Compass Points – Balanced MAGTF

Time to upgrade and restore.

Compass Points – Balanced MAGTF

Time to upgrade and restore.

January 29, 2024

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There is a growing discussion about the Marine MAGTF. In recent years the Marine Corps has taken its focus off the global MAGTF and focused instead on small units of Marines on islands in the Pacific. What is the future of the MAGTF? Can it still be the powerful, flexible, crisis response force it was created to be? Compass Points invited General Krulak and General Zinni to discuss their view of the MAGTF and the future.

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THE NEED TO REBALANCE THE MAGTF

Charles C. Krulak and Anthony C. Zinni

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The crown jewel of the Marine Corps has been the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). It was built to as a balanced combined arms team, easily tailored for any crisis or contingency. The close integration of the diverse elements gives the MAGTF a unique synergy and flexibility not found in rigid, fixed organizations.

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We have seen recent senior Marine Corps leaders unwisely degrade this critical national security treasure in pursuit of the so called “pacing threat.” They purposely gutted the MAGTF’s balanced organization and its expeditionary and rapid deployment capabilities. The rush to divest the MAGTF of needed and proven capabilities has created a dangerous void in our Nation’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to global crises and contingencies as recent events demonstrate. The Marine Corps and the Navy must rebuild and rebalance the crisis response force it once had.

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Those who were part of developing the MAGTF, witnessed the evolution of a unique combined arms force ideally suited for deterrence and global crisis response. Despite external pressures to “purpose design” the Corps or focus on one threat or region, these leaders opted for a unique global orientation and a flexible and scalable structure geared to be highly ready, quickly deployable, responsive, and effective across the spectrum of conflict. This was the nation’s 9-1-1 force. The key to such a force was then and continues to be maintaining a balanced air-ground-logistics team.

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The capability to meet unpredicted mission assignments at a moment’s notice coupled with the ability to operate within an unforeseen battlespace, requires a force possessing five resilient functions. These are the organic capabilities that enable the MAGTF to effectively maneuver, sense, fire, command and control, and logistically support its own operations and those of joint or combined elements under its control.

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Our previous leaders created a MAGTF on four levels, each with its own basic balanced structure and ability to combine with other forces or other MAGTFs to scale up (composite) to meet mission requirements. These levels were and remain the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), the Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and the Special Purpose MAGTF. Through design, training, and doctrine, these balanced forces could deploy and composite to meet any requirement. These forces possessed a balanced set of ground maneuver, air and indirect fires, sensing, logistics and engineering, and command and control capabilities.

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Balanced MAGTF’s could be employed as a corps-size force built around a multi-division ground combat element, or a brigade size force as an amphibious or Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF), or a forward deployed MEU that is constantly deployed and positioned to immediately respond to crises. They could reinforce each with a ready fly-in echelon or an Air Contingency/Alert Force. These forces easily composited to form a larger force to gain the synergistic advantage of a balanced organization. The balanced MAGTF was expeditionary, capable of operating from sea bases or in sustained operations ashore.

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The essential components of a balanced MAGTF remain its air, ground, and logistics elements. Air elements, with fixed, tilt and rotary wing aircraft must be capable of operating from ships or specially designed expeditionary airfields. They must be capable of performing six designated functions: offensive air support, anti-air warfare, assault support, air reconnaissance, and control of aircraft and missiles. Ground elements, consisting of infantry, artillery, armor, light armor, and combat engineers, must be trained and capable of task organized employment as light, medium, or heavy forces. Logistics elements must be capable of supporting the combined arms forces with supply requirements, maintenance, transportation, general engineering, health services, and other combat service support. The command elements must be trained and capable of providing the necessary command and control for a wide variety of missions.

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The glue holding this organization together are the Marines, expert in combined arms, fire support coordination, and joint and combined operations. MAGTF officers must earn their spurs aboard amphibious ships, and when possible, alongside maritime prepositioning squadrons carrying equipment for a carefully structured brigade. Aviation officers must understand ground combat. Infantry officers must understand aviation operations. Logistics officers must understand combined arms. These qualifications are gained through experience, training, and education in MAGTF operations.

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In this age of advanced sensors and weapons with increased range and lethality, as well as the potential for replicators, onsite logistics, and 3D printing, the need for rebalancing becomes even more apparent.

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Now is the time for Marine leaders to work with the Congress as they take the steps needed to rebuild and rebalance the MAGTF.  

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--General Charles C. Krulak, USMC, (ret) is a career infantry officer. His last assignment was as the 31^st Commandant of the Marine Corps.

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--General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC, (ret) is a career infantry officer. His last assignment was as the Commander, US Central Command.

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Compass Points thanks General Krulak and General Zinni for their timely warning on the need to rebuild the MAGTF.