Compass Points - Week in Review

Including Index of Articles v6.1

Compass Points - Week in Review

Including Index of Articles v6.1

March 3, 2024

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Happy Sunday!

Compass Points has received many questions about the Marine Corps report to Congress. Under the latest National Defense Authorization Act, Congress is requiring the Marine Corps to report and brief what Force Design has done to the Marine Corps. The report was due on February 15, 2024, with the brief to follow. As far as Compass Points can determine, the required report has not been submitted and the required brief has not been scheduled.

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In anticipation of the Marine Corps report on Force Design, Congress may want to review the extensive list of Force Design articles. The latest list is version 6.1 of March 1, 2024. Articles are hyperlinked to titles. The primary index (topic areas A-J) consists of 115 articles, authored or coauthored by 78 different writers, and published in 37 different media outlets.  The index of supporting articles (topic area K) consists of an additional 43 articles, authored or coauthored by 42 different writers, and published in 26 different media outlets. 

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https://mega.nz/file/smJy3JDQ#-so1SJDz4j_BdOvksSUsyPveFbVyEQaFhJ6Z9DCIzU

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Sunday is a good day to look back at the week. We started on Monday with General Zinni's discussion of "Battlespace." Then, posts on leadership and independent voices were followed by discussions of defense battalions, wargames, and combined arms. In all, it was a week of particularly good discussion.

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Monday 26 Feb – Battlespace

Anthony C. Zinni discusses "Battlespace" and the 11 capabilities the Marine Corps must maintain to serve the regional combatant commands.

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Tuesday 27 Feb – Marine Leaders

Marine Times reporter, Irene Loewenson has reported on problems and progress with Marine Corps retention. But in the Marine Corps, Marines lead Marines and problems are solved through leadership.

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Wednesday 28 Feb – Strong Voices

Two of many strong, independent voices speaking out to help the Marine Corps are Owen West and Gary Anderson.

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Thursday 29 Feb – Limits of Defense

The Marine Corps created defense battalions in World War II. The larger question today, however, is should the Marine Corps focus on narrow, regional, defense units at the expense of global, combined arms, maneuver forces? Whatever contributions the Marine defense battalions may have made in World War II, the Marine Corps won the war in the Pacific not by sitting on defense, but by using combined arms, maneuver forces to take the fight to the enemy.

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Friday 1 Mar – Woeful Wargames

Dr. Moore reveals how the Force Design wargames, instead of dealing with realistic battlefield conditions and challenges, used unrealistic and  biased assumptions to hide the defects of Force Design.

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Saturday 2 Mar – Combined Arms Secret

There are many ways to deter enemy nations from going to war. There are economic, political, and military tools that can be used for deterrence. But once deterrence fails, once open hostilities have erupted, the secret to making hostile forces stop fighting is using a combined arms maneuver force.

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Compass Points appreciates all the great discussion this week and thanks all our readers who served as seminar leaders this week by providing topics, articles, and comments. Many thanks!

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