Change the rules and allow Pilipino sailors to man the ships. It's a win-win. Leaving the ships to rust says they're no longer of use to the US. Man them with our allies and put them back to work. It doesn't take a genius to think this plan could work. Those who think it's not a good idea, respond and bring your own solutions.
Albert Einstein: 'Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.' It is time for the CMC and the CNO to be relieved for cause.
Excellent article demonstrating the Marine mindset of overcoming obstacles. It would work and greatly benefit us. My experience with the Phillipino military is they are a committed force limited by resources. The same applies to the population. And they love our country.
Another more pressing issue is my time in the Corps and after I continue to study our history and stay current on the Corps. My feeling, and I pray I'm wrong, is the Corps has never been more in danger of becoming irrelevant in modern history. All of us, retired and active must be proactive and let the President, Congress, industry, and the USA how indispensable we are.
These ships are all great in a permissive, or even semi permissive environment for NEOs maritime platforms afloat but, in a non permissive A2AD environment they are just targets to be hit, and our troops are just "dead in the water" literally. We need LPVs, (low profile vehicles), a cloak of invisibility for our fleet. The Houthis and Hezbollah have ASBM, drones, FAS, all supplied by Iran, China, and Russia. What we have seen in the Houthis maritime fight is nothing comparative to China’s expanded anti-ship and SMF rockets drones etc. The Navy and US ship building needs to get its shit together to expand east and west coast building architecture and laborers i.e. welders, movers, heavy equipment operators, electricians, C5I guys etc. In WWII we could build ships in 14 days. Time to bring that skillset back to the US CONUS. My opinion only. M2
And this is exactly why the LSM (formerly LAW) should never be built. It is not survivable, which means the SIF is unsupportable in a contested environment. When will the obvious become obvious to the Marine Corps? senior leadership?
It will become obvious if the SecNav nominee is confirmed and he asks a few simple questions; which neither the current CNO and CMC can answer and he will do what all Private Equity and or Hedge Fund big bosses do…fire them both for cause, which in this case will be easy to demonstrate, since their blind stupidity is obvious. The current CNO and CMC might consider getting their resumes tuned up. Money guys running money and or big public companies don’t suffer fools. This “new guy” isn’t going to care and he will have DOGE and OMB a on his back side to find savings and new found efficiencies. Not to be too harsh or impolite but, the CNO and CMC are too hidebound and part of the DC morass. Time to clean house. New applicants for the CMC post will need extensive FMF and MSGTF command time and limited time with the milk and cookies set in the joint command structure.
cfrog, spent a mis-spent year at the Big E (Enron) long story short Lay and Skilling were not big money guys they were crooks. Lehman ought not have failed, but Dick Fuld aka the Gorilla of Wall Street had no friends and many enemy’s including the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson who helped to make sure Lehman failed. For sure all these guys from Wall Street and Silicon Valley ought be view with a jaundice eye, the current system is badly broken and if the new guys break the eggs and get enough traction to make omelettes with new vigorous leadership it’s worth a go. It can’t be so that “business as usual” continues. This isn’t going to be easy but my guess is we would like to be fly’s on the wall when and if the current CMC meets his new SecNav…hold on to your cover a cyclone is brewing!
"Cautionary note about money guys and big public companies"- they are not a panacea for good governance. Lehman Brothers and Enron come to mind. Likewise, the biggest money guys pushed the ESG narrative hard. Why? Not because it was efficient or lead to improvement. They pushed it because they could exploit a prepared position. I am not saying pursuing efficiency and fiduciary responsibilty is bad; I am saying that exchanging one set of problems for another just because someone shows up on your door step saying 'The Currently Fashionable Things' is to meet the new boss/same as the old boss.
I think about this a lot as I have a running discussion / disagreement with a best of friends who is still inside the green about this very topic. We need to be ever vigilant.
This not a new issue. The Amphibious vessels have been degrading for decades.
In 1982, the President of the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley had been reporting a declining material condition of Amphibs for years.
In spite of reports from the INSURV and Commanding Officers reporting up through the chain of command to type commanders, fixes were not forthcoming from Washington DC.
The INSURV was my last tour. RADM Bulkeley ordered special INSURVs on 10 west coast and 10 east coast Amphibs. The Marine Corps provided a Colonel to each coast. Ours in San Diego came from Camp Pendleton. I was the west coast board project officer.
I ordered sets of the original plans and specifications for each ship class be sent to both the board in Norfolk and San Diego. Along with the required “as built speciations and drawings from the building shipyard and Naval Sea Command (NAVSEA) and other commands responsible for designing, building and delivering each vessel.
During the next few months, we uncovered a huge gap between the original plans, as delivered plans and the conditions we found. The gap was to make NAVSEA look better the largest gap was in crew manning and total manning with embarked Marines. The forward operations, maintenance and overhaul
cost calculations did not include the embarked Marines. Thus, the required planning, training, and parts support required with embarked Marines was never included.
