I got this info confidentially. Apparently, this is what actually happened to put the USMC in it's current position:
At the Friday night DoD poker game, where the services play for who gets what, the USMC got up to use the head. When he returned, he got worried:
USMC: Hey! Did you guys look at my cards?
USN: No brother, we're family. (Raises bet...a lot)
USA: Nope. (Matches the raise)
USAF: Not me, buddy. (Matches also)
USSF: 404 not found. (Matches)
SOCOM: (just stares...and matches)
JCS: Relax Marine Corps, it's all good. You're doing fine. Like you say, divest to invest. Now I am going to call and you are going to throw that pair of Aces on the table along with the rest of the hot garbage you're holding.
Fascinating how some well placed heavy breathers in the Pentagon and in Congress praised the Corps for giving up personnel, equipment, force structure, and capability. If this was such a great move why did NOT the rest of the Services follow in trace???? Looks like the Corps is being set up to be a bill payer.
Intended, or not, that argument certainly has a ring of truth to it. Moreover, since Congress has an oversight responsibility of the armed forces, it is clear to me that either folks were asleep at the helm, let the number crunchers take the lead, or, that body lacks members possessing a legitimate strategic understanding of world affairs, and how the USMC fits into that condition.
Dear Jacob, You letter predates the NDAA that requires answers after an intense review of Force Design by a FFRDCs. The outside assessment of Force Design will examine questions that include, in boiled-down form:
“What evidence does the Marine Corps have to back up the changes it has made?
Does the war in Ukraine make Force Design changes seem more or less advisable?
Can the defense industrial base, in a timely fashion, develop and produce the tech the Corps wants for Force Design?
Does Force Design meet the requirements of combatant commanders, who lead forces across the globe?
Does Force Design comply with the federal law laying out the required organization and functions of the Marine Corps?
How should the Marine Corps prepare for future conflict? “. I look forward to the results of the examination? Do you?
535 Members of Congress, 16 signatures, more than a year old. FD does not comply with 10 US Code 8063 or Goldwater Nichols Act 1986 ,the contents of the letter make this clear, tomorrow a more detailed set of comments regarding this letter will be produced. Thanks for your late night “ad hominem humor”.
This document provides an in-depth look at the opinions and concerns of our lawmakers, cutting through the noise and presenting the facts as they stand.
Don’t be swayed by biased narratives; get the truth directly from the source.
lol....just because Congress and the Senate are willing to spend money on it does not make it a good idea, in fact it amplifies and enhances the problem. Do any of these projects increase the Marine Corps budget beyond the initial guidance of 2.x% published at the beginning of the current administration? Compare the Marine Corps and Navy budgets for FY20 to FY24. https://www.statista.com/statistics/239290/budget-of-the-us-navy-and-the-us-marine-corps/
Between FY20 and FY24 the Marine Corps budget increased by 10% (with a budget decrease in FY21) when the US Navy Budget increased by 20%. General Burger got played because we are still waiting for the increase in lethality part of the trade for combat power. The bad part of that Navy increase of 20%, ship building is delayed 12-36 months per ship and we can't get the ships (including amphibs) out of maintenance.
I have many questions regarding this Congressional letter. I wonder if the Congress members were also briefed on the negatives of FD? How this would degrade America's crisis intervention force? That FD would hobble the Marine Corps' ability to respond in a timely manner to other more likely contingencies? FD is basically focused on only one adversary, without regard for other possible world events. Are the Chinese really, afraid of this new redesign of the Marine Corps? The Army is standing up its Multi-Domain Task Forces for this mission, so why does the Marine Corps, the Nation's only combined arms naval expeditionary force, being reduced? Was there any discussion of these issues?
One can see incompetence at every turn. A sleeping congress, most of the legislative body doesn’t know that the Marine Corps has a Title X mandate, which it is not meeting and most probably don’t know that it goes to sea, or if it does know it goes to sea the “leather necks” stage in the topsail rigging to fire down on the pesky redcoats.
The worse part of the dilemma is that there are still members of the Corps at the highest levels of command that cling to the MLR, SIF, shallow bottomed ships sneaking around littoral regions waiting on the Chinese (a peer foe?) to do “something” like blithely sail past the missiles aimed at them and get sunk at the water line. Of course they will!
The moxie and arrogance of the “managerial class” (note again, they lost the leader role a while ago) to continue to run this firecrackers and radar sensing jive by Congress aka the American people is stunning. Back to reality, you have a mission and obligation to conduct that mission and you have neither the manpower, equipment or current force structure to meet that requirement. It has been said here many times, by more than one contributor, if the Corps were a public company (and it is and then some) the investors would vote with their feet and the company would fail. Perhaps that is just what some of the past and present managers want. The golden parachute isn’t quite as large as the CEO who fleeces the investors, but it solves two problems: 1. Gets rid of the failing company, and 2. Gives the top managers a pay out.
The consequences in this case are somewhat more dire, than the public not be able to buy a new Remington razor or black and white TV. But, maybe, late or not Congress is on to the Berger Smith and consultants game of three card Monty and will drill enough to stop the madness and allow a return to the MAGTF operating at full strength and capability.
Time to stop the madness. Marines isolated on isolated islands waiting for a target of opportunity, which would be of relatively low value, is beyond stupid. Do not negate the value the Marines historically have provided to the nation with an unsupportable idea that is destined to fail at face value. What the hell is the “ leadership” thinking? Time to reconsider the leadership, as it is failing the Corps and the nation.
(repost):
cfrog
Jun 4
I got this info confidentially. Apparently, this is what actually happened to put the USMC in it's current position:
At the Friday night DoD poker game, where the services play for who gets what, the USMC got up to use the head. When he returned, he got worried:
USMC: Hey! Did you guys look at my cards?
