Marine Corps Compass Points
PME Library - Article List
More than 70 Articles Discussing FD 2030.
Updated November 10, 2022
1. This is a link to an article by Mark Cancian that appeared in War on the Rocks in January 2020 with early questions about Force Design 2030.
Don’t Go Too Crazy, Marine Corps - War on the Rocks
2. This is a link to an article by Mark Cancian that appeared in a CSIS report in March 2020 which challenged the approach of Force Design 2030.
3. This is a link to an article by former Secretary of the Navy James Webb that appeared in the National Interest on 8 May 2020 in which he challenged Force Design 2030.
The Future of the U.S. Marine Corps | The National Interest
4. This is a link to a Congressional Research Service Report on 5 June 2020.
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/IN11281.pdf
5. This is a link to an article by Bing West that appeared in the Marine Corps Gazette in August 2021.
A-Force-in-Readiness-or-in-Stasis.pdf (mca-marines.org)
6. This is a link to an interview with Lt. Gen. Terry Robling that appeared in The Second Line of Defense on 10 November 2021.
7. This link is to a Congressional Research Service Report on 7 March 2022.
8. This is a link to a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal on 10 March 2022 by General Sheehan that questions the credit given to FD 2030 in that publication from the day before.
Wasteful Spending, a Shrinking Force and the Marine Corps’s Big Bet - WSJ
9. This is a link to an article by Bing West that appeared in National Review on 13 March 2022.
Ukraine’s Tragedy Should Refocus the U.S. Marine Corps | National Review
10. This is a link to a rebuttal by Bing West that appeared in National Review on 19 March 2022 to a critique of his 13 March article.
11. This is a link to an article in Marine Corps Times on 21 March 2022 by Lt. Gen. P.K. Van Riper.
Jeopardizing national security: What is happening to our Marine Corps? (marinecorpstimes.com)
12. This is a link to a 25 March 2022 article by James Webb that appeared in the Wall Street Journal in which he challenged Force Design 2030.
Momentous Changes in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Force Organization Deserve Debate - WSJ
13. This is a link to an April 2022 article in Marine Corps Gazette by “Marinus” (John Schmitt) in which he argued maneuver warfare is not possible under Force Design 2030.
https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Maneuverist-19.pdf
14. This is a link to an article by John Schmitt that appeared in National Review on 2 April 2022. In it, John Schmitt challenged the initiatives of Force Design 2030.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/04/the-marines-are-marching-toward-irrelevance/
15. This is a link to an article published in War on the Rocks on 12 April 2022 by Colonel Tim Barrick who led the MCWL's wargaming in support of Force Design 2030.
On Future Wars and the Marine Corps: Asking the Right Questions - War on the Rocks
16. This is a link to a Marine Corps Times article on 12 April 2022 that examined Force Design 2030 from both sides of the debate.
First to fight: Is this the end of the Corps as America’s 911 force? (militarytimes.com)
17. This is a link to a Warfighitng Society Podcast featuring General A.C. Zinni and Lt. Gen. P.K. Van Riper on 15 April 2022.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL-yFiveCag
18. This link is to a series of four articles that were published in April 2022 in Task & Purpose: the role of the Marine Corps in today's global security environment; The Marine Corps plan for the ground forces; a critique of Talent Management 2030, and the scale and scope of cuts to Marine Corps aviation.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-corps-force-design-intro/
19. This link is to an article that appeared on 22 April 2022 in the Washington Post authored by Generals Krulak, Zinni, and Sheehan.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/22/marines-restructuring-plan-scrutiny-generals/
20. This is an article by Dov Zakheim that appeared in The Hill on 22 April 2022 in which he attempted a somewhat balanced endorsement of Force Design 2030.
Gen. Berger’s radical plan to reshape the Marines needs work — but quickly | The Hill
21. This is a link to a presentation on 16 May 2022 sponsored by CSIS in which General Zinni and Lt. Gen. P.K. Van Riper debated Dov Zackheim and Bob Work on Force Design 2030.
22. This is a link to an article by Generals Zinni and Sheehan that appeared in National Interest on 19 May 2022.
The Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 Is Regression, Not Progress | The National Interest
23. This is a link to an article by Army Colonel Dave Johnson that appeared in Breaking Defense on 24 May 2022.
https://breakingdefense.com/2022/05/ending-the-civil-war-over-the-future-of-the-us-marine-corps/
24. This is a link to an article by Owen West on 27 May 2022 that appeared in War on the Rocks.
Are the Marines Inventing the Edsel or the Mustang? - War on the Rocks
25. This is a link to an article by General Krulak that appeared on 27 May 2022 in the Marine Corps Times.
Whose Marine Corps? Why a Force Design battle is losing sight of the basics (marinecorpstimes.com)
26. This is a link to an article by John Kuntz that appeared in the June 2022 issue of the Marine Corps Gazette.
What-Should-We-Call-It.pdf (mca-marines.org)
27. This is a link to a letter by Lt. Gen. P.K. Van Riper that was written on 3 June 2022 in response to an article in CIMSEC.
