The rain abated just minutes before the monarch was feted with a meticulously choreographed ceremony: a fife-and-drum corps in perfect unison, as well as “The President’s Own” Marine band performing both national anthems, and a 21-gun salute reverberating across the South Lawn.

The president and the king went on to preside over the first-ever pass in review conducted at the White House, which featured 300 U.S. service members. Nearly 500 personnel drawn from all six branches of the armed forces were present at the event, according to the office of the first lady.

-- Greg Maresca, “Trump showcases US military in King Charles White House visit”

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US Marines marched in review for the English Monarch. The President’s Own Marine band played, and Marines in blue-white dress uniforms served as ceremonial guards and escorts throughout the visit. Naturally, the Marines looked sharp.

If King Charles wanted to see the real faithfulness of US Marines, however, he should look beyond the White House. He should see the Marines in the Middle East today onboard Navy amphibious ships, cleaning their weapons over and over again so they stay ready.

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Long after the headlines faded, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) remains on point in the Persian Gulf. A MEU is a coiled spring of amphibious fury ready to strike. They are the Pentagon’s 9‑1‑1 force on float.

The Marines are still there living in tight quarters, fighting monotony that comes with waiting for the call. Their days are filled with the unglamorous work that keeps a force ready: cleaning rifles, running drills, maintaining gear, and train in narrow passageways and lift weights on makeshift benches welded to the ship’s frame — places where OSHA would blow a gasket.

All of this is the unreported backbone of readiness.

The fight against boredom, repetition, and routine is as real as any external threat. For at least two generations Marines have labeled it “embracing the suck,” but it’s more than that. It is discipline in its purest form, the willingness to stay sharp and refusing to allow any complacency to take root knowing that the call could come at any time.

-- Greg Maresca

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Whether Marines are called for a dangerous mission in the next hour or the next week, Marines must be ready. Author and Marine, Gary Anderson, warns that while the fighting spirit of Marines is always ready for anything, the capabilities of Marines today are not ready for urban combat.

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Consequently, when the Trump administration decided to institute a naval blockade of Iran rather than to try to seize Kharg Island, I gave a sigh of relief that the Marine Corps would not have to attempt an amphibious assault. I am aware that many active duty officers were doing the same because they know in their hearts that the Corps is not ready to fight the major urban campaign that it would have to face in Kharg’s heavily industrialized interior. Despite the Pentagon’s crowing about having two Marine Corps Expeditionary Units (MEUs) in waters off Iran, the Marine Corps lacks the basic tools needed to conduct urban combat. Marines currently lack tanks, heavy engineers, and school-trained snipers required to wage modern urban battles.

. . . At the risk of getting too deep in the weeds regarding urban tactics, the combined arms approach worked as follows: Marine infantry would advance on a target building behind the tanks. The highly accurate tank guns would suppress fire from the defenders, while snipers would act in a counter-sniper capacity, watching the flanks and rear. Heavy engineer bulldozers were used to level particularly troublesome structures and clear supply routes of rubble.

All of those are now missing from the Marine Corps inventory.

-- Gary Anderson

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US Marines always look good for the visits of Kings, potentates, or lesser VIPs. But visiting VIPs can only see the outside of Marines. If they could peer into the heart of Marines, they would be even more impressed.

The heart of a Marine is always ready for battle.

Marines are eager to master every obstacle and meet every challenge.

Marines will use the tools they are given. If they are given weapons, they will use weapons to fight. If they do not have weapons, they will use rocks or their own bare hands.

It is the responsibility of the most senior Marines to make sure that young Marines have all the tools and all the support they need.

Marines are sailing now in the Middle East waiting for the call. Marines are not on parade or on ceremonial duty. They are waiting day after day, between monotony and emergency.

Compass Points salutes all Marines around the global serving in a variety of posts and billets. When the call comes to, “Send in the Marines!” there is no doubt the heart of the Marines will be ready. There is great doubt, however, about the readiness of the Marine equipment inventory. Marines will fight with rocks if they have to, but they should not need to. Marines should not be sent into danger zones without all the tools they need. It is time to enhance, restore, and upgrade all the units, equipment, and capabilities needed by Marines for the crises of today and tomorrow.

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Miliary Times - 04/28/2026

Trump showcases US military in King Charles White House visit

By Tanya Noury

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2026/04/28/trump-showcases-us-military-in-king-charles-white-house-visit/

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The American Spectator - 05/03/2026

America’s 9-1-1 Force on Float

Aboard a Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Persian Gulf, readiness is forged in monotony, discipline, and unseen sacrifice.

By Greg Maresca

https://spectator.org/americas-9-1-1-force-on-float/

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The American Spectator - 05/04/2026

The Marine Corps Is No Longer Ready for Urban Warfare

Washington remade the Corps for a future conflict — by forgetting the battles it keeps getting dragged into.

By Gary Anderson

https://spectator.org/the-marine-corps-is-no-longer-ready-for-urban-warfare/

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Compass Points - The Loop

Marine Corps Compass Points — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:53:15 GMT

Compass Points - The Loop

Marine Corps seeks advanced aviation

May 4, 2026

What makes an advanced aircraft?

What makes an advanced aviator?

The Marine Corps, along with other services, are developing new ideas for new types of aircraft and new ways to fight in the air.

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As the Marine Corps prepares to introduce a robotic wingman drone into its aviation fleet in the next few years, officials are simultaneously parsing out its long-term plans for developing unmanned aerial vehicles for other missions.

The Corps wants to begin operational testing of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) platform by 2029, said Col. Richard Rusnok, branch head of the Cunningham Group, the service’s aviation-focused innovation unit. The aircraft will be the first of many larger drones that the service plans to field to transform airborne operations.

“Not just from the perspective of combat capability, we are opening up an entirely new realm in Marine aviation,” Rusnok said Wednesday during the annual Modern Day Marine conference. “I think this is potentially as seismic as what we did when we introduced rotary wing aircraft to the fleet back in the 1950s.”

MUX TACAIR is the Marine Corps’ variant of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) — drones designed to fly alongside the military’s manned aircraft to provide additional strike and intelligence-gathering capabilities.

-- Defense Scoop

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As Marine aviators search for the very latest in cutting-edge ideas about air combat, they would be wise to revisit the thinking of a US Air Force, Korean era fighter pilot who for years roamed the Marine hallways and classrooms at Quantico. In a conference room, a lecture hall, or one-on-one, John Boyd would speak passionately and at length about his sometimes inscrutable insights about patterns of conflict, and winning and losing.

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Colonel John Boyd (1927–1997) was a visionary military strategist and influential thinker whose contributions to warfare and decision-making have left an indelible mark on military theory and practice.

. . . Boyd’s legacy continues to reverberate beyond his passing, as his theories on rapid decision-making, maneuverability, and the essence of conflict shape the strategies and tactics of modern military operations, while also inspiring fields as diverse as business, law enforcement, psychology, and software development. Colonel John Boyd’s extraordinary intellect, innovative thinking, and unrelenting pursuit of excellence have left an indelible imprint on the art of war and strategic thought.

-- The Boyd Institute, “About John Boyd”

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Boyd considered it an insult to be called an expert or an analyst. Perhaps he should just be called a revolutionary. He is best known for his OODA Loop, the Observe, Orient, Decide, Act, decision cycle that has been too often overly simplified.

To get a genuine taste of Boyd’s still vital and still advanced thinking, it is necessary to wade into his lectures. Boyd refused to freeze his ideas between the unchanging covers of a book. Instead, he would give incredible lectures that he was continually updating.

Cory Ondrejka is the latest person to perform a great service by preserving John Boyd’s lectures. Ondrejka has created what he calls, the OODApedia, a comprehensive collection of Boyd’s thinking. Boyd was never dull. He scattered insights generously across every page of his lectures. See the excerpt from Boyd’s Patterns of Conflict.

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Getting Inside the Loop

By John Boyd

Blitzkrieg versus Maginot Line mentality†. They were wedded to old ideas, operating at a very slow rhythm or tempo. The Germans were operating fast and they couldn’t keep up, eventually couldn’t cope. It’s been written up over and over again. It’s not that the Maginot Line per se was so bad -- it’s the mentality associated with it. Slow tempo, slow pace.

F-86 versus MiG-15, as they were used in Korea†. This is an interesting case. Most people thought, and they don’t now, that the MiG could outmaneuver the -86. And if you use sort of contemporary measures, it could. But let me show you that the -86 was the better airplane, particularly if you examine them through the OODA loop.

The first “O,” observation. The -86 had a super bubble canopy; the MiG had a very constrained one. It was easier for an -86 pilot to see a MiG as opposed to the other way around. If you flew both airplanes, you know that.

Well, if you’re going to get a better image of what’s going on, then your orientation’s going to be better. Plus your orientation also depends on your previous experiences, previous training. Our training was also better. So better observation-orientation. Better basis for your decision.

Now what about the action? That’s where people thought the MiG was better. If you examine it a certain way, it is. But if you examine it in a much fuller way, it goes just the other way.

The MiG could out-climb, out-accelerate the F-86 throughout the entire envelope. Its sustained turn was better, its instantaneous turn in some areas better, in other areas not as good. Group those together, you’d say the MiG is proven superior. However, there’s another feature. The -86 had, for the first time, fully powered hydraulic flight controls. You could take that stick, just like power steering in a car, and make that airplane flip back and forth very quickly. The MiG couldn’t. Much longer lag time.