The result was year-after-year Amphibs did not receive the funding and other support required with the designed full compliment of personnel of Navy and Marines combined. Hence the poor martial conditions and continuous decline because NAVSEA, the Navy and Congress did not provide the necessary funding.
Since 1983, I have observed from afar the continuous decline. Even writing as I do here to many in the Congress, Navy and Corps. Even verbalizing what I write in many meetings.
The surface Navy has no continuing lessons learned to create a better fleet. Nor does NAVSEA other commands and Congress.
Upon RADM Bulkeley finding that the Navy had no system that could track in real time of the material conditions of vessels down to the component level, he had INDURV members write for each of their 19
Enginerring disciplines a requirement. It was put out to bid and awarded to ROH Corporation in
San Diego and Yang Corporation in Massachusetts.
RADM Bulkeley asked BUPERS for six nuclear trained officers to upgrade the INSURV. He asked for three 06s and three 05s. He got his three 06s but only twoO5s, and then me…an O4…
I was ordered to the San Diego office working for Dennis Reed a surface nuke. We got along great.
The contract with ROH and Yang was three years behind schedule. Captain Reed asked if he could assign me to review the contact. I did. I ordered two project managers from ROH and Yang to meet me in my office every Friday at 0900.
They immediately called the Navy Contracting Officer in Washington DC. He called demanding to
know why I was interfering with his contract. I said because it’s three years behind the schedule and RADM Bulletin told me to find out what and fix it. “Here is the Admiral's phone number, please call him.” After you talk with him, he will let me know if I should cancel my trip to see you. “What?”
Yes, I am going back there to review your contract files to try and find out why you let this contract get 3 years behind schedule. Six months later the system worked. I understand RADM Bulkeley offered it to NAVSEA and they turned him down.
What had caused Amphibs and other Nave vessels to be in poor condition? Look no further than
Seems to me these ESB and EPF vessels are relatively brand new and more than capable to housing a MEU- Lite type SPMGTF.
There was a time when MEU's used to pass each other in the Atlanic or between California and Hawaii. The WASP ARG came back to NOB today....nothing taking her place for the foreseeable future.
Why not have these vessels forward deployed, in the MED and Philippines/Singapore, or even Australia, and do a fly in MAGTF to man them up for short patrols in areas not covered by a MEU.
Change the rules and allow Pilipino sailors to man the ships. It's a win-win. Leaving the ships to rust says they're no longer of use to the US. Man them with our allies and put them back to work. It doesn't take a genius to think this plan could work. Those who think it's not a good idea, respond and bring your own solutions.
The author makes valid points and brilliant observations here!
Albert Einstein: 'Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.' It is time for the CMC and the CNO to be relieved for cause.
Excellent article demonstrating the Marine mindset of overcoming obstacles. It would work and greatly benefit us. My experience with the Phillipino military is they are a committed force limited by resources. The same applies to the population. And they love our country.
Another more pressing issue is my time in the Corps and after I continue to study our history and stay current on the Corps. My feeling, and I pray I'm wrong, is the Corps has never been more in danger of becoming irrelevant in modern history. All of us, retired and active must be proactive and let the President, Congress, industry, and the USA how indispensable we are.
These ships are all great in a permissive, or even semi permissive environment for NEOs maritime platforms afloat but, in a non permissive A2AD environment they are just targets to be hit, and our troops are just "dead in the water" literally. We need LPVs, (low profile vehicles), a cloak of invisibility for our fleet. The Houthis and Hezbollah have ASBM, drones, FAS, all supplied by Iran, China, and Russia. What we have seen in the Houthis maritime fight is nothing comparative to China’s expanded anti-ship and SMF rockets drones etc. The Navy and US ship building needs to get its shit together to expand east and west coast building architecture and laborers i.e. welders, movers, heavy equipment operators, electricians, C5I guys etc. In WWII we could build ships in 14 days. Time to bring that skillset back to the US CONUS. My opinion only. M2
And this is exactly why the LSM (formerly LAW) should never be built. It is not survivable, which means the SIF is unsupportable in a contested environment. When will the obvious become obvious to the Marine Corps? senior leadership?