28. This is a link to an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal by Lt. Gen. Barry Knutson that appeared on 12 June 2022.
The Marine Corps’ High-Risk ‘Modernization’ - WSJ
29. This is a link to an article by Mark Cancian that appeared in Breaking Defense on 14 June 2022.
Analyzing the biggest changes in the Marine Corps Force Design 2030 update - Breaking Defense
30. This is a link to an article by Lt. Gen. Bill Keys that appeared on 22 June 2022 in Marine Corps Times.
Marine Corps artillery ― it isn’t too late to salvage it (marinecorpstimes.com)
31. This is a link to an article by Army CPT Furguson that appeared in The Hill on 22 June 2022.
The nature of war is not changing in Ukraine | The Hill
32. This is a link to an article by Jan Kahlber that appeared in CEPA on 24 June 2022.
Drones Will not Liberate Ukraine – but Tanks Will | CEPA
33. This is an article by General A.C. Zinni is in the July 2022 Marine Corps Gazette.
The-Flawed-Argument-for-Change.pdf (mca-marines.org)
34. This is a link to an article by John Schmitt that appeared on 7 July 2022 in Task & Purpose.
The Marine Corps 'Stand-in Forces' concept has major problems (taskandpurpose.com)
35. This is a link to an article by Brig. Gen. Jerry McAbee that appeared on 8 July 2022 in Marine Corps Times.
36. This is a link to an article by Brig. Gen. Jerry McAbee on the effects of cuts to Marine artillery that appeared in Marine Corps Times on 18 July 2022.
37. This is an article by Marine Carl Forsling that appeared on 20 July 2022 in Task & Purpose.
The US has a fundamental flaw in plans to defend Taiwan from China (taskandpurpose.com)
38. This is a link to an article by Lt. Gen. J. Howell and Lt. Gen. Frank Libutti on 22 July 2022 in Task & Purpose criticizing the Force Design 2030 plans to oppose China.
Marine Corps Stand-In Forces Concept for countering China has fatal flaw (taskandpurpose.com)
39. This is a link to an article by General Tony Zinni and two co-authors in the August 2022 U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings describing a template for how and how not to innovate within the military.
40. This is an article in Defense News by Colonels Mike Wyly and G.I. Wilson and LtCol Bill Woods that challenges Force Design 2030.
Send in the Marines? Reconsider Force Design 2030 beforehand (defensenews.com)
41. This is an article by Major Fred Gayl in Marine Corps Times on 4 August 2022 with detailed criticism of Force Design 2030's designs for a Pacific war.
42. This link is to an article by Colonel Gary Anderson that appeared in Military.com on 5 August 2022.
Is the Marine Corps Becoming Irrelevant? | Military.com
43. This link is to an article by Colonels Stephen Baird, Michael Marletto, and Timothy Wells, that appeared on 8 August 2022 in Marine Corps Times.
44, This is an article by BrigGen Jerry McAbee on Defense Battalions that appeared on 14 August 2022 in Marine Times
45. This is a link to an article by James A. Warren that appeared in The Daily Beast on 21 August 2022.
The Marine Corps Isn’t Broken, So Why Fix It? (thedailybeast.com)
46. This is a link to an article by MajGen James Livingston and Colonel Jay Vargas that appeared in the online version of the Marine Corps Gazette on 29 August 2022.
https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Livingston-Vargas-Aug22-WEB-REVISED-for-posting.pdf
47. This is a link to an article by Army Colonel Dziengeleski that appeared on his blog site on 20 June.
48. This is a link to an article by Colonels Mike Wyly and G.I. Wilson and LtCol Bill Woods that appeared 18 September in Fabius Maximus
A bad trade for the US Marines - Fabius Maximus website
49. This is a link to an article by Colonels G.I. Wilson, Mike Wyly, and LtCol Bill Woods that appeared in Defense News on 26 September
Send in the Marines? Reconsider Force Design 2030 beforehand (defensenews.com)
50. This is a link to an article by Medals of Honor recipients Major General Livingston, and Colonels Vargas, Barnum, and Modrzejewski that appeared in National Review on 3 October
51. This is a link to an article by BrigGen Keith Holcomb that appeared in the National Interest, “How Marines Can Fight Stifling Independent Thought.”
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-marines-can-fight-stifling-independent-thought-205154.
52. This is a link to an article by Lieutenant Generals Newbold and Knutson that appeared in The Hill, “The Ukraine War Has Taught Us A Combined Arms Team is Essential.”