One of the things the pilots found out: when a MiG made an attack, you slide right, flip it quick into another turn -- what we call a scissor maneuver -- stuff the guy forward and hose him down. If the MiG stayed in the turn, it could win. But if you keep shifting directions, the -86 pushes the other guy right out front. Any kind of maneuver where you’re doing these very wild shifts from one direction to another, the airplane that can maneuver more rapidly gains leverage.

That wasn’t in the initial measurement of maneuverability. We call it the “fast transient” part. After the YF-16, YF-17, we found this was the thing allowing our guys to do better, and it wasn’t coming out in the simulations. When you bring it all together, the -86 was the better maneuvering airplane, providing you used those transient capabilities.

Another example: the Israeli raid on Entebbe, 1976†. They were in and out and the other guys didn’t know what the hell was going on. Totally behind the problem all the way through. They got everybody but one person out.

And it’s not just modern examples. There was a World War II pilot who wrote about fighting a German. The German did initially pretty good, but as the pilot began to get leverage, he said he could almost see the German’s mind exploding from his maneuvers. Coming totally apart. And he said one day it happened to him, except somebody else bailed him out. He was under pressure, he couldn’t cope, couldn’t keep up. He remembered that, and he wrote it in his book.

Now, the ability to see and feel the battlefield, that intuitive sense -- the Germans had a word for it.

Fingerspitzengefuhl. “Finger-tip feeling,” that’s the literal.† Finger, tip, feeling -- all one word, the way the Germans do it. What it means is that intuitive feeling where you can just see into things and know what’s going on.

General Balck† used it, Rommel† used it, the Stuka pilot Rudel††. They talked about it all the time.

How do you get that? You don’t get it easy. Look at Wayne Gretzky -- he’s got that in hockey†. Some of it is natural, but also a lot of training and experience. And your fingerspitzengefuhl in one area may suck compared to somebody else’s, but in another area you may be way better. So the key is putting the teams together so they complement one another.

Which goes right back to the people point. It’s always people. Machines don’t fight wars, terrain doesn’t fight wars, people do and they use their minds. If you get inside the other guy’s mind, you pull his socks down. He gets inside yours, he pulls your socks down.

-- Excerpt from John Boyd, Patterns of Conflict, “Getting Inside the Loop” Compiled and Edited by Cory Ondrejka, OODApedia

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Compass Points salutes both Cory Ondrejka for his OODApedia that collects the lectures of John Boyd, and also salutes all the Marines today pursuing the most advanced thinking about war in the air, war at sea, and war on the ground.

What makes an advanced aircraft?

What makes an advanced aviator?

What makes an advanced warfighting force?

Technology always advances, but technology alone can never be the answer to winning in war. A better warfighting force always requires better warriors. A better Marine Corps must have better Marines. As Boyd reminds us, “It’s always people. Machines don’t fight wars, terrain doesn’t fight wars, people do and they use their minds.” John Boyd, RIP.

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Defense Scoop - 05/01/2026

Marine Corps charts path for future aviation ops led by drones

The Marine Corps is targeting 2029 to begin operational testing of its MUX TACAIR drone, while simultaneously exploring how exquisite unmanned systems can be used for other missions.

By Mikayla Easley

https://defensescoop.com/2026/05/01/marine-corps-charts-path-for-future-aviation-ops-led-by-drones/

- - - - -

The Boyd Institute

https://boydinstitute.org/p/john-boyd

- - - - -

The Lectures of John Boyd

A 100,000-Word Journey

Complied & Edited by Cory Ondrejka, OODApedia

https://oodapedia.com/#section-seg-patterns-007

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Compass Points - Fundamentals

Marine Corps Compass Points — Sun, 03 May 2026 13:16:36 GMT

Compass Points - Fundamentals

Better Tech Requires Fundamentals

May 3, 2026

Sunday is a good day for reflection.

This Sunday is a good day to reflect on technology.

It was technology that helped US Marine Cpl Travis Reyes recover after his tilt-rotor Osprey crashed in Australia.

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In August 2023, Travis was a 20-year-old US Marine Corporal stationed in Darwin. He was part of the crew of a tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey taking part in an Australian Defence Force-run exercise, Predators Run.

On the morning of August 27, Travis’s Osprey left Darwin but didn’t make it to the landing zone on nearby Melville Island. The tilt-rotor crashed in the bush.

“Once we got closer to the island, I noticed that we were over-banked a little bit,” Mr Reyes said.

“Then I grabbed onto the closest hydraulic Iines I could, which was connected to the ramp. And that was all I remember.”

Three Osprey crew members died, but 20 Marines on board — including Travis — survived.

-- Australian News, “This Australian medical first from The Alfred saved US Marine Travis Reyes’s life after fatal military aircraft crash”

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It was technology that helped Cpl Reyes recover, but it was a fundamental stubbornness that kept him alive.

Technology is always a powerful tool, but it can never replace the importance of the deeper fundamentals.

The Marine Corps is working today, as it always has, to take best advantage of new technology, including AI. It is not just the Marine Corps that is adjusting to new technology.

The AI company, Anthropic, has issued a report on the labor market impacts of AI. Although the findings are mixed, Anthropic pledges to continue to track how its own AI products make changes to the labor market.

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Our work is a first step toward cataloging the impact of AI on the labor market. We hope that the analytical steps taken in this report, especially around coverage and counterfactuals, will be easy to update as new data on employment and AI usage emerge. An established approach may help future observers separate signal from noise.

-- Anthropic

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How should workers and leaders deal with new technology? Is it by running away from technology, by becoming more narrow? Or is it by making continual and appropriate use of new technology to become broader, more flexible, more adaptable, and more capable?

One Marine and author, Keith Holcomb, makes the point that despite all changes in technology, the Marine Corps needs Marine leaders who practice the fundamentals, including the fundamentals of integrity.

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Public confidence in the military has slipped. One major reason is the politicization of senior military officers, who show an increasing propensity to compromise their integrity to gain influence and achieve both budgetary and policy goals. Their willingness to spin carefully parsed and knowingly misleading testimony and advice compromises civilian control of the military.

Simply stated, these generals and admirals are not providing full and complete representations of plans, concepts, and assessments to senior civilians in the executive and legislative branches, thereby depriving them of the unbiased information they require to make decisions required by the Constitution.

-- Keith Holcomb, “Decline of Senior Officer Integrity and Civilian Control of the Military”

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Integrity has two related meanings. One is honesty. The other is wholeness.

No matter how technology changes, Marines need and deserve leaders with integrity.

The Marine Corps will always need the enhanced and updated units, equipment, and capabilities that make the Marine Corps more whole. When the Marine Corps, out of fear of new technology, decided to make itself into a more narrow, more regional Marine Corps, that was a mistake. When Marine Corps leaders were not transparent about the dangerous divestments, that was a bigger mistake.

The march of technology never ends. Fortunately, decades ago the Marine Corps developed a flexible warfighting platform, the Marine air, ground, logistics MAGTF that can adapt to any new technology and remain relevant to any new crisis.

Compass Points salutes all those working every day to help the Marine Corps of tomorrow to be even stronger than the Marine Corps of today. A stronger Marine Corps will never fear new technology, but with stronger leaders and stronger MAGTFs will continue to serve the Nation by responding to one global crisis after another.

Compass Points salutes Travis Reyes for his amazing story of survival and recovery. When Cpl Travis Reyes’ Osprey crashed in Australia, it took medical technology to help him recover, but it took a fundamental stubbornness to keep him alive.

Always enhanced and updated by new technology, it will still take fundamental Marine Corps traits like courage, integrity, and stubbornness for Marines to perform with distinction the next time the Nation calls out, “Send in the Marines!”

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation News

This Australian medical first from The Alfred saved US Marine Travis Reyes’s life after fatal military aircraft crash

By Norman Hermant

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-03/australian-medical-first-us-marine-life-saved-beat-odds/106629884

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Vault - 04/28/2026

Is Computer Science Still a Good Major in the Age of AI?

By Rob Porter

https://vault.com/blogs/innovate-with-influence-global-high-tech/is-computer-science-still-a-good-major-in-the-age-of-ai

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Real Clear Defense - 05/08/2024

Decline of Senior Officer Integrity and Civilian Control of the Military

By Keith T. Holcomb

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/05/08/decline_of_senior_officer_integrity_and_civilian_control_of_the_military_1030230.html

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Anthropic - 03/05/2026

Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence

https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

Compass Points - Spring Cleaning

Marine Corps Compass Points — Sat, 02 May 2026 16:28:45 GMT

Compass Points - Spring Cleaning

Time to throw out Force Design

May 2, 2026

The month of May has arrived and with it the need for a thorough spring cleaning.

The Marine Corps’ crisis response MAGTFs today are in great demand by regional Combatant Commanders around the world. Marine air, ground, logistics task forces, on Navy amphibious ships give US planners and policy makers rapid options in any crisis. When MAGTFs are fully equipped with combined arms units, equipment and capabilities MAGTFs are able to deter, assist, rescue, strike and fight.

In the summer of 2019, however, Marine Corps leaders changed the focus of the Marine Corps away from global crisis response, and instead substituted a different priority. Under the new plan, now called Force Design, the Marine Corps decided to focus on placing sensor and missile units on islands off the coast of China.

To this day, nearly seven years later, the mostly non-operational sensor and missile units have never been able to execute a simple live fire mission. Track and strike a distant target ship. Rapidly relocate to another island, and strike the target ship again. Then rapidly relocate to another island, and strike the target ship again. After all the briefs and discussion, the sensor and missile units are not in place along the first island chain off the coast of China and have never passed the fire and relocate test.

