Compass Points - Week in Review
Plus, Reader Comments
Compass Points - Week in Review
Plus, Reader Comments
April 14, 2024
.
Happy Sunday!
.
Sunday is a good day to look back at the week. On Monday, we began a week long discussion of the Commandant's frag order, FRAGO 01-2024. We discussed how the “crown jewel” MEU is sourced from a strong MEF, how the WEZ and SIF are over-hyped concepts, and how there is a continuing need for more amphibious ships and more combined arms Marines. We ended the week with a salute to Fred Smith.
.
Monday 8 April – Frag Order Spotlight
The frag order raises several important topics. To discuss just one, the frag order emphasizes that the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) embarked on amphibious ships and on patrol around the globe “remains our crown jewel.” But MEUs come from robust MEFs. Want more MEU's? It is important to preserve the primacy of the MEF. To maintain strong MEFs requires 9 critical pillars.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-frag-order-spotlight
.
Tuesday 9 April – FRAGO & WEZ
The words "operating inside an adversary’s weapons engagement zone (WEZ)" or similar words have been a part of the mythology of Force Design from the beginning. Small units of Marines, stuck on defense on islands in the Pacific cannot have "outside influence" on China's military ambitions. The primary missile for the so-called Stand-in-Force is the subsonic Naval Strike Missile, (NSM) with an unclassified range of about 115 miles. Subsonic missiles are easily acquired and destroyed before reaching the target. The US Navy does this every day in the Red Sea. Short range missiles are of little use in the vast Pacific. And merely positioning Marine units inside the WEZ is not particularly bold.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-frago-and-wez
.
Wednesday 10 April – FRAGO - Ships
In his recent frag order, the Commandant reaffirms that the Marine Corps must continue to provide Marine expeditionary forces onboard Navy amphibious ships. The Marine Corps has previously made some small use of the Military Sealift Command vessels; now is the time to do more. The Navy and Marine Corps must take a very serious look at temporary, amphibious alternatives, some of which are available now including the ESB and ESD. Beyond those two, the Expeditionary Fast Transports are available now in significant numbers.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-frago-ships
.
Thursday 11 April – FRAGO - SIF
The Philippines need help. What would help the Philippines are not US Marine SIF forces isolated and immobile on nearby islands. Instead, what would help the Philippines are US Marines onboard nearby Navy amphibious ships, ready to arrive and deter the ongoing Chinese aggression.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-frago-sif
.
Friday 12 April – FRAGO - Global
The USS Boxer is not the only thing that needs repair. The Force Design 2030 theory about placing small units of missile Marines on islands in the Pacific is an idea that has grown stale. Creating the Marine Littoral Regiments has reduced the combined arms combat power of the MEFs. Infantry, air, armor, combat bridging and breaching, have all been grievously degraded or lost entirely. While the Marines have been focusing almost completely on China in the Pacific, other threats to the US have been growing, including Iran, North Korea, and Russia to name just three.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-frago-global
.
Saturday 13 April – Make More Marines
It has often been said that the three most important things the Marine Corps does for the Nation are: make Marines, win battles, and develop quality citizens. Marines do great things in their active-duty years and then go on to serve more by helping their communities in later years. Compass Points salutes Fred Smith for his decades of faithful service to Country and Corps and salutes all those Marine “quality citizens” who were molded by their years in the Corps and who are still improvising, still adapting, and still overcoming today.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-make-more-marines
.
===========
.
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. Below are excerpts from just a few of this week's outstanding comments. Comments have been edited for length and content. The full comments and many more can be accessed on the site. Many thanks!
.
====== READER COMMENTS ======
.
Charles Wemyss, Jr.
Nothing like a few Marines anywhere in the world who set their minds to doing something. While others dither and speak nonsense or run around with their heads cut off, Marines just do whatever it takes. FD2030 is an insult to our innate intelligence and to our joint experiences.
.
- - - - -
.
Randy Shetter
The article is ironic since all the nations listed, are in the WEZ and therefore their forces are all Stand In Forces. It makes sense that these nations would develop defensive units in response to China's offensive capability. The Marine Corps needs to maintain the traditional combined arms MEU and add the anti-ship missile units. We have lost our offensive capability.
.
- - - - -
.
Samuel Whittemore
Now update the Mighty MEF and put the FD on the ash heap of history.
There is only 1 USMC, as prescribed by US Code. No other Country in the world would destroy a magnificent offensive fighting machine and turn it into a defensive reconnaissance and sensor element.
.
