Compass Points - Marine Community
A broad source of input, feedback, and ideas.
January 3, 2024
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The future holds challenges for the Marine Corps.
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The challenges ahead for the Marine Corps are not a narrow set of challenges but are a deep and difficult set of challenges. Fortunately, those who love and support the Marine Corps are a broad and diverse community including active duty, reserves, civilians, family members, former active duty, allies, and friends. To keep the Marine Corps moving forward, will require broad and deep input, feedback, and ideas from the entire Marine community.
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Compass Points readers are here to help.
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One reader, Polarbear, has provided commentary on squad tactics perfect for use by Marine Schools of Infantry. Polarbear comments on a short video by the Israel Defense Force (IDF), specifically the 931st Battalion of the Nahal Brigade operating in Jabaliya, Gaza.
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Click on the brief video to view the IDF squad in action. Polarbear reviews the video:
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Video - IDF 931st Battalion
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What I saw: a thing of beauty! Talk about combat lessons learned. Initially I saw two fire teams maneuvering providing suppressive fire as each bounded forward exploiting a gap.
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Take notice they use every one of their squad weapons. Besides their rifles, they use their 203s, and SAWs to keep the assault pressure on the enemy. Folks that is a superb demonstration of squad level combined arms tactics.
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Once they turn the street corner another fireteam/assault team appears with what looks like an NLAW. KRUMPA! NLAW round through a third story window, that’s an attention getter for the bad guys. Then one of the fire teams places suppressive fire down the street in the opposite direction. Apparently, the IDF squad keeps the pressure on and corners an RPG team.
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The IDF is using fire and maneuver to assault the enemy until their bare hands go into the air or, as in this case, they are E-KIAs. Hard to tell but I didn’t see any hand grenades on these IDF soldiers. For this urban fight they are probably packing at least a basic load of grenades.
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The only recommendation I would make is when they turn the corner, I would bring up a ready machine gun squad to suppress any fire coming across that water obstacle. Two M-60 machine guns barking is another attention getter. There is one JSR (Joe Sh*t the Ragman) standing in the middle of the street providing suppressive fire. That’s a no-no. Deliver fire from cover.
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A final item to notice throughout the video is the IDF soldiers are constantly talking to one another during the fight. A thing of beauty.
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Hey Marine Corps Infantry Training School you now have a new training video!
-- Polarbear
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Along with Polarbear and many others, the Wall Street Journal is helping the Marine Corp by its recent article that asks, "The Marines Transformed to Take On China. Will They Be Ready for Everything Else?" That questions is being asked again and again.
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Citing the Wall Street Journal article, an investigative reporter, Micaela Burrow writes, "Marine Generals' classified dissent memo warned of consequences to China focused overall."
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A Marine Corps general compiled a secret assessment in 2022 warning a seismic shift the then-commandant spearheaded to better prepare the Corps for a role in a Pacific fight could undercut the service’s mission, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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The April 2022 assessment, which appears to have gone unheeded, warned that former Commandant Gen. David Berger’s controversial Force Design 2030, meant to restructure the Marine Corps for an island-hopping mission to throttle the Chinese Navy, represented the “fraying of the fabric” of the Marine Corps, according to the WSJ, citing people familiar with the document. Its author, now retired former commanding general of the I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Lt. Gen. George Smith, said Force Design 2030 would hamstring the Marine Corps’ ability to meet challenges across the globe as tensions in the Middle East flare up once more.
-- Micaela Burrow
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In addition, another member of the broad Marine community, Congress, is helping the Marine Corps by requiring an official review of the Corps' plan to place isolated units of Marines on islands in the Pacific. The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act has this requirement:
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USC - SEC. 1076.
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF MARINE CORPS FORCE DESIGN 2030.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for the conduct of an independent review, assessment, and analysis of the modernization initiatives of the Marine Corps. The agreement shall provide that not later than one year after the date on which the Secretary and the center enter into the agreement, the center shall provide to the Secretary a report on the findings of the review, assessment, and analysis. Upon receipt of the report, the Secretary shall transmit the report to the congressional defense committees.
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The assessment is required to contain an extensive list of information and explanation including, "An inventory of divestments of capability or capacity, whether force structure or equipment, starting in fiscal year 2020."
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The challenges ahead for the Marine Corps are not a narrow set of challenges but are a deep and difficult set of challenges. Fortunately, those who love and support the Marine Corps are a broad and diverse community always ready to help. Compass Points thanks the entire Marine community including Polarbear, the Wall Street Journal, and Congress for helping the Marine Corps grow strong today and stronger tomorrow.
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931st Battalion of the Nahal Brigade in Jabaliya, Gaza.
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IDF infantry supported by tanks, Gaza
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo5JPm1yJ5o
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Wall Street Journal (wsj.com) 12/28/2023
The Marines Transformed to Take On China. Will They Be Ready for Everything Else?
A plan to redesign the Corps stirred warnings that it might have gone too far
By Michael R. Gordon and Nancy A. Youssef
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Daily Caller (dailycaller.com) 12/28/2023
Marine Generals' classified dissent memo warned of consequences to China focused overall.
Micaela Burrow, Investigative Reporter, Defense
Excellent time to re-read: "Re-Maneuverizing the Marine Corps Looking back to move forward
by Maj Sean F.X. Barrett, Mie Augier, & Col Michael D. Wyly, USMC(Ret) https://www.mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Re-Maneuverizing-the-Marine-Corps.pdf