Strangely, the current Marine Corps commandant still says that these mostly non-existent and non-functioning Force Design sensor and missile units are the ‘strategic priority’ of the Marine Corps.

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Force Design remains our strategic priority and we cannot slow down.

— Gen. Smith, CPG

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The controversy and questions about Force Design multiplied when the Marine Corps began Force Design by degrading and destroying fully functioning Marine units, equipment, and capabilities.

Thrown out were “outdated policies, doctrine, organizations, or force development strategies“ (Berger CPG 2019).

Thrown out was the accumulated wisdom of all former Commandants,”. . . all reference documents from previous Commandants are no longer authoritative;” (Berger CPG 2019).

Thrown out was the long accepted agreement for 38 amphibious ships, “We will no longer use a “2.0 MEB requirement” as the foundation for our arguments regarding amphibious ship building, to determine the requisite capacity of vehicles or other capabilities, or as pertains to the Maritime Prepositioning Force. We will no longer reference the 38-ship requirement memo from 2009, or the 2016 Force Structure Assessment, as the basis for our arguments and force structure justifications.“ (Berger CPG 2019).

The foundational belief of those promoting Force Design was that every part of the Marine Corps was defective, dysfunctional, and in need of immediate replacement; “. . . the current force is not organized, trained, or equipped to support the naval force – operating in contested maritime spaces, facilitating sea control, or executing distributed maritime operations. We must change. We must divest of legacy capabilities that do not meet our future requirements, regardless of their past operational efficacy.” (Berger CPG 2019).

Almost immediately Force Design destroyed all or parts of Marine infantry, aviation, artillery, armor, snipers, breaching and bridging, and more. These reductions in units, equipment, and capabilities made it impossible for the Marine Corps to maintain the global combined-arms MAGTFs that the Nation had depended on for decades.

In short, instead of Marines using the combined arms MAGTF to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat, Force Design meant from now on, “Marines will focus on exploiting positional advantage and defending key maritime terrain that enables persistent sea control and denial operations forward.” (Berger CPG 2019).

Experienced Marines have long warned of the dangers of Force Design. For example, the article in Real Clear Defense, “The Marines Must Think Bigger Than Small Units.”

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The Marine Corps senior leadership has demonstrated a small unit focused, tactical perspective of warfighting. For over six years, their focus has been on building tactical capability to field isolated and widely separated Stand-in Forces and Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs). The billpayers have been the combined arms Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEBs) and Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEFs).

The 38th and 39th Commandants’ unwise “divest to invest” approach to transformation crippled combined arms. The absorbed and narrow focus on the MEU robbed the MEBs and MEFs of the intellectual capital needed to invigorate and enable them as viable options for forceable entry and sustained operations.

The small Stand-in Forces, as currently envisioned, are neither effective nor survivable inside contested areas during hostilities. To be blunt, these formations are aspirational and unwisely consume limited resources better spent on real innovation and relevant warfighting capabilities. There is no viable means for positioning, repositioning, or logistically supporting these insignificant units now or in the future. The missiles and missile launchers advertised as “ship killers” are long delayed and will probably never be fielded in the numbers requested. Even those fielded will only have a range of 162 nautical miles.

— Anthony Zinni, Jerry McAbee, & Timothy Wells, Real Clear Defense

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What should the Marine Corps do now with its misguided Force Design plan?

The answer is spring cleaning. Just as the Marine Corps began Force Design by throwing out the window crucial combined arms capabilities, now is the time for the Marine Corps to clearly throw out the window Force Design. Only a clean break with Force Design is enough.

Compass Points salutes the authors and Marines, Anthony Zinni, Jerry McAbee, & Timothy Wells, as well as all those helping to restore, enhance, and upgrade, the Marine Corps’ three active duty Marine Expeditionary Forces that are the global strength and source of multiple smaller Marine MAGTFs.

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Real Clear Defense - 12/09/2025

The Marines Must Think Bigger Than Small Units

By Anthony Zinni, Jerry McAbee, & Timothy Wells

Anthony (Tony) Zinni is a retired U.S. Marine Corps general. He was a career infantry officer. His assignments included Commander, United States Central Command and Commanding General, First Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).

Jerry McAbee is a retired Marine Corps brigadier general. He was a career artillery officer. His assignments included Deputy Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Pacific Command and Deputy Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Central Command.

Timothy (Tim) Wells is a retired Marine Corps colonel. He was a career infantry officer. His assignments included Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 for Marine Corps Forces Central Command during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/12/09/the_marines_must_think_bigger_than_small_units_1152038.html

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Compass Points - Turn Around

Marine Corps Compass Points — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:49:42 GMT

Compass Points - Turn Around

Marine MAGTFs in demand.

May 1, 2026

The US Navy is making amphibious ships and amphibious operations a priority. A recent Navy memo says aviators will no longer command amphibious ships. Instead, all Navy amphibious ships will be commanded by surface warfare officers. This is a big step forward. It changes amphibious ships from an after thought to a priority.

This signals a turn around in the thinking of Navy leadership. In his nomination hearings last summer, the Navy’s current CNO Admiral Daryl Caudle expressed doubts about more amphibious ships.

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“With our model that we currently have, even if the maintenance challenges that I can discuss with our amphib readiness were not in play, a 3.0 ARG/MEU presence would not be capable with the 31-ship force structure,” Caudle said

-- Inside Defense

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Adm Caudle, however, is a career submariner and he knows that when the sub is headed in the wrong direction, turn that boat around.

Today, Adm Caudle is enthusiastically working to get more amphibious ships on the water. Caudle has ordered the Navy to trim the fat from each amphibious ship force generation cycle, in a way that will double the number of amphibious deployments per cycle.

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The Navy currently employs a 36-month Optimized Fleet Response Plan for amphibious ships to accommodate maintenance, training, and seven-month long deployments. But shaking up this model could “kill the overhead of the phases of the force generation cycle that don’t add significantly to getting it ready for its next deployment,” Adm. Daryl Caudle said at the Modern Day Marine exposition today.

“What I can do today is go make our force generation more efficient,” Caudle said. “And so some of those things that need to be looked at, instead of a one deployment in every 36-month — which is really probably closer to 40-month cycle — can I get two deployments, and kind of a 50, 52-month cycle, and do two deployments within a cycle?”

-- Breaking Defense

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The Navy’s CNO, Adm Caudle, is not the only senior military officer wanting more Navy amphibious ships loaded with Marine MAGTFs.

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The four-star generals and admirals who lead U.S. military commands have all requested the support of amphibious ready groups and Marine Expeditionary Units, according to the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith told audience members at Modern Day Marine in Washington on Thursday that the demand for ARG-MEUs has exceeded the 3.0 presence he previously called for.

“I won’t say how many of the ARG-MEUs our combat commanders asked for, but it is well north of three,” he said. “Like double that.”

Calls for ARG-MEUs are coming from the U.S. military’s Southern Command, European Command, U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command.

-- Military Times

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The Navy’s CNO Adm Caudle makes more Navy & Marine Corps ARG-MEUs a priority.

The worldwide regional Combatant Commanders make more Navy & Marine Corps ARG-MEUs a priority.

When will the Marine Corps do the same?

For too many years the Marine Corps has turned its focus away from global crisis response and put its own focus, instead, on the so-called Force Design plan for Marine sensor and missile units off the coast of China.

The current Commandant, Eric Smith, has never changed what he said in his Commandant’s Planning Guidance, “Force Design remains our strategic priority and we cannot slow down.”

By changing the Marine Corps priority from worldwide crisis response to regional sensor and missile units, much has been lost. The Marine Corps has forfeited long standing agreements on the need for enough amphibious ships and prepositioning ships for a two MEB lift.

The Marine Corps also has eliminated or eviscerated combined arms units, equipment, and capabilities, including serious declines in armor, air, artillery, infantry, engineering, snipers, and more. The reduction in proven combat capabilities was no accident; the reduction is what Marine leaders intended. They intentionally chose regional SIF sensor and missile units over global crisis response.

Strangely, however, instead of celebrating the decline of Marine global crisis response capabilities — which they were trying to reduce — now Marine leaders are blaming the lack of Navy ships. The issue is not the lack of Navy ships alone. The Navy’s CNO Adm Caudle has turned around his own thinking about the global importance of Marine MAGTFs on Navy amphibious ships, but the Marine Corps leadership is still stuck focusing on one plan, for one battle, in one region of the globe.

The Marine Corps Commandant does occasionally talk about Marine global crisis response, but he has never been willing to make global crisis response the Marine Corps’ “strategic priority.”

When will news reports quote the Commandant of the Marine Corps saying, “It is time to put aside our previous focus on sensor and missile units. For the Marine Corps, now and in the future, global, 9-1-1, crisis response remains our strategic priority and we cannot slow down.”

Compass Points salutes the CNO Adm Caudle and the US Navy for putting a new focus on Marine Corps combined arms MAGTFs, onboard Navy amphibious ships, continuously patrolling the oceans of the world. If the Navy can change their focus, it is time for the Marine Corps to do the same.

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Military Times - 04/30/2026

US Combatant Chiefs Want More Amphibious Ready Groups, Marine Commandant Says

By Riley Ceder

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/05/01/us-combatant-chiefs-want-more-amphibious-ready-groups-marine-commandant-says/

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Inside Defense - 07/24/2025

International allies must be part of shipbuilding capacity solution, CNO nominee says

By Nick Wilson

https://insidedefense.com/share/224778

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Breaking Defense - 04/30/2026

Navy, Marine Corps Weighing Force Generation Model Revamp For Amphibs

Navy and Marine Corps leaders said they are considering shaking up the 36-month Optimized Fleet Response plan, in lieu of a longer cycle that can accommodate two deployments.

