Compass Points - Rules of Debate & WIR

A week of discussion and discourse.

Compass Points - Rules of Debate & WIR

A week of discussion and discourse.

June 2, 2024

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Happy Sunday!

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Sunday is a good day to look back at the week. Before we get to our WIR - Week in Review, it is worth reflecting on what the discussions on Compass Points are for. Compass Points is a discussion site about the Marine Corps and National security. Compass Points advocates for a stronger Marine Corps and a stronger National defense.

These are momentous topics, worthy of a robust discussion, discourse, and debate. This is not a petty discussion of personalities or persons. Rather, we are at a critical time, facing critical topics. The urgency of the issues dictates the frankness of the debate.

The discussion should be conducted as a professional discussion among Marines and friends of the Corps from all backgrounds and experience. Those Marines on active duty years ago and those on active duty today are bound together on the same journey. We all share the same goal: to ensure the Marine Corps is strong today and stronger tomorrow.

If the Marine Corps grows stronger in the future, then all of us — on all sides — will win. If the Marine Corps grows weaker, then we all lose.

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Writing some time ago in the Marine Times, General Charles Krulak, the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, reflected on professional discussion among Marines and some "bedrock principles."

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In closing, I urge all to reflect deeply on our long-standing bedrock principles and to consider carefully the following points:

· We need to move from waging information campaigns against one another after serious decisions about our Corps future have been made to a much more inclusive and transparent process before decisions are made.

· We need to move from generalizations and straw man characterizations of contending views to serious, in-depth discussions about operational capabilities and the dependencies they have, discussions befitting professionals.

· We need to clearly articulate a future end-state and the means by which we will get there to include, rigorously red-teamed transitions that minimize exploitable opportunities by this nation’s enemies each step of the way.

· We need to return to a time when we “cast our nets widely” and think deeply and carefully about our own dynamic, complex adaptive system, and the many other dynamic complex systems with which we operate.

This is our Marine Corps, and we all have roles to play in helping it adapt to an increasingly complex future.

We must never denigrate or marginalize those who want to help shape its future. We must encourage, rather than suppress, different perspectives and life experiences. Open, inclusive stress-testing of hypotheses about our Corps make for both a stronger, more relevant Corps and a more cohesive and unified Corps.

Let’s revitalize “Gung Ho”— working together.

-- General Charles Krulak, "Whose Marine Corps?" Marine Times 05/27/2022

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Week in Review

We began the week with discussions about Memorial Day, on Tuesday an exercise in the Philippines, and on Wednesday the President's remarks at West Point. Thursday discussed the funding for the Ford class super carrier and how that funding might be better spent. Friday featured an interview with LtGen Van Riper about the importance of professional reading. We ended the week with some outstanding reader comments.

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Monday 27 May -- Memorial Day Party

On this Memorial Day, Compass Points joins with the entire Marine community to honor all those who gave their lives in service to our Nation.

Memorial Day

Party

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One endless party,

Yet always recall,

Somebody always,

Must pay for it all . . . .

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https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-memorial-day-party

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Tuesday 28 May -- Fantasy Island

Niharika Mandhana, a former reporter for Al Jazeera, and now the Wall Street Journal’s bureau chief for Southeast Asia, accompanied Marines on an exercise on the island of Itbayat, Philippines.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-fantasy-island

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Wednesday 29 May -- House of Cards

On the 25th of May, the President spoke at the graduation ceremony for the US Military Academy at West Point. During his remarks, the President took time to praise the great work all the military services are doing around the globe.The President took time to praise the great work being achieved around the globe by each of the major military services -- each of the major military services except one. The great work being done by Marines around the globe did not merit even a mention.

Writing for Real Clear Defense, General Zinni and Brigadier General McAbee have written a powerful article detailing the decline of Marine Corps units, equipment, and capabilities.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-house-of-cards

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Thursday 30 May -- Thanks Gerald Ford!

Each Ford class super carrier costs about $13.3 billion each. Amphibious assault ships like the San Antonio class LPD and the Wasp class LHD and America class LHA cost about $1.3 billion. So roughly one Ford class super carrier could pay for 10 amphibious assault ships. Two Ford class super carriers could pay for 20 amphibious assault ships.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-thanks-gerald-ford

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Friday 31 May -- Restore Reading

LtGen Paul K. Van Riper was the first President of the Marine Corps University, and he was also the creator of the original Commandant’s Reading Program. Marines today can learn much from General Van Riper and his decades of studying war, fighting in war, and teaching war.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-restore-reading

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Saturday 1 June -- Trenchant Comments

Paul K. Van Riper

There is no technology that can substitute for deep, continuous, self-study. The profession of arms is unlike anything else. All Marines and particularly Marines who aspire to be leaders of Marines, must grow themselves in every way. They must grow their physical strength, their spiritual strength, and their mental strength. Engaging with the classic books on war and warfighting is like engaging in a live fire exercise with a well-armed adversary. Take hold of one of the great books on warfighting. Go page by page. Wrestle with the author, underline key ideas, stop and think, argue, question, and learn. Reading deeply is like good PT, exhausting, worthwhile, and fun.

I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1956. Decades and wars have rolled by. I have studied war, experienced war, and taught war. I am still studying, still learning, and still growing today. Why bother after all these years? Because working to get better day by day is what Marines do.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-trenchant-comments

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Compass Points thanks General Charles Krulak for his wise counsel and thanks also all our readers who served as seminar leaders this week by providing topics, articles, and comments. Many thanks!