USN: No brother, we're family. (Raises bet...a lot)
USA: Nope. (Matches the raise)
USAF: Not me, buddy. (Matches also)
USSF: 404 not found. (Matches)
SOCOM: (just stares...and matches)
JCS: Relax Marine Corps, it's all good. You're doing fine. Like you say, divest to invest. Now I am going to call and you are going to throw that pair of Aces on the table along with the rest of the hot garbage you're holding.
This whole FD thing looks like it went down that simple.
If you don't know who the patsy at the table is...
Re MTBSW! I shared it on X!
Fascinating how some well placed heavy breathers in the Pentagon and in Congress praised the Corps for giving up personnel, equipment, force structure, and capability. If this was such a great move why did NOT the rest of the Services follow in trace???? Looks like the Corps is being set up to be a bill payer.
Intended, or not, that argument certainly has a ring of truth to it. Moreover, since Congress has an oversight responsibility of the armed forces, it is clear to me that either folks were asleep at the helm, let the number crunchers take the lead, or, that body lacks members possessing a legitimate strategic understanding of world affairs, and how the USMC fits into that condition.
Dear Jacob, You letter predates the NDAA that requires answers after an intense review of Force Design by a FFRDCs. The outside assessment of Force Design will examine questions that include, in boiled-down form:
“What evidence does the Marine Corps have to back up the changes it has made?
Does the war in Ukraine make Force Design changes seem more or less advisable?
Can the defense industrial base, in a timely fashion, develop and produce the tech the Corps wants for Force Design?
Does Force Design meet the requirements of combatant commanders, who lead forces across the globe?
Does Force Design comply with the federal law laying out the required organization and functions of the Marine Corps?
How should the Marine Corps prepare for future conflict? “. I look forward to the results of the examination? Do you?
535 Members of Congress, 16 signatures, more than a year old. FD does not comply with 10 US Code 8063 or Goldwater Nichols Act 1986 ,the contents of the letter make this clear, tomorrow a more detailed set of comments regarding this letter will be produced. Thanks for your late night “ad hominem humor”.
More propaganda half-truths from the Chowderites and their proxy Compass Points.
If you want to get a clear picture of Congress’s actual stance on Force Design, I recommend reading this insightful letter:
Force Design Letter - https://www.manchin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/force_design_letter.pdf?cb.
This document provides an in-depth look at the opinions and concerns of our lawmakers, cutting through the noise and presenting the facts as they stand.
Don’t be swayed by biased narratives; get the truth directly from the source.
lol....just because Congress and the Senate are willing to spend money on it does not make it a good idea, in fact it amplifies and enhances the problem. Do any of these projects increase the Marine Corps budget beyond the initial guidance of 2.x% published at the beginning of the current administration? Compare the Marine Corps and Navy budgets for FY20 to FY24. https://www.statista.com/statistics/239290/budget-of-the-us-navy-and-the-us-marine-corps/
Between FY20 and FY24 the Marine Corps budget increased by 10% (with a budget decrease in FY21) when the US Navy Budget increased by 20%. General Burger got played because we are still waiting for the increase in lethality part of the trade for combat power. The bad part of that Navy increase of 20%, ship building is delayed 12-36 months per ship and we can't get the ships (including amphibs) out of maintenance.
I have many questions regarding this Congressional letter. I wonder if the Congress members were also briefed on the negatives of FD? How this would degrade America's crisis intervention force? That FD would hobble the Marine Corps' ability to respond in a timely manner to other more likely contingencies? FD is basically focused on only one adversary, without regard for other possible world events. Are the Chinese really, afraid of this new redesign of the Marine Corps? The Army is standing up its Multi-Domain Task Forces for this mission, so why does the Marine Corps, the Nation's only combined arms naval expeditionary force, being reduced? Was there any discussion of these issues?
One can see incompetence at every turn. A sleeping congress, most of the legislative body doesn’t know that the Marine Corps has a Title X mandate, which it is not meeting and most probably don’t know that it goes to sea, or if it does know it goes to sea the “leather necks” stage in the topsail rigging to fire down on the pesky redcoats.
The worse part of the dilemma is that there are still members of the Corps at the highest levels of command that cling to the MLR, SIF, shallow bottomed ships sneaking around littoral regions waiting on the Chinese (a peer foe?) to do “something” like blithely sail past the missiles aimed at them and get sunk at the water line. Of course they will!
The moxie and arrogance of the “managerial class” (note again, they lost the leader role a while ago) to continue to run this firecrackers and radar sensing jive by Congress aka the American people is stunning. Back to reality, you have a mission and obligation to conduct that mission and you have neither the manpower, equipment or current force structure to meet that requirement. It has been said here many times, by more than one contributor, if the Corps were a public company (and it is and then some) the investors would vote with their feet and the company would fail. Perhaps that is just what some of the past and present managers want. The golden parachute isn’t quite as large as the CEO who fleeces the investors, but it solves two problems: 1. Gets rid of the failing company, and 2. Gives the top managers a pay out.
The consequences in this case are somewhat more dire, than the public not be able to buy a new Remington razor or black and white TV. But, maybe, late or not Congress is on to the Berger Smith and consultants game of three card Monty and will drill enough to stop the madness and allow a return to the MAGTF operating at full strength and capability.
Time to stop the madness. Marines isolated on isolated islands waiting for a target of opportunity, which would be of relatively low value, is beyond stupid. Do not negate the value the Marines historically have provided to the nation with an unsupportable idea that is destined to fail at face value. What the hell is the “ leadership” thinking? Time to reconsider the leadership, as it is failing the Corps and the nation.