By Diana Stancy

https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/navy-marine-corps-weighing-force-generation-model-revamp-for-amphibs/

Compass Points - First Love?

Marine Corps Compass Points — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:03:24 GMT

Compass Points - First Love?

The power of the Marine Air Ground Task Force

April 30, 2026

Which senior Department of War leader fell in love with the Marine Corps years ago?

Not everyone falls in love with the US Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), but everyone should. For decades, the Marine MAGTF was a powerful, flexible, fully equipped combination of Marine air, ground, and logistics units under one commander. The MAGTF is typically forward deployed around the globe on Navy amphibious ships, ready to arrive at any crisis to deter, assist, rescue, strike, or fight.

The Marine MAGTF can be organized and equipped in whatever way a mission requires, but routinely MAGTFs are sized as a small MEU, a medium MEB, or a larger MEF -- which can include 40,000 Marines or more.

For decades, global, combined arms, crisis response MAGTFs were the strategic priority of the Marine Corps, as well as the 9-1-1 force of choice for national leaders.

Marine MAGTFs need two crucial ingredients:

1. Sufficient numbers of Navy amphibious ships (and pre-positioning support ships).

2. Sufficient numbers of trained and fully equipped, combined arms Marines.

Today, unfortunately, the Nation’s 9-1-1 force of Marines is facing a crisis in crisis response.

1. There are INSUFFICIENT numbers of Navy amphibious ships (and pre-positioning support ships).

2. There are INSUFFICIENT numbers of trained and fully equipped, combined arms Marines.

The Navy has not constructed nor maintained all the amphibious ships needed by Marine MAGTFs. In addition, the Marine Corps has degraded or eliminated far too many units, equipment, and capabilities, including dangerous reductions in the air, armor, infantry, artillery, engineering, snipers, and more needed by Marine MAGTFs.

Is there any way for the Marine Corps to regain what has been lost?

It will take a new commitment to the Marine MAGTF. The Navy will need to commit to making sure there are more amphibious ships available. The Marine Corps will need to commit to making their strategic priority, once again, global crisis response.

How many Marine MAGTFs are needed on the oceans of the world? At times in recent years, there have been zero 9-1-1 MAGTFs on patrol. The number needed may be as high as six.

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On Wednesday, [US Marine LtGen] Bargeron said that even if the Marine Corps already had three MEUs deployed, recent military demands have been even higher.

“There is a [combatant command] demand signal that is in excess of 3.0,” Bargeron said. “If you look at the raw data that comes into the Global Force Management process, it’s been somewhere around six [in the] last few years.”

-- Task & Purpose, “The Marines may need 40 amphibious warfare ships, general says.”

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If only there was a senior leader inside the Department of War who had experience with and a deep appreciation for US Marines.

Maybe there is.

Speaking at the Modern Day Marine expo this week, the new acting Secretary of the Navy, Huang Cao, spoke of his first love.

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My first love is the Marine Corps:

Because it was the Marine Corps that took me out of Vietnam in 1975. It was the Marine Corps that met me in Guam, and it was the Marine Corps again at Camp Pendleton at the second refugee camp.

In 1979, when the Shah of Iran was overthrown and I was living in West Africa, they brought us into the embassies—and those Marines who stood watch over us that night said, ‘Nothing is going to hurt you tonight—not on my watch.’

So I wanted to be like those Marines. I wanted to be like those heroes when I grew up.

-- Acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao

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When Secretary Cao graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1996, Marine Corps MAGTFs were in the middle of more than a dozen years of humanitarian operations in West Africa.

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The traditional concepts of employing Marines predicated their involvement in West Africa on protecting American lives and property that might be in danger. Before its actions in West Africa, the Marine Corps was frequently called on for noncombatant evacuation operations. Classic examples of which include recent evacuation operations in Cyprus in 1974, South Vietnam in 1975, Cambodia in 1975, and Lebanon in 1982 and 1984. Marine involvement in the Liberian evacuations during the country’s 14 years of civil war went beyond the permanent presence of the Marine Security Guard detachment at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, requiring a total of six Marine Air-Ground Task Forces and one Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team platoon to deploy in Liberia.

-- On Mamba Station - U.S. Marines in West Africa, 1990 – 2003

------------------

It must be disappointing for Secretary Cao to learn that the Marine Corps MAGTFs of today are not as robust and capable as they were when Marines rescued him in 1975, nor as capable as the MAGTFs were when he graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1996.

The Marine Corps of today needs to rebuild, enhance, and upgrade, not only the numbers of amphibious ships, but also the crucial units, equipment, and combined arms MAGTF capabilities that have been lost. Not everyone falls in love with the US Marines, and with the US Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), but everyone should. Compass Points salutes the young boy rescued by US Marines in Saigon in 1975, as well as all those rescued, protected, and sheltered by US Marines since 1775.

- - - - -

Modern Day Marine Expo 2026

Remarks by Hung Cao, acting Secretary of the Navy

x.com/TheLtColUSMC/status/2049560523893883357

- - - - -

Marines.mil

On Mamba Station

U.S. Marines in West Africa, 1990 – 2003

U.S. Marines in Humanitarian Operations

https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/On%20Mamba%20Station%20--%20U.S.%20Marines%20in%20West%20Africa,%201990-2003%20PCN%2019000413300_PART_1.pdf

- - - - -

Task and Purpose - 04/29/2026

The Marines may need 40 amphibious warfare ships, general says

The discussion on amphibious warfare ships comes as the Corps plans to continuously deploy three Marine Expeditionary Units.

By Jeff Schogol

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marines-amphibious-ships-2026/

Compass Points - Leaf Eaters?

Marine Corps Compass Points — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:58:08 GMT

Compass Points - Leaf Eaters?

SECNAV calls for a tougher Navy and Marine Corps.

April 29, 2026

In his first public remarks, the new acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao, called for a tougher Navy and Marine Corps. Secretary Cao said the services needed more “meat eaters” instead of “leaf eaters.”

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Recently appointed Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao delivered brief remarks Tuesday about his plans for the Navy during one of his first public appearances as the head civilian leader of the service.

Cao touched on his vision for the Golden Fleet, modernization efforts for the Navy and Marine Corps and the type of values and military ethos he is looking for in future service members while speaking at the Modern Day Marine exposition in Washington.

, , , Continuing to address military culture, Cao said the services needed “meat eaters” instead of “leaf eaters.”

-- Navy Times

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It is doubtful that Secretary Cao would turn up his nose at a well prepared salad, perhaps he is simply motivating sailors and Marines that they will be shouldering immense responsibilities. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, “Trump Tells Aides to Prepare for Extended Blockade of Iran.”

The US Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East began as a massive missile campaign, but now has turned into a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Recently, as part of the US blockade, US Marines and sailors took down the Iranian tanker M/V Touska. The Navy fired into the engine room and then Marines from the 31st MEU onboard the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, fast-roped onto the vessel and took command.

It will take constant work by sailors and Marines to maintain the blockade. Some of the duties will be dramatic and some will be routine, but they will all require the proper mix of Navy ships.

The Marine Corps has never been slow to produce “meat eaters” but even the toughest meat eaters need a Navy amphibious fleet just as strong as they are.

Unfortunately, in recent years the Marine Corps has had too few amphibious ships. A recent new reports says the delays are continuing.

------------------

The next two big-deck amphibious warships will take about nine years each to build, as the Navy pushes the planned delivery date for the vessels by another year, USNI News has learned.

The future USS Bougainville (LHA-8) will now deliver to the Navy in July of 2027 instead of August of 2026, according to the Fiscal Year 2027 budget justification documents. The service cited “construction performance indicators and shipyard labor challenges” as the reason for the delay.

The future USS Fallujah (LHA-9) will now deliver to the Navy in July of 2031 instead of the previously projected September 2030 date because of “the shipyard’s formal Over Target Schedule (OTS) re-baselining effort due to shipyard labor challenges,” according to the budget books.

The latest delays to the two ships come after last year’s budget documents revealed one-year delays for both Bougainville and Fallujah, USNI News reported at the time. The Navy in the FY 2026 budget books cited the same reasons for the delays to Bougainville that the service referenced in the budget books published last week.

-- USNI News

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Secretary Cao is well aware of the need to get more ships on the water faster. No doubt the US Commander-in-Chief will remind him regularly.

The right kind of ships for the right kind of missions are crucial. In addition, however, the Navy and Marine Corps need the right kind of warfighting leaders. When Secretary Cao wades into the current status of the Marine Corps, he may be surprised to learn that the current Commandant has pronounced that no longer is the strategic priority of the Marine Corps global crisis response. Instead of putting the primary focus of the Marine Corps on a variety of crisis missions around the globe, the Marine Corps leadership is now focused first on establishing sensor and missile units off the coast of China.

More meat eaters and fewer leaf eaters? Perhaps Secretary Cao already knows of the misguided decisions Marine Corps leadership has made to strip away too much, air, armor, infantry, artillery, engineers, snipers and more. If the blockade continues and Iran grows more desperate to get ships through the blockade, Marines may be regularly fast-roping onto deck after deck.

Marine MAGTFs on amphibious ships in the waters of the Middle East and in the Caribbean are a long way away -- in location and philosophy -- from Marines sitting and waiting off the coast of China. If Secretary Cao wants more of a meat eating Marine Corps, it is time for the Marine Corps to be told to change its priority away from sensor and missile units, and back to an enhanced and upgraded global crisis response. The Marine Corps needs leadership that will build the units, equipment, and capabilities that can locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat.

