Here is Senator Sullivan taking the Navy to task because there are not 31 Amphibious Ships in the Navyshipbuilding plan. As the Senator states repeatedly, "Its the LAW”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Kvr8VKaGc The intent of the current military strategy is to support the National Security Strategy in a Great Power Competition and a "peer-to-peer" war with the CCP. Is the US and our military leaders missing the "Great Power Competition" part of this strategy? Is not the purpose of the Great Power Competition to avoid a war with the CCP? Why not use the Great Power Competition Strategy to expand the number of MEUs providing the opportunities to demonstrate its unique inherent abilities and flexibility. Apparently 31 amphibious ships will barely support two MEUs. A few years ago requests from the Marine Corps to support 3 MEUs was 38amphibious ships. The 3 MEUS supported a 1950s Cold War containment strategy. Now we have the CCP extending its influence GLOBALLY. Instead of working to maintain 2 sometimes 3 MEUs why are we not expanding to 5MEUs? (One in the Med., 2 in the Pacific, 1 in the Indian Ocean, and 1 in the North Atlantic and the Baltics.) If it takes 38 amphibs to float 3 MEUs that means, we are going to need somewhere close to 60 amphibs to support 5MEUs. I have to question if the latest Sudan evacuation using 100 Special Forces personnel and 3 MH-47s helos, evacuating 70 embassy staff is a token political operation. According to the news reports there are 14,000 US citizens In Sudan, that means there are only 13,930 bodies left to evacuate. In addition, while the Navy has been letting their amphibious fleet atrophy, the US Army has rebuilt its “Logistic Support Vehicles” (LSV) fleet. The biggest “vehicle” is the General Frank S. Besson Class LSV. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Frank_S._Besson-class_support_vessel)The US Army ordered 8 of this class and all are now operational. Looks like the Commandant has been talking to the wrong military service when it comes to acquiring amphibs.
Will be interesting to see what capabilities FD2030 will be able to provide the Combatant Commander for contingencies in Sudan and if we will see the Army step front and center to do what Marines once did.
Goddamn it! Why isn't this on 60 minutes? The American public is not aware of any of this and congress will not move on anything until their constituits force them to.
A mystery. We continue to offer the story to the media but so far only one short segment on PBS News Hour. One major broadcast media interviewed many from Chowder Society II and others supportive of our efforts--names most would instantly recognize--but after a considerable time investment nothing came of it. We will continue to try.
Here is Senator Sullivan taking the Navy to task because there are not 31 Amphibious Ships in the Navyshipbuilding plan. As the Senator states repeatedly, "Its the LAW”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Kvr8VKaGc The intent of the current military strategy is to support the National Security Strategy in a Great Power Competition and a "peer-to-peer" war with the CCP. Is the US and our military leaders missing the "Great Power Competition" part of this strategy? Is not the purpose of the Great Power Competition to avoid a war with the CCP? Why not use the Great Power Competition Strategy to expand the number of MEUs providing the opportunities to demonstrate its unique inherent abilities and flexibility. Apparently 31 amphibious ships will barely support two MEUs. A few years ago requests from the Marine Corps to support 3 MEUs was 38amphibious ships. The 3 MEUS supported a 1950s Cold War containment strategy. Now we have the CCP extending its influence GLOBALLY. Instead of working to maintain 2 sometimes 3 MEUs why are we not expanding to 5MEUs? (One in the Med., 2 in the Pacific, 1 in the Indian Ocean, and 1 in the North Atlantic and the Baltics.) If it takes 38 amphibs to float 3 MEUs that means, we are going to need somewhere close to 60 amphibs to support 5MEUs. I have to question if the latest Sudan evacuation using 100 Special Forces personnel and 3 MH-47s helos, evacuating 70 embassy staff is a token political operation. According to the news reports there are 14,000 US citizens In Sudan, that means there are only 13,930 bodies left to evacuate. In addition, while the Navy has been letting their amphibious fleet atrophy, the US Army has rebuilt its “Logistic Support Vehicles” (LSV) fleet. The biggest “vehicle” is the General Frank S. Besson Class LSV. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Frank_S._Besson-class_support_vessel)The US Army ordered 8 of this class and all are now operational. Looks like the Commandant has been talking to the wrong military service when it comes to acquiring amphibs.
Will be interesting to see what capabilities FD2030 will be able to provide the Combatant Commander for contingencies in Sudan and if we will see the Army step front and center to do what Marines once did.
Goddamn it! Why isn't this on 60 minutes? The American public is not aware of any of this and congress will not move on anything until their constituits force them to.
RD Shepard
A mystery. We continue to offer the story to the media but so far only one short segment on PBS News Hour. One major broadcast media interviewed many from Chowder Society II and others supportive of our efforts--names most would instantly recognize--but after a considerable time investment nothing came of it. We will continue to try.
What happened to VMGR 452 who use to be at Stewart International? Disbanded and sent to Hawaii?