53. This is a link to an opinion article by Colonel Gary Anderson that appeared in Military.com, “Can Congress Save the Marine Corps from Itself?”
https://www.military.com/daily-news/opinions/2022/10/05/can-congress-save-marine-corps-itself.html
54. This is a link to an article by Lt Colonel David Henderson that appeared in The National Interest, October, 9, 2022, "Maritime Prepositioning is Necessary for Effective Global Response."
55. This is a link to an opinion article by Colonels Baird and Wells that appeared in The Hill, October 13, 2022, "Why Marine Corps Forces are Becoming Less Relevant to Combatant Commanders."
56. This is a link to an opinion article by Admiral James Stavridis that appeared in Bloomberg, October 13, 2022, "Putin's Air-Terror Campaign Against Ukraine is Already Failing."
57. This is a link to an article by Colonel Warren Parker that appeared in Marine Corps Times, October 14, 2022, "The Unintended Consequences of Marine Corps Talent Management 2030."
58.This is a link to an article by John G. Ferrari for the Amercian Enterprise Institute, "For the Pentagon’s FY24 Budget: Buy Now, and Buy a Lot"
https://www.aei.org/op-eds/for-the-pentagons-fy24-budget-buy-now-and-buy-a-lot/
59. This is a link to an article by Loren Thompson in Forbes, October 17, 2022, "Marine Corps War Plans Are Too Sino-Centric. What About The Other 90% Of The World?"
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/?sh=59c9ec972a3b
60. This is a link to an article by Colonels Baird and Marletto in The Marine Corps Gazette, October 2022, "The Dangers of Overselling Insufficient Fire Support in the Active Force"
https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Dangers-of-Overselling-McAbee-et-al.pdf
61. This is a link to an article by Colonel Parker in the Marine Corps Times, October 19, 2022, "The Unintended Consequences of Aging the Marine Corps"
62. This is a link to an article by Daniel Goure for 19fortyfive.com, "U.S. Marine Corps Could Be Left With No Effective Amphibious Warfare Fleet"
63. This is a link to an article by Quinn Hillyer in the Washington Examiner, March 28, 2022, "Don't Let the Marines be Gutted in Reorganization"
64. This is a link to an article by Dan Goure in the National Interest, December 13, 2019 "Does This Mean the End of the Mighty U.S. Marine Corps?"
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/does-mean-end-mighty-us-marine-corps-105017
65. This is a link to an article by Generals Sheehan and Holcomb, for The Hill, October 25, 2022, "Risking the War We Don’t Want"
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/3699662-risking-the-war-we-dont-want/
66. This is a link to an article by Colonels Marletto and Baird, in the Marine Corps Gazette, October 2022, The Adverse Impact of Force Design 2030 and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Adverse-Impact-Marletto-and-Baird.pdf
67. This is a link to an article by Thomas Mutch in Popular Mechanics, October 17, 2022, How the Kharkiv Counteroffensive in Ukraine Proves Tanks Are Still Warfare Workhorses.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a41623878/tanks-in-ukraine/
68. This is a link to an article by Dakota Woods for 19fortyfive.com, Yes, The U.S. Military is Weak.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/10/yes-the-u-s-military-is-weak
69. This is a link to a research study conducted by Andrew Feickert of the Congressional Research Service, New US Marine Corps Force Design Initiative: Force Design 2030, updated March 7, 2022.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11281
70. This is a link to an article in Modern War Institute, 02/03/20, by Franklin Annis, Krulak Revisited: The Three-Block War, Strategic Corporals, and the Future Battlefield
https://mwi.usma.edu/krulak-revisited-three-block-war-strategic-corporals-future-battlefield/
71. This is a link to an article at The Hill, November 2, 2022 by Major General Harry W. Jenkins, The Ugly Truth: Can the Light Amphibious Warship Survive War with China?
72. This is a link to an article in USNI Proceedings November 2022 by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Quinn, British Royal Marines et al., The ‘Agile’ Wargames that Can Test Force Design, Part 1
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/november/agile-wargames-can-test-force-design-part-1
73. This is a link to an article in the National Interest, 11/06/22, by Colonel Michael P. Marletto, Force Design 2030: Transforming to Irrelevance.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/force-design-2030-transforming-irrelevance-205734
74. This is a link to an article in the National Review, 11/10/22, by Bing West, Marines Flummoxed on Their Birthday.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/marines-flummoxed-on-their-birthday/
75. This is a link to an article in The Defense Post, 11/14/22, by Gary Anderson, Sino-Centric? US Marine Corps Needs Bottom-Up Reform.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/11/14/us-marine-corps-reform/
76. This is a link to an article at Military.com, 11/11/22, by Hope Hodge Seck, The Army's Little-Known Boat Fleet Is Getting a Big Upgrade