Blockade duties in the Middle East are continuing and so are a host of threats around the globe. With the leadership of the new Secretary of the Navy, the Navy and Marine Corps will be prepared for every challenge.

- - - - -

USNI News - 04/27/2026

Amphibs Bougainville, Fallujah Deliveries Are Pushed Another Year

By Mallory Shelbourne

https://news.usni.org/2026/04/27/amphibs-bougainville-fallujah-deliveries-are-pushed-another-year

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Navy Times - 2026/04/28

‘Alpha’ troops and more ships: Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao outlines vision for service

By Riley Ceder

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2026/04/28/alpha-troops-and-more-ships-acting-navy-secretary-hung-cao-outlines-vision-for-service/

Compass Points - Better Bottlenecks?

Marine Corps Compass Points — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:17:28 GMT

Compass Points - Better Bottlenecks?

Crucial control of SLOC bottlenecks.

April 28, 2026

Recently, off the coast of Iran as part of US Operation Epic Fury, US Marines and sailors took down the Iranian tanker M/V Touska. The Navy fired into the engine room and then Marines from the 31st MEU onboard the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group fast-roped onto the vessel and took command.

US actions in the Strait of Hormuz are an example of Sea Control. Sea Control means using US sailors and Marines to maintain the free flow of traffic on the seas, particularly through crucial SLOCs, Sea Lines of Communication. The US seeks to control crucial SLOCs, like the Strait of Hormuz, and prevent adversaries from threatening or controlling traffic through these critical bottlenecks.

In another effort to maintain free and open SLOCs around the globe, the US recently signed a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership with Indonesia, which includes granting US military aircraft expanded access to Indonesian airspace, enhancing its ability to monitor the vital SLOC, the Strait of Malacca.

------------------

Pentagon Meeting Sets New Framework

Secretary Hegseth hosted Sjamsoeddin with full honors before closed-door discussions that produced the joint statement outlining the partnership. The two sides described it as a structured way to build on years of cooperation without locking either nation into formal alliances.

-- Military.com

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Writing in The American Spectator, author and Marine, Gary Anderson, argues it is time for the Marine Corps to restore its lost capabilities so flexible Marine MAGTFs can shoulder a greater role in securing SLOCs.

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Other than Iran, the nation that has been most hurt by the two blockades has been China. We should be sending her a clear message: invade Taiwan, and we can do it again both in the Straits of Hormuz and the Red Sea. That alone would virtually ensure a cut-off of 90 percent of China’s oil and natural gas imports, a crippling blow to her military as well as her civilian economy. That is real deterrence.

The problem is how we would make good on that threat? Nearly the whole U.S. Navy would be needed for the fight in the South China Sea. I believe the answer is the U.S. Marine Corps. A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) in Hormuz and one MEB at the Bab El Mandeb in the Red Sea could do the job. Marine aircraft using anti-ship missiles could sink and surface warships trying to break the blockade, and Marine riflemen on organic helicopters could board and seize merchant vessels trying to run the blockade, as recently happened in Hormuz.

-- Gary Anderson, “Choke Points and the Future of Naval Power”

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Anderson warns that the US Marines could only accomplish this deterrence mission in the Middle East if it restored and reconstituted the units, weapons, and equipment that the Marines themselves threw away in recent years. Marines would need to increase, restore, update, and enhance all that has been degraded or lost entirely including air, armor, infantry, artillery, snipers, engineers, and more — as well as both amphibious ships and maritime pre-positioning ships.

Why is there a bottleneck in the thinking of senior Marine Corps leaders? For decades the strategic priority of the Marine Corps was building, enhancing, and maintaining forward deployed air, ground, logistics task forces on Navy ships around the globe. In recent years, unfortunately, Marine Corps the senior leadership of the Marine Corps changed its priority away from global crisis response. Perhaps the new Secretary of the Navy can help the Marine Corps re-prioritize global crisis response.

- - - - -

US PACOM

TOPIC: LAWFUL SEA CONTROL TO PROTECT SEA LINES OF

COMMUNICATION AND CHOKEPOINTS

https://www.pacom.mil/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ArRfVhzA3CE%3D&portalid=55

- - - - -

Military.com - 04/15/2026

US and Indonesia Form Major Defense Cooperation Partnership

By Robert Billard

https://www.military.com/feature/2026/04/13/us-and-indonesia-form-major-defense-cooperation-partnership.html

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The American Spectator - 04/27/2026

Choke Points and the Future of Naval Power

The Iran war revives debate over maritime bottlenecks, deterrence strategy, and the structure of the US Marine Corps.

By Gary Anderson

https://spectator.org/choke-points-and-the-future-of-naval-power/

Compass Points - New SECNAV

Marine Corps Compass Points — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:16:18 GMT

Compass Points - New SECNAV

New SECNAV faces new challenges.

April 27, 2026

Many news outlets are reporting on the first comments from the Navy’s new acting Secretary, Hung Cao.

In brief remarks on X, Secretary Cao set out three priorities.

1. Take care of Marines and sailors so they can accomplish their missions.

2. Build all the sea going vessels the Nation requires.

3. Help guard the homeland.

Secretary Cao must feel a little like another number two that was suddenly elevated to the top job. It was 81 years ago in April 1945 that Harry S. Truman was suddenly elevated from Vice-President to President. Truman had been largely left out of the loop by Franklin Roosevelt and he had much catching up to do.

A week ago, Hung Cao was mostly an unbriefed and unwanted number two left standing in the shadows. Now, he is center stage, in the spotlight, and he must immediately provide the Nation’s Navy and Marine Corps with the strong leadership so badly needed.

The good news is Hung Cao is smart and hard working. He knows the Navy and Marine Corps. Across the decades, through his dedicated service to the Nation, Cao has proven himself again and again, In the process, he has accumulated a legion of friends, fans, and supporters. The Secretary of War and the Commander-in-Chief were wise to call on Cao to lead the Department of the Navy. They would be wiser still to quickly drop the ‘acting’ qualifier from his title and keep him as long as they can.

As Secretary Cao quickly prepares to answer questions from the Congressional committees, the HASC and SASC, he might want to prepare some questions for Congress as well.

He might ask them do they know that China has a brand new amphibious ship sailing as it pleases throughout the South China Sea?

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China’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, has departed Shanghai for the South China Sea for routine cross-regional trials and training, following multiple earlier sea trials and in line with its planned development schedule, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy said on Tuesday. A Chinese military affairs expert told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Sichuan’s first-ever cross-sea-area trial and training deployment to the South China Sea marks rapid and efficient progress, bringing its commissioning one step closer.

According to the PLA Navy’s official WeChat account, the Sichuan recently departed Shanghai for relevant waters in the South China Sea to conduct research trials and training, testing the performance of multiple onboard systems and platforms.

-- Global Times

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Secretary Cao wants to build more ships faster, and the PLA Navy’s Sichuan is an example of the rapid production the US needs.

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Zhang said that the construction speed of the Sichuan is considered fast, underscoring China’s growing sophistication and maturity in building large naval vessels.

Although the Type 076 is primarily designed for amphibious landing missions, it differs from conventional amphibious assault ships. Equipped with an electromagnetic catapult, it can operate fixed-wing aircraft, including the J-35 stealth fighter, giving it capabilities similar to those of a light aircraft carrier. This also points to the platform’s broader strategic significance, Zhang added.

-- Global Times

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The PLA Navy’s Sichuan should not be allowed to roam the South China Sea with no response from the US.

When a Russian or Chinese military aircraft gets too close to US territory or other sensitive area, the US will immediately send up US aircraft to escort them. This is to deter adversaries and let them know in a very concrete way that the US is always present and always ready to take action.

In the same way, the US needs to have a Navy and Marine Corps ARG-MEU patrolling the South China Sea. No large vessel from the PLA Navy should be allowed to sail uncontested and unescorted.

Cao should explain to Congress this is just one example of the lack of US Navy platforms in crucial areas of the world.

Cao could also ask Congress, if they are aware that the current Commandant of the Marine Corps claims that the ‘strategic priority’ of the Marine Corps is not global crisis response, but is placing small sensor and missiles units off the coast of China. Before that misplaced priority is blamed on Cao, he should find a way to tactfully ask Congress why they allowed that to happen on their watch?

Compass Points salutes the new acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao, and would say ‘welcome abroad’ except Cao has always been on board. Now, he is just taking on some additional responsibilities. Fair winds and following seas? That is a wonderful thought, but the truth is the seas are already choppy and there are some darkening clouds ahead. Under the leadership of Secretary Cao, however, the Navy and Marine Corps will serve the Nation well through every storm.

- - - - -

Global Times - 04/22/2026

China’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan heads to S. China Sea for trials and training, showing smooth, rapid progress: expert

By Liang Rui

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202604/1359526.shtml

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Compass Points - Sea Angel

Marine Corps Compass Points — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:14:02 GMT

Compass Points - Sea Angel

Marines to the Rescue

April 26, 2026

Sunday is a good day for reflection.

This Sunday is a good day for refection on two dangerous attacks in the month of April.

On Saturday evening April 25, 2026, the US Commander-in-Chief, sitting at the head table of the White House Correspondence Association dinner at the Washington, DC Hilton, was apparently the target of another assassination attempt. Early reports say a lone gunman, armed with a pistol, shotgun, and several knives, sprinted passed a US Secret Service checkpoint in an attempt to gain entrance to the dinner. The attacker was tackled by law enforcement and is in custody. One Secret Service agent took a round to his protective vest, but is expected to fully recover. Neither the President nor any of the invited guests were injured in the attack.

