It is abundantly clear that Japanese behavior in gobbling up islands in the Pacific post WW I has a contemporary counterpart in Russia & China. The many islands in territorial waters of the P.I. are being violated by joint Russian & Chinese naval forces. I believe the same thing is happening today amongst the many smaller islands belonging to Japan. We know the Chinese have made incursions into the Solomons. Marines, here’s the bottom line: as the seemingly irresistible push of Russia & China to take control of more Pacific lands, threaten more international sea lanes and air spaces of free & independent nations, the greater will be the requirement for America’s Amphibious forces to take them back - Repeat - to take them back! No other nation can lead this effort with force necessary to re-establish peace & prosperity. Only we can do this. So, as we continue to rebuild our robustness as a fighting force, our arguments need to also remind us - all of us - of our reduced industrial capacity - that, too, must reversed if we are to hold our own with the Chinese & Russians. I am indebted to fellow CGSC faculty mate, Dr. Thomas Huber, for reinforcement of the above ideas, a scholar who told me just this morning that if the “Chinese take those islands, the Marine Corps must take them back”. Sobering, but realistic.
Lt. Colonel Meador brings up some very important points. We can liken the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as analogous to the Japanese Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere prior to the Second World War. While the naval confrontations in the South China Sea with the Philippines are highlighted in the news today, of prime importance in the region is the Straight of Malacca, where at least a quarter of the world's maritime commerce passes. The Chinese have been and are working diligently on this program for ten years. If they are willing to do what they are presently doing to prevent aid to a Philippine naval outpost, then they will put up a fight to save the BRI. To counter and maintain freedom of navigations, we need a strong military force.
The Marine Corps needs to do what it does best, and that is to be ready to fight as a combined arms naval expeditionary force, and leave the Deep Battle to the Air Force, Navy, and the Army's Multi-Domain Task Force. We need a formidable naval expeditionary force to seize and secure any of the island areas in the Pacific. We should also not lose sight that the Chinese and Russians are making inroads into Africa and Latin America for rare earth minerals. Many of these areas also beg for robust amphibious and littoral forces.
Their words and deeds say”we are coming” for whatever we want, and will challenge the U.S. to get it. We should take them at their word, and respond accordingly.
Exactly. We have a habit of being caught flat footed. We need to be prepared as of yesterday. The dismantling of the combined arms MAGTF, has put the US behind the power curve.
It is abundantly clear that Japanese behavior in gobbling up islands in the Pacific post WW I has a contemporary counterpart in Russia & China. The many islands in territorial waters of the P.I. are being violated by joint Russian & Chinese naval forces. I believe the same thing is happening today amongst the many smaller islands belonging to Japan. We know the Chinese have made incursions into the Solomons. Marines, here’s the bottom line: as the seemingly irresistible push of Russia & China to take control of more Pacific lands, threaten more international sea lanes and air spaces of free & independent nations, the greater will be the requirement for America’s Amphibious forces to take them back - Repeat - to take them back! No other nation can lead this effort with force necessary to re-establish peace & prosperity. Only we can do this. So, as we continue to rebuild our robustness as a fighting force, our arguments need to also remind us - all of us - of our reduced industrial capacity - that, too, must reversed if we are to hold our own with the Chinese & Russians. I am indebted to fellow CGSC faculty mate, Dr. Thomas Huber, for reinforcement of the above ideas, a scholar who told me just this morning that if the “Chinese take those islands, the Marine Corps must take them back”. Sobering, but realistic.
Lt. Colonel Meador brings up some very important points. We can liken the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as analogous to the Japanese Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere prior to the Second World War. While the naval confrontations in the South China Sea with the Philippines are highlighted in the news today, of prime importance in the region is the Straight of Malacca, where at least a quarter of the world's maritime commerce passes. The Chinese have been and are working diligently on this program for ten years. If they are willing to do what they are presently doing to prevent aid to a Philippine naval outpost, then they will put up a fight to save the BRI. To counter and maintain freedom of navigations, we need a strong military force.
The Marine Corps needs to do what it does best, and that is to be ready to fight as a combined arms naval expeditionary force, and leave the Deep Battle to the Air Force, Navy, and the Army's Multi-Domain Task Force. We need a formidable naval expeditionary force to seize and secure any of the island areas in the Pacific. We should also not lose sight that the Chinese and Russians are making inroads into Africa and Latin America for rare earth minerals. Many of these areas also beg for robust amphibious and littoral forces.
Their words and deeds say”we are coming” for whatever we want, and will challenge the U.S. to get it. We should take them at their word, and respond accordingly.
Exactly. We have a habit of being caught flat footed. We need to be prepared as of yesterday. The dismantling of the combined arms MAGTF, has put the US behind the power curve.