Compass Points - Mr. President
The Marine MAGTF is a very useful tool
Compass Points - Mr. President
The Marine MAGTF is a very useful tool
March 3, 2026
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We will send ships and Marines as soon as possible for the protection of American life and property.
-- Theodore Roosevelt
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Dear Mr. President,
Congratulations on the initial success of Operation Epic Fury. The massive operation has the potential to reshape the Middle East, make the entire world safer, and the US stronger.
I was happy to see reported that as part of Operation Epic Fury you are not ruling out -- if it is necessary -- putting ‘boots on the ground.’ That is wise. Once a major operation like Epic Fury begins, it can turn in unexpected ways. The US always needs flexible options in war.
That is where I come in. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marine MAGTF. The word MAGTF stands for Marine Air Ground Task Force. A MAGTF is an always ready, flexible force that can arrive at any crisis to give you options. A MAGTF can be any size you need, from a couple of thousand Marines, to forty thousand or more. A MAGTF brings its own infantry, aviation, and logistics. When a MAGTF is onboard Navy amphibious ships, a Marine MAGTF can sit off shore -- no boots on the ground -- while giving you the options to deter, assist, rescue, strike, or fight. The Marine MAGTF can jump onshore for a raid or rescue and then return to their ships.
One of your predecessors, Teddy Roosevelt said, “We will send ships and Marines as soon as possible for the protection of American life and property.”
You can do the same thing. How could Marine MAGTFs be useful in Operation Epic Fury? The Operation is a tremendous success so far, but unexpected events always happen. For example, three US Air Force fighter jets have been shot down, with a total of six crew members.
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TAMPA, Fla. – Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.
During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.
All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
-- CENTCOM Press Release
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The three US jets were shot down in a friendly fire accident and all six crew have been rescued. What if the situation had been different? What if the three fighter jets had been shot down by enemy fire? The six crew could have bailed out at different times and all six might have been in different locations, evading the enemy. How would the US have staged six rescue missions immediately? With Marine MAGTFs onboard Navy amphibious ships, all six crew could be rescued quickly. Marines MAGTF are specifically trained for some two dozen missions, including pilot rescue.
Other challenges might still erupt in Operation Epic Fury. For example, there are some two dozen major US embassies and consulates in and around the Middle East. US Marine have been fighting to defend the consulate in Karachi over the last few days. You do not want the staff of a US embassy captured by the enemy. Marine MAGTFs can move quickly from Navy amphibious ships and reinforce or rescue an embassy.
Phile News is reporting that the US is asking Cyprus to host US Marines as part of an evacuation effort. Marines are trained to conduct evacuations. But it is not clear if the Marines will be part of a Marine MAGTF or not. It is the MAGTF that comes equipped with the tools and training for, not just one mission, but a variety of missions. Marine MAGTFs on the scene of any crisis give you options.
Look back at Operation Absolute Resolve that captured Maduro and his wife in Venezuela. Recently, you awarded the Medal of Honor to CWO 5 Eric Slover, a US Army helicopter pilot who was badly wounded on the raid but kept flying despite his wounds. The raid to snatch Maduro was perfectly executed. But what if things had not gone well? What if the raid force was attacked by a much larger enemy force? Who would have rescued the rescuers? The Marine MAGTF you had just off shore could have come to the rescue. A Marine MAGTF always gives you options in dangerous situations. Unfortunately, you do not have a Marine MAGTF in the Middle East today.
To serve the Nation better, your Marine MAGTF needs your help. To be always on patrol around the world, providing global deterrence day and night, reassuring allies, and worrying adversaries, your Marine MAGTF needs to be updated and enhanced, and most of all needs more amphibious ships.
To give you constant options around the globe the Marine Corps needs to get back to the 2 MEB lift requirement. The 2 MEB lift requirement makes certain the Marines have enough Navy amphibious ships (at an 80% readiness rate) to put a medium sized MAGTF in two locations at the same time, for example, one in the Western Hemisphere and one in the Middle East.
Your Marines today are fighting in the air over Iran, they are fighting to defend the consulate in Karachi, and they are on the way to Cyprus to help with evacuations.
If you can get us the ships, your Marine MAGTFs will be where you need us, before you need us, giving you a full roster of options for whatever comes next.
Respectfully,
Your Marine MAGTF
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PS You might ask Secretary Hegseth if the Marines being sent to Cyprus are a Marine MAGTF? Only a Marine MAGTF gives you all the options you may need in the days and weeks ahead.
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New York Post - 03/02/2026
Trump won’t rule out sending US troops into Iran ‘if necessary’— tells The Post war is progressing ‘way ahead of schedule’
By Steven Nelson
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Marines.mil
Amphibious Ready Group & Marine Expeditionary Unit Overview
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Global Security
Amphibious Ship Building
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/scn-phib.htm
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Federal News Network -02/27/2026
Marines looking for levers to pull to improve readiness
Marines Corps Lt. Gen. Jay Bargeron said getting its amphibious groups to an 80% readiness rate up from about 50% is a top priority.
By Jason Miller@jmillerWFED
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Phile News - 3/3/2026
Washington asks Cyprus to host Marines for American citizen evacuation from Middle East
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1. Just the Iranian ramp up in Missiles is a threat. For 47 years Iran has threatened to destroy us and we have tried everything to appease them to no avail. We should believe them. There is not much chance of an amphibious assault. The Marine Corps gave away that capability so time ago.
2. Any proof the three F-15’s ran out of fuel on their way home? That would take the investigation into a simpler direction….
2. The State Department has encouraged US citizens to leave 14 countries across the Muslim world in a band stretching 6000 miles. They are largely on their own. Not so long ago multiple MEUs would have been ready to conduct Non Combatant Evacuations. Right now we could use one in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific for that very reason. There are none available. Some departures may be permissive and some may come to resemble the fiasco in Kabul. Some could look like Cambodia or S Vietnam. Some like Beirut. That is immaterial. The fact remains that our MEUs are not able to do it and can’t get there anyway.
A mob with firearms just tried to storm the Consulate in Karachi. The Marine Embassy Guards repelled them with small arms. Are they being reinforced? No MEU available. Maybe MCSF are on their way. Lift via the USAF. Maybe not.
The fact remains the current MAGTF’s are a mere shadow of what they once were and we lack the Amphib shipping to keep them patrolling the seas. The USMC EABO efforts have zero applicability in the above circumstances. Zero.
Ultimately Congress is going to ask why we even have a Marine Corps or at least one as large as it is. Once you are irrelevant you lose funding and manpower. You then become even less relevant, end up obsolete and are eventually reduced to a small ceremonial outfit before finally and without fanfare disbanded. If you are an optimist you become an Amphibious Division of the US Army before you go the way of the horse cavalry.
Six years ago the Corps knew it needed some modernization of our MAGTFs and we needed more Amphibs. The solution was EABO which solved nothing and everyone who saw through the gross stupidity of it was tarred as “resistant to change”. These are the magic words to kill any opponent resistant to ill advised and flawed change. When you have a problem you must embrace a change provided it is the right change. The last two Commandants embraced the wrong change and the Corps is now irrelevant in the conflicts of our times.
The United States Marines do have a score to settle with Hezbollah for what they did to our brothers in Beirut in October 1983. Nobody ever did anything about that.