In a very different April attack, it was 35 years ago this month when the nation of Bangladesh was the target of an attack from Cyclone Marian Several Compass points readers have recalled that the Marian cyclone of 1991 was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones ever recorded. The storm struck very near the Chittagong region, one of the most populated areas in Bangladesh.

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Between 10 May and 13 June 1991 Joint Task Force Sea Angel, one of the largest military disaster relief forces ever assembled, was sent to the aid of the people of Bangladesh in the wake of the destruction of the tropical cyclone Marian. Cyclone Marian (29-30 April 1991) was one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in recent times. Marian’s 140 mile-per-hour winds and an eight-meter tidal wave devastated Bangladesh, killing nearly 140,000 people and leaving over 5 million people homeless.

Within 24 hours of a request for support from the government of Bangladesh, Operation Sea Angel was launched, and advance teams from the III Marine Expeditionary Force arrive in country for initial liaison. Operation Sea Angel began on 10 May and involved over 7,000 US soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen. A fifteen-ship amphibious task force composed of Amphibious Group 3 and the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, homeward bound from five months of operations in the Persian Gulf, was diverted to the Bay of Bengal to assist. Over the next month, 6,700 Navy and Marine Corps personnel working with U.S. Army, Air Force, and multinational forces, provide food, water, and medical care to nearly two million people. The relief efforts of U.S. troops are credited with having saved as many as 200,000 lives.

-- Global Security

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Marines led the massive humanitarian operation which included every US military branch as well as governments and agencies from around the world.

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Two days after the President’s order, LtGen. Stackpole arrived with a small CJTF element. A Special Operations Forces (SOF) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) arrived later that day. The next day five UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters arrived from Hawaii, along with a Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit. Other joint assets continued to flow into the area, as required. Fifteen soldiers of B Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, already deployed to Bangladesh to construct schools, were diverted to Chittagong. The bulk of US forces were from the ATF consisting of the 4,600 Marines of the 5th MEB, 3,000 sailors of Amphibious Group 3, and 28 helicopters. The MEB also brought four Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC) vehicles, which proved invaluable in delivering aid to isolated islands. Immediately upon his arrival in the capitol city of Dhaka,

LtGen. Stackpole began an assessment of the situation, and identified three critical concerns: First, the intelligence needed to adequately assess the situation was unavailable; Second, the problem of distribution quickly became apparent, and was considered the most pressing by the Joint Task Force (JTF) staff; Finally, the issue of Bangladeshi sovereignty required that the GOB be clearly viewed by the populace as being “in charge”.

LtGen. Stackpole proceeded to develop a Campaign Plan consisting of three phases. After initial survey, liaison, and reconnaissance, Phase I (one week) entailed initial stabilization of the situation (delivery of food, water, and medicine to reduce loss of life). Phase II (two weeks) entailed restoring the situation to the point where the Bangladesh government could take control of relief efforts. Phase III (two weeks) was the consolidation phase in which the Task Force would depart and the Bangladesh government would take complete control of all relief efforts.

-- Global Security

------------------

The rapid distribution of humanitarian food and supplies was the crucial task. The comprehensive study, “Angels from the Sea” and several other studies provide examples of the distribution process.

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The amphibious task force’s tactical-logistical group was in full operation on the 16th. Initial relief efforts began when MAG-50’s helicopters moved 259 passengers and delivered more than 89,000 pounds of relief supplies. The operational pattern established that first day remained in effect throughout the remainder of the task force’s stay.

The movement and distribution chain began with non-government organizations submitting their distribution requirements to the Bangladesh government to ensure that the requirements were compatible with the government’s overall relief plan. Each morning representatives from various government ministries and non-government organizations passed a list of the following day’s relief requirements and the projected needs for the next 48 hours to the JTF in Dhaka. By early afternoon, the JTF staff would publish the following day’s distribution schedule, enabling suppliers time to position their cargoes at the designated loading sites for airlift from Dhaka to Chittagong and elsewhere.

The following morning, local workmen stacked relief supplies, which in turn were loaded onboard Special Forces and Air Force C-130 Hercules transports. The working conditions were primitive, wrote Air Force Lieutenant Colonel White. “We didn’t have any forklifts, K-loaders, pallets, nets—you name it! We floor-loaded 150-pound sacks of rice, 200-pound bags of potatoes, medical supplies, tents, etc. We managed to fly six sorties per day with only the aircrews to upload and download 40,000 pounds of cargo per sortie.” Aircrews and support personnel from the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing worked from 0400 to 2000 each day until additional help in the form of loadmasters arrived from the 8th Mobile Aerial Port Squadron stationed at Clark Air Base.

-- Angles from the Sea

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It is worth noting that the US fifteen-ship amphibious task, including 3,000 sailors of Amphibious Group 3 and 4,600 Marines of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, all of them, were headed home for a well deserved rest after five months of continuous operations in the Persian Gulf. Instead of continuing to sail home, the Marines and sailors, and so many others, all headed to the crisis in Bangladesh.

It is also worth noting that the senior leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps in 1991 worked together to make sure combined arms task forces of Marines onboard Navy amphibious ships, had the ships necessary to get to the crisis. Once on scene, the Marines and sailors plunged into the crisis and worked around the clock to restore towns and villages and save lives.

In all recorded history there have been few, if any, storms equal to the devastating Cyclone Marian of April 1991. Fortunately for the nation of Bangladesh, the devastation of the storm was met by the determination of all those in the United States Operation Sea Angel. The humanitarian operation in Bangladesh, led by Marines, proves once again that foreign nations around the globe will never find a better friend, nor a more dangerous adversary than US Marines.

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Naval War College Archives - RG37_05_05_01_01

Operation Sea Angel; A Retrospective on the 1991 Humanitarian Relief Operation In Bangladesh,

By Gary W. Anderson

https://www.usnwcarchives.org/repositories/2/digital_objects/1544

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Rand

Operation Sea Angel: A Case Study

By Paul A. McCarthy

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA282393.pdf

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Marines.mil

Angels From the Sea

https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/ANGELS%20FROM%20THE%20SEA%20-%20RELIEF%20OPERATIONS%20IN%20BANGLADESH%201991%20PCN%2019000316400_2.pdf

- - - - -

Global Security

Operation Sea Angel

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/sea_angel.htm

Compass Points - Unexpected Monday

Marine Corps Compass Points — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:37:56 GMT

Compass Points - Unexpected Monday

What is coming next?

April 25, 2026

When the unexpected happens, when there is a sudden challenge, a surprising situation, most people turn away from the challenge. US Marines are not most people. Marines advance to the trouble. Marines wade into the challenge. Marines take action.

On this day 50 years ago, Rick Monday went to work expecting an ordinary day. When the unexpected happened, Rick Monday took action. Why did Rick Monday take action? Perhaps he is just that kind of person. Or perhaps he took action because Rick Monday was and is a Marine.

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On April 25, 1976, the Dodgers hosted the Cubs in the rubber match of a three-game series. In the bottom of the fourth inning, two fans jumped the left-center field fence and hurried onto the outfield grass. Chicago center fielder Rick Monday noted a sound that didn’t match the rhythm of the game. He glanced to his right and saw the trespassers huddled over, unfurling an American flag.

“I can see the guy pull out something real shiny,” Monday told the LA Times in a story published last Sunday. “It turned out to be one of those gigantic cans of lighter fluid. They were dousing it.”

Monday, who spent six years in the U.S. Marine Reserves during his 19-year MLB career, ran toward them.

“In retrospect, I may have been thinking about bowling them over,” Monday said. “But if they don’t have the flag, they cannot burn it. So I scooped down and got the flag.”

He prevented the American flag from being burned.

. . . As Monday remembers it, the crowd at Dodger Stadium began to sing “God Bless America.” The trespassers were escorted off the field, with then-Dodgers third base coach Tommy Lasorda hurling expletives their way.

When Monday came to bat an inning later, the Dodger Stadium scoreboard read: “Rick Monday … You made a great play.”

— Major League Baseball

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When faced with the unexpected, Rick Monday took action. He did what most people would not do. He took the road less traveled.

Marine Corps senior leaders spend much time make plans and preparing complex documents. But the history of the Marine Corps is the history of Marines being thrown into expected situations. Marines are in the Middle East today, but Marine planners said Marine operations in the Middle East were over. Marines are in the Caribbean today even though most thought Marine operations in the Caribbean were over. For Marines it is always the unexpected, always the road less traveled.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

— Robert Frost

The problem is that after all the new plans have been made, after all the new documents have been published, the future of the Marine Corps is largely dictated by events. Wherever the need is the greatest, the United States sends in the Marines.

Throughout the 20th century, again and again, Marines were used not in compliance with any planning document, Marines were used where and how they were needed.

In World War I the United States sent Marines to Belleau Wood in France because that is where the need was. As soon as World War I was over, Marine leaders said, fighting on land is over, time to get back to our Naval roots.

But then World War II arrived and a greatly expanded Marine Corps island-hopped from one land battle to another.

Then the Marine Corps shrunk itself just in time to be called to fight in Korea from Pusan, to Seoul, to the Chosin Reservoir.

Next came Vietnam and more land-based operations. Author Allan R. Millett recalls the scope of Marine operations early in the war in 1966:

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. . . III MAF could clearly see the immensity of is commitment. In nearly a year and a half of fighting, it had killed an estimated total of 11,000 NVA and VC and had lost 1,700 dead and more than 9,000 wounded (80% of Marine wounded eventually returned to duty in Vietnam). III MAF now numbered nearly 70,000 Marines, who had assumed the defense of nearly 1,800 square miles and a million Vietnamese. The Marines had mounted 110 battalion or larger operations and more than 200,000 small-unit patrols, ambushes, and sweeps.

