Compass Points - Week in Review

Plus, index of articles, and satire story

Compass Points - Week in Review

Plus, index of articles, and satire story

May 5, 2024

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Happy Sunday!

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It is Cinco de Mayo and Compass Points is serving up a cinco de monumental review of the week and a spicy satire story, "Marine Dreams."

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Sunday is a good day to look back at the week.

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Last Sunday saw the release of the new update of the index of prominent articles addressing concerns with Force Design 2030. This is version 6.3 of April 28, 2024. Articles are hyperlinked to titles. The primary index (topic areas A-J) consists of 127 articles, authored or coauthored by 80 different writers, and published in 40 different media outlets.  The index of supporting articles (topic area K) consists of an additional 54 articles, authored or coauthored by 52 different writers, and published in 30 different media outlets.

https://mega.nz/file/1uJGgRrA#Y2aF-lvhjTKvQ-2XjDHDNaxd61iGSatoKjhVe6JNqe4

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On Monday, we began a search for a simple solution. Tuesday continued with a report on Marine Corps budget hearings. Wednesday drilled down deeper on opportunity costs. On Thursday and Friday, we discussed the need for a Marine Corps course correction and a new focus on the Marine MAGTF. We ended the week with some outstanding reader comments.

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Monday 29 April -- Simple Solution

The very fact that threats, conflicts, and crises will always be erupting somewhere around the world is what has made amphibious ships, loaded with combined arms Marines, such a necessary part of US global crisis response. Marines are not a quick, easy, simple solution, but Marines are a powerful tool for US policy makers. A Marine Expeditionary Unit of combined arms Marines can arrive at the scene of a crisis quickly and can wait offshore providing deterrence. If deterrence fails, Marines can go in and assist, rescue, evacuate, reinforce, advise, and fight.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-simple-solution

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Tuesday 20 April -- Budget Hearings

The words in both the DOD budget overview and in the CMC frag order are reassuring. The words soothingly affirm that the Marine Corps is just as capable today as in decades past. Is that true? As Congress debates the Marine Corps budget, is the Marine Corps fully capable today and into the future? At least one Marine is voicing his doubts. Bing West sees a dangerous disconnect between the reassuring words about the Marine Corps, the FY 2025 budget, and the realities of Marine Corps capabilities.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-budget-hearings

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Wednesday 1 May -- Opportunity Cost

There are many ongoing questions about the LSM including the mission, capability, and cost, but the biggest problem with the LSM may be the opportunity cost. The Navy does not have enough staff, facilities or budget to perform either the ship building nor ship repair needed for subs, carriers, destroyers, amphibious ships, and other ships. The maintenance plagued USS Boxer, for example, has no dry dock available to repair its rudder. Repairs may have to be attempted by scuba diving welders.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-opportunity-cost

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Thursday 2 May -- Course Correction

Marine Corps leaders testifying in current Congressional hearings must stop telling Congress that the Marine Corps is as ready as it has always been. It is true that squads of Marines are always ready to go and fight, but the Marine Corps, as an entire organization, needs more resources to get more ready. Congress must be told that the Marine Corps needs more funds to upgrade and enhance the global Marine MAGTF.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-course-correction-822

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Friday 3 May -- Get Focused

While the Marines from the 24th MEU were training, two Marine General Officers speaking at the Modern Day Marine Expo 2024 explained that there is a new focus in the Marine Corps and "blowing stuff up" is now considered out of fashion.

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-get-focused 

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Saturday 4 May -- Circle of Comments

During the week Compass Points was blessed with many insightful comments from readers including one from Polarbear:

US senior military leadership is responsible to explain to our political leaders that a rigorous war, makes for a short war, and a short war is a merciful war. If they could get that idea across to our politicians maybe, just maybe, the US would stop losing forever wars strategically, while our warriors bleed to win them tactically.

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

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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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- - - - -

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Finally, another perspective on the ongoing events around the globe comes from:

Compass Points Satire Story:

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Marine Dreams &

Ghosts of Combat Past

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Captain Jeremiah Clarion III realizes his 1st Sergeant Columbus Ortiz is shaking his shoulder.

"Skipper, wake up. It's just your bad dream again."

The air is thick with humidity and the smell of the jungle. The Marines are just off the beach on a tiny crumb of an island along the northern coast of the Philippines. It is dark and the waves dance rhythmically nearby.

"I'm awake. I'm good," says Clarion shaking his head and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I'm good."

"Same bad dream?" asks Ortiz.

"They're starting to gang up on me," says Clarion with a smile.

"Your dad and your grandpa? That's harsh," said Ortiz looking closely at his boss. It was Ortiz's job to look after the welfare of their Marines and in his mind, that included looking after the wellbeing of the Skipper.

"You don't know my family."

"I know you are a third-generation Marine officer. That's got to be tough all by itself," says Ortiz.

"Yeah, my granddad was a company commander in the early 60's, after Korea and before Vietnam. My dad was a company commander just after the Berlin wall came down and the Soviet Union fell apart."

"That was a long time ago," says Ortiz. "So, what do they tell you in your dream?"

"They just tell me to be ready for anything and everything."

"We are ready Skipper. We are the best Static Sensor Shooter Company in the Marine Corps."

"We're the only one," says Clarion. "We are the first experimental SSSC. But I'm not sure we are as ready as my dad and granddad were. When they deployed, they were not just company commanders, they were part of a Marine MAGTF. I wonder what they would think of me and our stripped down SSSC"

"Stripped down?" says Ortiz. "Our company is the latest and greatest. We have the best comms, best missiles, and best Marines."