It will become obvious if the SecNav nominee is confirmed and he asks a few simple questions; which neither the current CNO and CMC can answer and he will do what all Private Equity and or Hedge Fund big bosses do…fire them both for cause, which in this case will be easy to demonstrate, since their blind stupidity is obvious. The current CNO and CMC might consider getting their resumes tuned up. Money guys running money and or big public companies don’t suffer fools. This “new guy” isn’t going to care and he will have DOGE and OMB a on his back side to find savings and new found efficiencies. Not to be too harsh or impolite but, the CNO and CMC are too hidebound and part of the DC morass. Time to clean house. New applicants for the CMC post will need extensive FMF and MSGTF command time and limited time with the milk and cookies set in the joint command structure.
cfrog, spent a mis-spent year at the Big E (Enron) long story short Lay and Skilling were not big money guys they were crooks. Lehman ought not have failed, but Dick Fuld aka the Gorilla of Wall Street had no friends and many enemy’s including the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson who helped to make sure Lehman failed. For sure all these guys from Wall Street and Silicon Valley ought be view with a jaundice eye, the current system is badly broken and if the new guys break the eggs and get enough traction to make omelettes with new vigorous leadership it’s worth a go. It can’t be so that “business as usual” continues. This isn’t going to be easy but my guess is we would like to be fly’s on the wall when and if the current CMC meets his new SecNav…hold on to your cover a cyclone is brewing!
"Cautionary note about money guys and big public companies"- they are not a panacea for good governance. Lehman Brothers and Enron come to mind. Likewise, the biggest money guys pushed the ESG narrative hard. Why? Not because it was efficient or lead to improvement. They pushed it because they could exploit a prepared position. I am not saying pursuing efficiency and fiduciary responsibilty is bad; I am saying that exchanging one set of problems for another just because someone shows up on your door step saying 'The Currently Fashionable Things' is to meet the new boss/same as the old boss.
I think about this a lot as I have a running discussion / disagreement with a best of friends who is still inside the green about this very topic. We need to be ever vigilant.
From my friend
This not a new issue. The Amphibious vessels have been degrading for decades.
In 1982, the President of the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley had been reporting a declining material condition of Amphibs for years.
In spite of reports from the INSURV and Commanding Officers reporting up through the chain of command to type commanders, fixes were not forthcoming from Washington DC.
The INSURV was my last tour. RADM Bulkeley ordered special INSURVs on 10 west coast and 10 east coast Amphibs. The Marine Corps provided a Colonel to each coast. Ours in San Diego came from Camp Pendleton. I was the west coast board project officer.
I ordered sets of the original plans and specifications for each ship class be sent to both the board in Norfolk and San Diego. Along with the required “as built speciations and drawings from the building shipyard and Naval Sea Command (NAVSEA) and other commands responsible for designing, building and delivering each vessel.
During the next few months, we uncovered a huge gap between the original plans, as delivered plans and the conditions we found. The gap was to make NAVSEA look better the largest gap was in crew manning and total manning with embarked Marines. The forward operations, maintenance and overhaul
cost calculations did not include the embarked Marines. Thus, the required planning, training, and parts support required with embarked Marines was never included.
The result was year-after-year Amphibs did not receive the funding and other support required with the designed full compliment of personnel of Navy and Marines combined. Hence the poor martial conditions and continuous decline because NAVSEA, the Navy and Congress did not provide the necessary funding.
Since 1983, I have observed from afar the continuous decline. Even writing as I do here to many in the Congress, Navy and Corps. Even verbalizing what I write in many meetings.
The surface Navy has no continuing lessons learned to create a better fleet. Nor does NAVSEA other commands and Congress.
Upon RADM Bulkeley finding that the Navy had no system that could track in real time of the material conditions of vessels down to the component level, he had INDURV members write for each of their 19
Enginerring disciplines a requirement. It was put out to bid and awarded to ROH Corporation in
San Diego and Yang Corporation in Massachusetts.
RADM Bulkeley asked BUPERS for six nuclear trained officers to upgrade the INSURV. He asked for three 06s and three 05s. He got his three 06s but only twoO5s, and then me…an O4…
I was ordered to the San Diego office working for Dennis Reed a surface nuke. We got along great.
The contract with ROH and Yang was three years behind schedule. Captain Reed asked if he could assign me to review the contact. I did. I ordered two project managers from ROH and Yang to meet me in my office every Friday at 0900.
They immediately called the Navy Contracting Officer in Washington DC. He called demanding to
know why I was interfering with his contract. I said because it’s three years behind the schedule and RADM Bulletin told me to find out what and fix it. “Here is the Admiral's phone number, please call him.” After you talk with him, he will let me know if I should cancel my trip to see you. “What?”
Yes, I am going back there to review your contract files to try and find out why you let this contract get 3 years behind schedule. Six months later the system worked. I understand RADM Bulkeley offered it to NAVSEA and they turned him down.
What had caused Amphibs and other Nave vessels to be in poor condition? Look no further than
NAVSEA, unions, shipyards and Congress
Richard McPherson, LCDR, US Navy(ret)
Seems to me these ESB and EPF vessels are relatively brand new and more than capable to housing a MEU- Lite type SPMGTF.
There was a time when MEU's used to pass each other in the Atlanic or between California and Hawaii. The WASP ARG came back to NOB today....nothing taking her place for the foreseeable future.
Why not have these vessels forward deployed, in the MED and Philippines/Singapore, or even Australia, and do a fly in MAGTF to man them up for short patrols in areas not covered by a MEU.