-- Millett, Semper Fidelis, pp 576 - 577

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After Vietnam, the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, led to two decades of land combat for Marines in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq.

Across the 20th and 21st centuries, the Marine Corps has been directed to conduct major land operations again and again. The future holds many missions for the Marine Corps including more unexpected land operations. When the Marine Corps is called, if it is directed to fight the land battle, the Marine Corps will fight the land battle and Marines will fight with distinction.

What does the future hold for the Marine Corps? What road should the Marine Corps take? Somewhere ahead there is a road less traveled the Marine Corps may be called upon to take. The Marine Corps can never know where it will be called next. The Marine Corps must be ready for any challenge. To answer the challenge of the future -- whatever and wherever -- the Marine Corps must focus today on building an advanced, flexible, highly capable, offense oriented, expeditionary, combined arms, maneuver force that can take the road, the ship, the aircraft, to any battle and win.

Fifty years ago, Rick Monday came to work expecting an ordinary day. When the unexpected happened, however, Rick Monday took action. Compass Points salutes Rick Monday and all Marines eager for the challenge and prepared to take action today.

- - - - -

SEMPER FIDELIS

The History of the United States Marine Corps

By Allan R. Millett

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MLB - 04/25/2026

Monday still gets letters 50 years after saving American flag from being burned

By Jared Greenspan

https://www.mlb.com/news/rick-monday-saving-american-flag-50th-anniversary

Compass Points - Marine WASP?

Marine Corps Compass Points — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:46:22 GMT

Compass Points - Marine WASP?

Marines study Warfighter’s Assault & Support Platform?

April 24, 2026

As the blockade of Operation Epic Fury continues, there are new developments in Ukraine and in defense laboratories creating new equipment for US Marines.

The Ukraine military recently claimed a combat first.

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Ukraine said it forced Russian soldiers to surrender and captured their position using only aerial drones and ground robots, no infantry, in a first for the war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said that “for the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms — ground systems and drones. “

The operation, which saw the Russians surrender, was executed “without losses on our side,” he said.

Ukrainian ground robots have carried out more than 22,000 missions on the front lines over the last three months. He said that means “lives were saved more than 22,000 times when a robot went into the most dangerous areas instead of a warrior.”

“This is about high technology protecting the highest value — human life,” he said, identifying some of the robotic systems Ukraine uses, such as Ratel, TerMIT, Ardal, Rys, Zmiy, Protector, and Volia.

-- Business Insider

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The ground drones used in Ukraine are proving their value. While aerial drones have received much attention, there is little doubt that in addition to aerial drones, the battlefields of the future will see a variety of ground based drones, robots, and vehicles. The US Marine Corps is already conducting tests. For example, some time ago, Marines at 29 Palms conducted a test of loading the M72 LAW on a small robot carrier.

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Working with the Office of Naval Research, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center’s Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group fired an M72 Light Anti-tank Weapon from a quadruped robotic platform. Also known as 29 Palms, MCAGCC is the largest base in the Marine Corps and allows for extensive testing of new and experimental technologies. Referred to as the robotic goat, the robot successfully fired the rocket on September 9, 2023. Designed to support Marine ground forces, the robotic goat can carry both weapons or sensors to reduce the load of individual Marines.

-- We Are The Mighty

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Now there are rumors that the US military is exploring a new ground vehicle dubbed the WASP that has been designed with Marines in mind. The WASP - Warfighter’s Assault & Support Platform is a militarized version of the Gibbs Sports Amphibians’ Quadski. The Quadski is a four wheeled all terrain vehicle that operates on both land and water.

The militarized version of the Quadski, the WASP is said to feature a gas / electric hybrid engine that can run the vehicle on land and water at speeds up to 45mph. The WASP can carry two combat loaded Marines. The WASP includes integrated front mount automatic weapons, a range of visible light and infrared cameras, as well as a front ballistic shield from Dynamic Defense Solutions.

The human driver can control the WASP or it can run autonomously. The WASP can pull various small utility trailers designed for resupply, weapons, and evacuation. The WASP could carry Marines from ship, to the beach, and then inland. Once ashore the WASP can return on its own to the ship with causalities, then be loaded with supplies, and return on its own to its unit ashore.

On land or in the water the WASP can conduct unmanned surveillance, reconnaissance, over-watch, and covering fires. The WASP weapons trailer can be fitted with a variety of weapons including light anti-tank weapons, mortars, and aerial drones.

While factories around the world are churning out aerial drones, it is good that in addition to working on aerial drones, the Marine Corps is experimenting with ground based, drones, robots, and vehicles. It may be that future news stories will report on how 20 Marine WASP vehicles left their amphibious landing ship headed for a troubled beach. But the WASP beach assault was a deception. There were no Marines on board the WASP vehicles. The real assault was taking place further down the coast. Watch out for the Marine WASP, it might sting you!

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Business Insider - 04/14/2026

Ukraine said it captured a Russian position using only ground robots and drones, no infantry, for the first time

By Sinéad Baker

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-russia-position-taken-without-using-troops-just-robots-drones-2026-4?op=1

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We are the Mighty - 11/06/2023

The Marines put an anti-tank rocket on a ‘robotic goat’

Designed by Emil Lien Akre in 2005, the Gladiator TUGV was designed to support Marines and minimize risk to troops in ground combat.

By Miguel Ortiz

https://www.wearethemighty.com/tactical/the-marines-put-an-anti-tank-rocket-on-a-robotic-goat/

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Gibbs Sports Amphibians

Quadski

https://quadski.com/quadski

Compass Points - SECNAV Out

Marine Corps Compass Points — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:39:35 GMT

Compass Points - SECNAV Out

New acting Secretary of the Navy

April 23, 2026

It was 51 years ago this month, at 7:53 a.m. on April 30, 1975, a Marine Corps CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter evacuated the last Marine security guards from the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.

The South Vietnamese refugees who managed to escape on that day, and on the preceding days, weeks, and months, have proven to be incredible assets to the US -- none more so than the young boy, hardly more than a toddler, who escaped with his family from Saigon in those final, chaotic days. That young boy is now the acting Secretary of the Navy.

In a brief announcement yesterday, the Pentagon reported that the Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, was leaving “effective immediately.”

Reuters is reporting that Phelan was fired.

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WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - Navy Secretary John Phelan has been fired, a U.S. official and a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, in ‌another wartime shakeup at the Pentagon coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted the Army’s top general.

The Pentagon announced his departure in a brief statement, saying he was leaving the administration “effective immediately.” But it did not provide a reason or say whether it was his decision to go.

His firing was first reported by Reuters.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Phelan was dismissed in part because he was moving too slow to implement reforms to ⁠speed shipbuilding and because he had fallen out with key Pentagon leadership.

One source cited bad relationships with Hegseth, Hegseth’s deputy, Steve Feinberg, as well as the Navy’s No. 2 civilian, Hung Cao, who the Pentagon said will now take over as acting Navy secretary.

-- Reuters

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Hung Cao has the background, experience, and relationships that the outgoing secretary never had.

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Retired Navy Captain Hung Cao came to the United States as a refugee from Vietnam in 1975. After a few years in West Africa, Hung moved to Virginia as a child and is a proud member of the inaugural graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria.

He was commissioned as a Special Operations Officer (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Deep Sea Diving) from the United States Naval Academy, and served with special operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.

Hung’s non-combat assignments included balancing the Navy’s $140 billion budget at the Pentagon, working with Homeland Security, and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Hung received his Masters degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School, and fellowships at MIT and Harvard. He and his wife April are the parents of five beautiful children.

After their thirteenth move across the United States, and around the world, Hung and April moved their family home to Purcellville, Virginia where they have been active in their community and church.

-- Meet Hung Cao

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Both the US Navy and the US Marine Corps today are stretched thin around the globe and both are working to overcome several years of poor decisions from their senior leaders. Neither service branch is serving the Nation as well as they should be.

The outgoing Secretary of the Navy, an investor and prominent art collector, served as Naval Secretary for just over a year. He was confirmed in March 2025, despite having no background with the Navy or Marine Corps, and, more broadly, no experience at all with the military or with Congress. Phelan was plunged into a maelstrom of challenges. Amidst all the challenges, Phelan received what could have been a powerful ally on his staff, when Hung Cao was confirmed as Undersecretary of the Navy, the number 2 billet.

Instead of drawing Hung Cao close, however, and using Cao’s experience and perspective to strengthen his own judgment, Phelan seemed to push Cao away and try to block him from contributing. Not a wise decision. Now, Phelan is out and Cao is the acting Secretary of the Navy.

Hung Cao was literally born into global struggle. In later years, in his military deployments around the globe, he has seen how vital it is for the US Navy and Marine Corps to be always prepared and always forward deployed before the next crisis erupts. As Cao takes over as acting Secretary of the Navy, he brings no magic wand. The global challenges for the US, the Navy, and the Marine Corps remain complex and contentious.

Still, new leadership can ignite a new urgency and build new results. Throughout his life, in one difficult situation after another, Cao has proven himself equal to every challenge. For his years of service to the Nation, Compass Points salutes the new acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao. His greatest challenge begins today.

