The most basic Marine Corps mission and in my opinion the most important is:
“The mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad is to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat.”
The “close with” starts an CLNC, CamPen, and bases and stations World-Wide.
It does not matter what weapons we have if we cannot get the weapons within range.
We can’t even muster the Amphibious Shipping for a MEU besides the amphibious shipping for almost 2 MEBs in ODS. Yes, even then we had AE equipment loaded on commercial ships.
The US has so few ships (Combatants, MSC, and US Flagged Commercial) that like in the Revolutionary war we will have to pirate ships.
Oh and almost no US ship yards or tradesmen to man them.
As OUR General Gray would say take what you have and make what you need.
In the late 80’s, at the first LFTCLant LogO (0402) course, I was an LDO, EmbO instructor. I wrote a class on “Strategic Mobility.”
My last slide was:
“Strategic Mobility is the Marine Corps Achilles Heal.”
It was obvious then and maybe irreversible now.
Build Ships, Simple Seagoing Ships, lots of them, Reconstitute MPS, Forward Base Forces, retool US factories for Ammo, Weapons & Military Equipment.
Phil, the following sentences to my comment read as follows:
"To be clear, Vision 2035 is not an operating concept; rather, it provides an intellectual foundation upon which an operating concept can be built. That concept could then be vetted through the Marine Corps Combat Development Process to determine requirements that best balance global response with modernization.
Had this approved been followed five years ago, the Marine Corps would not have been hollowed out to chase the flavor of the month contingency."
All great articles.
The most basic Marine Corps mission and in my opinion the most important is:
“The mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad is to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat.”
The “close with” starts an CLNC, CamPen, and bases and stations World-Wide.
It does not matter what weapons we have if we cannot get the weapons within range.
We can’t even muster the Amphibious Shipping for a MEU besides the amphibious shipping for almost 2 MEBs in ODS. Yes, even then we had AE equipment loaded on commercial ships.
The US has so few ships (Combatants, MSC, and US Flagged Commercial) that like in the Revolutionary war we will have to pirate ships.
Oh and almost no US ship yards or tradesmen to man them.
As OUR General Gray would say take what you have and make what you need.
In the late 80’s, at the first LFTCLant LogO (0402) course, I was an LDO, EmbO instructor. I wrote a class on “Strategic Mobility.”
My last slide was:
“Strategic Mobility is the Marine Corps Achilles Heal.”
It was obvious then and maybe irreversible now.
Build Ships, Simple Seagoing Ships, lots of them, Reconstitute MPS, Forward Base Forces, retool US factories for Ammo, Weapons & Military Equipment.
Or build defensive positions in the US.
SteveB
LDO EmbO/SMO
McAbee nailed it. Stop the whining.
Phil, the following sentences to my comment read as follows:
"To be clear, Vision 2035 is not an operating concept; rather, it provides an intellectual foundation upon which an operating concept can be built. That concept could then be vetted through the Marine Corps Combat Development Process to determine requirements that best balance global response with modernization.
Had this approved been followed five years ago, the Marine Corps would not have been hollowed out to chase the flavor of the month contingency."
The last sentence certainly "nailed it."
Bravo Zulu..MCCP!