"But can we handle anything that comes up? asks Clarion.

"Sure, we can. The bad guys send a ship down the slot, and we blast it with our missiles. End of story." says Ortiz.

"I wish it was that simple." says Clarion. "If something comes up, we are not part of a MAGTF."

"What exactly is a MAGTF?" asked Otiz. "I've heard of it."

"A MAGTF is central to how the Marine Corps organized to face challenges around the globe since before the 1960's." began Clarion, "It stands for Marine Air Ground Task Force and is pronounced, 'MAG - TAF.' A MAGTF is an infantry unit, usually a battalion, augmented by its own air, armor, and logistics. MAGTF's can be small, medium, or large. They embarked on ships and were always nearby and always ready for any crisis. MAGTF's were light enough to get to the fight and heavy enough to stay. They can conduct over-the-horizon amphibious landings on the beach, or over the beach. And they could handle any humanitarian crisis."

"Skipper, we have our own drones and missiles. That's air." suggests Ortiz.

"That's not the same." says Clarion.  "We are stuck out here with no ammo, no water, no food. If we don't get our next delivery, we are in trouble. If our host country turns against us, we are in trouble. We are just stuck here. I'd say we are stuck on an island, but really it's not big enough to be an island."

"Skipper, you have to keep your motivation up, you get a little down after one of your bad dreams." cautions Ortiz.

"My motivation is up. I'm just worried our capabilities are not up." says Clarion. "Can we really handle anything that might happen?"

"Sure, Skipper. Ship comes down the slot, we blast it with our missiles," says Ortiz.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand that. We have trained for that," says Clarion. "But war is inherently unpredictable. Anything can happen. Are we ready for more than just a ship coming down the slot? Are we ready for everything? We need to be able to do more."

"Like what, Skipper? asks Ortiz.

"Like all the things a Marine MAGTF can do."

"Like what exactly?"

"Like: Amphibious Assault, Amphibious Raid, Amphibious Demonstration, Amphibious Withdrawal?"

"No, we can't do those," agreed Ortiz.

"Or, what about: Maritime Direct Action: Seizure of Offshore Energy Platforms, Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure Operations, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel, and In Extremis Hostage Rescue."

No, we can't do those either, " agreed Ortiz.

"Or Peacekeeping, Peace Enforcement, Noncombatant Evacuation Operations, and Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief.

"We cannot do those either. To do all those things, we would need to have tanks and cannon artillery for the closer battle, plus bridging and combat engineers and their equipment, plus much more logistics, transportation, and aviation support.

"And that's just the start of what a Marine MAGTF can do, "Clarion says excitedly. "There are more than 20 other capabilities of an embarked MAGTF, everything from fire support to anti-terrorism."

Captain Clarion pauses in his own thoughts. Finally, he shakes his head and looks at the 1st Sergeant, "All those capabilities in a Marine MAGTF and they want to replace all that with these small SSSC's? Compared to a Marine MAGTF, what can a Static Sensor Shooter Company do?

"Well, if a ship comes down the slot ... "

"I know!" injects Clarion. He again pauses and thinks to himself.

"It's not just the air, armor, artillery, and logistics, and all the specific capabilities we are missing, it is more than that," continues Clarion. "My dad carried a bootleg copy of FMFM-1 Warfighting. He called it maneuver warfare and he said maneuver warfare was the secret to how Marines did everything in garrison and on the battlefield. Maneuver warfare emphasized speed, cohesion, creativity, and low-level decision making. Maneuver warfare says don't get stuck in one place, not in our thinking and not in our actions. Always be hunting for the best way to keep moving forward. In other words, don't get stuck. And we are stuck. We are very stuck,"

"Skipper, we have satellites. The best satellites. We probably don't need all that other stuff."

"That's what some people think today, but it's not what I think, not what my dad thought, and it's not what my granddad thought."

"Your grandpa carried a copy of FMFM-1 Warfighting too?" asks Ortiz.

"No, my granddad was way before even the earliest advance copies of Warfighting," replied Clarion. "But you know, he carried a thing called the Small Wars Manual. He said the Small Wars Manual was filled with practical tips but was really all about developing a combat mindset. He always warned, don't get stuck in one place, not in your thinking, and not on the ground. Find a way to keep moving forward."

"He sounds like your dad," says Ortiz.

"Exactly! My granddad said Marine leaders need to make sure their Marines practiced speed, cohesion, creativity, and low-level decision making. It's a philosophy; it's a way of doing things; it's a combat mindset."

"But Skipper, you know we have our own modern manual, what's the name of it?" asks Ortiz.

"Big Missile Technology," says Clarion glumly. "It is a doctrine manual."

"Exactly. Skipper. Don't worry. Sure, the Marine MAGTF was embarked on ships, always steaming toward the next trouble spot. And sure, MAGTF's had tons of capabilities. But remember, our Static Sensor Shooter Company has missiles. And we have the new Big Missile Technology manual."

"I think there is a short form, a nickname, for the 'Big Missile Technology' manual," adds Ortiz.

"There is a short form for the Big Missile Technology doctrine," replies Clarion.

"What's it called?" asks Ortiz.

"Some people call it, 'the Big MisTech."

"Big MisTech," repeats Ortiz, "sounds about right."

"I just can't believe," says Clarion shaking his head, "that the Marine Corps would throw away all the capabilities of a Marine MAGTF and replace it with a narrow, fixed Static Sensor Shooter Company. I can't believe it."

Captain Jeremiah Clarion III realizes his 1st Sergeant Columbus Ortiz is shaking his shoulder:

"Skipper, wake up. It's just your bad dream again."

© 2024 JDK