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Reuters - 04/22/2026

US Navy Secretary Phelan fired, sources say

By Phil Stewart

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-navy-secretary-phelan-fired-by-pentagon-source-says-2026-04-22/

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MEET HUNG CAO

https://www.hungforva.com/

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DOD News - 04/24/2025

A Look Back at Operation Frequent Wind 50 Years Later

By David Vergun

https://www.war.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/4134061/a-look-back-at-operation-frequent-wind-50-years-later/

Compass Points - One Cheer

Marine Corps Compass Points — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:25:01 GMT

Compass Points - One Cheer

One cheer for technology

April 22, 2026

Give one cheer for new technology, even though military success requires more than the latest technology.

The Air Force has had its armed twisted once again by Congress and will keep the aging A-10 Warthog.

Meanwhile the Marine Corps is dreaming of is own 6th Generation fighter jet. There were doubts about the funding both a 6th Generation fighter for the Air Force and a 6th Generation fighter for the Navy. Now, one Marine General is suggesting the Marine Corps should have its own 6th Generation fighter.

Advanced technology can be extremely powerful and extremely useful, but despite amazing advances, technology in war promises more than it can deliver.

The ongoing fighting in Iran between the US military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a mismatch of technology.

In the summer of 2025, the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities in a precision strike. Even though Iran was well supplied with Russian and Chinese air defenses, Iran could offer only token resistance . The US has now returned with Operation Epic Fury and destroyed nearly all of Iran’s air force and navy.

So far the technology mismatch between the US and Iran has not created a speedy resolution. Despite a temporary ceasefire, the two sides seem far apart from finding the recipe for peaceful agreement.

Through conflict after conflict, the Air Force’s aging and often unwanted A-10 Warthog continues to fly low and slow. Defense One is reporting that, “A-10s escape retirement once again amid continued use in Iran war.”

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The Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt IIs have escaped retirement, again.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced in an X post Monday that the Warthogs will keep flying through 2030 to “preserve combat power until the Defense Industrial Base ramps up combat aircraft production.” The announcement comes as the Pentagon continues to use A-10s for rescue and close air support missions in the ongoing Iran war.

. . . The aircraft, which was heavily used during the Global War on Terror, has been slated for retirement multiple times since 1984, but continued to be extended instead. In the most recent National Defense Authorization Act, Congress pushed back the aircraft’s looming divestment and said the service can’t “decrease the total aircraft inventory of A-10 aircraft below 103 aircraft” until the end of this fiscal year. It also required Meink to brief lawmakers on the service’s plans for the fleet.

-- Defense Technology

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Instead of dreaming of its own version of the venerable A-10, even the Marine Corps is dreaming instead of a 6th Generation fighter of its own.

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When the Marine Corps released its 2026 Aviation Plan in February, it included a small nod to the concept of having a sixth-generation fighter after 2041. The process of fleshing that out is now underway, according to Lt. Gen. William Swan, the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for aviation, who told reporters in a Thursday roundtable that service leaders discussed plans during a Quantico meeting earlier this week.

. . . Swan said he ordered his team to include the mention of a sixth-gen fighter in the aviation plan because he wanted the Corps to be thinking about “a couple different ways” of how to get there.

-- Breaking Defense

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The Marine Corps, in recent years, has changed its priority from units that can locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, to units that are sensor nodes in a joint kill chain. Despite all technology advances, however, the US always needs capable ground forces.

While it is necessary to think about new technology far away in the distant future, the US always has conflicts ongoing on the ground, in the here and now. When the last US stealth bomber returns to base, and when the last missile is fired, the ground campaign may be only getting started. It is in the messy missions on the ground where the A-10 has always focused, and also where Marines have focused.

There is no generation of fighter jets yet invented, nor any fighter jet in artist sketches, that can solve the messy missions on the ground.

The US needs forces able to be used for missions beyond just shoot and scoot. Even as Operation Epic Fury continues, there are other crises just out of sight that will need more than just a few missiles. Instead of sensor and missiles units, what the US genuinely needs from the Marine Corps is updated and enhanced, forward deployed, combined arms, task forces around the globe that can arrive to any crisis able to deter, assist, rescue, strike, or fight.

High tech air strikes can be quick and easy, but when messy ground operations begin, send in the Marines!

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Defense One - 04/20/2026

A-10s escape retirement once again amid continued use in Iran war

The Air Force will extend three squadrons to keep the Warthog flying through 2030.

By Thomas Novelly

https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2026/04/-10s-escape-retirement-once-again-amid-continued-use-iran-war/412993/

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Breaking Defense - 04/17/2026

Marines starting early work on sixth-gen fighter jet concepts

Its early, but a top Marine general said he would expect a next-gen fighter to “look something like” the Navy’s F/A-XX.

By Diana Stancy

https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/marines-starting-early-work-on-sixth-gen-fighter-jet-concepts/

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Compass Points - Chowder II

Marine Corps Compass Points — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:05:52 GMT

Compass Points - Chowder II

Patient Persuasion

April 21, 2026

Semper Fidelis is a Latin phrase that means ‘always faithful.’ For Marines it is much more than just a phrase.

The members of Chowder Society II are senior Marines who have served Corps and Country with distinction both on active duty and today. Their decades of experience in war and peace, combined with deep study of history, give them unparalleled insights into the challenges the Marine Corps and the Nation will face in the future.

While the location of battles, the identities of adversaries, and the latest technology may change over the years. the US always needs what the Marine Corps has provided so well for so long: a flexible, capable, middle-weight, crisis response force. In recent years, as the Marine Corps seemed to lose its own focus on global crisis response, Chowder Society II has reluctantly stepped forward, to patiently and persistently make the case for the Marine Corps as an always ready, first to fight force.

Compass Points has received from Chowder Society II an update on their ongoing efforts to help the Marine Corps find a renewed focus on global readiness and global crisis response. Chowder Society II sees some progress. Compass Points salutes Chowder Society II for their ongoing efforts to make sure the Marine Corps is strong today and stronger tomorrow. Civilians may not understand the resounding crash and sparks that come as iron sharpens iron, or as one Marine sharpens another.

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Major Adjustments to Force Design 2030

The 38^th and 39^th Commandants circumvented the Marine Combat Development Command’s Concept-Based Requirements Process and used a very small team to create the Force Design 2030 plan. Then they acted on that plan without validating it in a way that could determine its viability. There was no vetting through the leadership of the Marine Corps, no true experimentation, no rigorous wargames (which, as we know, do not validate anything), no prioritization for funding, and no forthright articulation of the plan to leaders in the Defense Department and to Members of Congress—simply a sales job that overcame any desire to look “under the hood” to see how much combat capability was lost.

Force Design 2030 gained acceptance based on first, a belief that it was innovative and helped solve a critical strategic problem posed by the Chinese navy, and second, that it would cost our Nation nothing because of the funding achieved by an approach called “Divest to Invest.”

After seven years of effort very little of the stated “requirements” for Force Design 2030 (now called simply Force Design) have found their way to the operating forces either in quantity or quality. Instead, FD2030/FD has had a dramatic effect on the role of the Marine Corps in National Security. The major result has been the greatly reduced ability of the Marine Corps (supported by the Navy) to provide “expeditionary combined arms forces” ready to serve as a rheostat of capabilities for use by the National Command Authority.

The dangers of focusing the Marine Corps on one enemy and one geographic location came into sharp focus with the current war in Iran. The Commander of Central Command wanted the time tested Marine Air Ground Task Force, not the FD 2030 purpose built Marine Littoral Regiment or its Stand-in Forces.

To the credit of current senior Marine Corps leaders, they have recognized and are working to overcome the dangers of some of the Force Design divestments. These are examples for which we have some evidence:

— Decided not to convert the 4^th Marine infantry regiment into a Marine Littoral Regiment as originally planned.

— Have or plan to restore 150 of the 200 aircraft divested in the active inventory per the current Aviation Plan.

— Reactivated one HMLA squadron (Cobra and Hueys).

— Reversed the decision to stand down a CH-53K squadron.

·— Added two aircraft to each F-35B squadron (going from a PAA of 10 to 12).

— Halted divestment of cannon artillery batteries at seven batteries vice the planned 14.

https://www.fieldartillery.org/news/marine-artillery-in-transition-between-legacy-and-force-design.

— Increased the requirement for amphibious ships from 31 to 42.

—Decided not to stand up a long range missile battalion (TLAM) and deactivated the one battery already activated.

— Developed plans to increase the size of infantry battalions and to reactivate at least two infantry battalions over the next several years reversing earlier actions.

— Began examining a way to return bridging to engineer battalions.

— Terminated procurement of the Long Range Unmanned Surface Vehicle.

— Terminated plans to expand UAV squadrons.

— Terminated plans to develop a multi-domain reconnaissance battalion equipped with unmanned systems.

— Ended combat development of EABO.

There is much yet to be done to modernize and get Marine Corps operating forces into shape to meet the legislated requirement to field combined arms air-ground task forces.

At least one proponent of FD 2030 laments the move away from that plan and is particularly distressed that the Corps’ new capstone concept states that it is ‘globally responsive; . . . a combined arms force; and a naval expeditionary force.” He believes the Corps can only support one of these “paradigms.” He and other FD 2030 supporters fail to grasp that the Marine Corps’ unique ability to task organize enables it to successfully conduct a wide variety of operational tasks, including these three.

If the Corps’ current leaders continue to move away from the FD 2030 force, the Marine Corps will have the resources to again create the long-standing force in readiness that Americans and their leaders have long depended upon to meet the Nation’s most difficult challenges. They must never forget how the Corps lost its way when its previous commandant circumvented the Combat Development Process.

We are encouraged by recent developments.

Semper Fidelis.

Signed,

Members of Chowder Society II

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