- - - - -
.
cfrog
Ad hoc Amphibious sourcing appears to be more the order of the day, with inertia on the side of it getting worse before it gets better. I suspect it would be better to plan an ARG with 1 grey ship and some leased public vessels. If the USN has to concentrate on keeping the Carriers, Surface Warfare, and Submarine Force at speed, then the ARGs should lean on that protection to mitigate the risk in using private sourcing and leasing to compensate for amphibious shortfalls. Conversely, maybe we need to look at matching priorities for ship building with where we put Marines, even if it isn't a perfect solution.
To throw the USMC a bone, I am glad that the implemented SIF concept is forcing them to wrestle with the problem of long-range logistics in a conflict zone.
.
- - - - -
.
The Wolf
Pure nonsense is the claim that modern combined arms consists of infantry, cyber, and information operations. How many fortified positions have the latter two taken? Can the Corps cyber its way through a minefield or across a river? It’s past time for our Corps current leaders to get serious and put the Marine Corps on the path to again be a real combined arms air-ground task force.
Returning the Corps to its traditional role as a maritime combined arms air-ground-logistics task force able to scale from a MEU to a MEB to a MEF will take time, probably more than a decade, but it is time to get started!
.
- - - - -
.
Douglas C. Rapé
The USMC dreams up a new buzz word every other day. Silliness like the eyes and ears in the South China Sea. How do Marines with short range radars and short-range missiles fulfill a reconnaissance task that innumerable other platforms of the Navy, Air Force and Space Force can do better. How do, what amount to little Ferry Boats, puttering from island to island make a damn bit of difference?
The concepts are outlandishly sophomoric and provide an offensive punch of zero. To watch alleged professionals support concepts devoid of common sense becomes very frustrating. If I am China, I watch in stunned disbelief and am salivating at sinking these boats.
.
- - - - -
.
Greg
So basically one battalion of tubed artillery to support AN ENTIRE MEF! So if we look at the normal MEU support mission cycle, we probably have one battery afloat, one embarked and conducting GCE mission specific work up training, and one undergoing maintenance and recovery of both equipment and men. So when do the batteries get to conduct basic artillery training and operations? I don’t see any time for this vital part of training. There’s basic artillery training such as RSOP training, gun drills, convoy training, communications training, fire direction, both computer and manual (especially manual as it a little used but vital skill), ammunition handling training, medical training, the list is almost endless, AND THEY’RE ALL PERISHABLE SKILLS.
.
- - - - -
.
Polarbear
I really do not think SIF is a good idea for US Marines. SIF will not work unless the US can keep control of the SLOC. I am thinking about the 4th Marines Regiment and the surrender of Corregidor at the beginning of WW2. Yes, we need to train with the armed forces of the “Island Chain” at every opportunity. We need to have foreign officers in attendance at our schools and we need to send our officers to their schools.
.
- - - - -
.
Keith Holcomb
Two fundamental elements of national strategy when a Nation chooses to be on the strategic defense:
1) Credible Global Presence
2) Credible Counteroffensive. Bluntly, the Nation must be perceived as having credible capabilities to "take back" what "snatch and grab" aggressors seize.
Having such credible capabilities actually serves to deter conflict and war. Lacking them means continued deterioration of the global order. Whatever "narratives" (suicidal Kool-Aid) our military and civilian leaders choose to mix and serve to the American media and public is not being consumed by our adversaries. They can see diminished capabilities and national will. Tragically, we are indeed "risking the war(s) we don't want." One day lives and treasure will be spent "buying" the capabilities squandered by "divest to invest."
.
- - - - -
.
Douglas C. Rapé
The Marine Corps does make Marines and win battles. That it results in good citizens is a byproduct and not a mission. It stems from the ancient Greeks who believed better men were forged in tougher environments. The selection process is vital. You cannot make tempered steel from aluminum or tin. Nor can you make steel without the fires in the forge. Pick the right young men, separate the quality from those unsuited and keep holding them to the standards. Who you select, how you train, who you retain and who you promote are crucial to the process. Stoic selfless service and a servant warrior ethos transfer well into civilian society in the right place and right time. It is not appreciated in others. Fred Smith is the epitome of the right path. A remarkable human being.
General Berger claimed that the US Navy would not be able to operate inside of the Chinese weapons engagement zone (a term fraught with problems) because of that nation’s missile threat. The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke Destroyers have blown that claim right out of the water (no pun intended) as they have routinely downed Houthi drones and missiles now for weeks and as they did early Sunday morning helping protect Israel from the Iranian drone, and cruise and ballistic missile attack. We might note also, reportedly, US Air Force F-15Es performed equally well Sunday morning. So, it is obvious that what many said as the General divested combat capabilities from the Marine Corps’ inventory has been demonstrated—our nation doesn’t need Marines sitting on islands with Naval Strike Missiles waiting for Chinese ships to sail by when the US Navy and US Air Force can handle Chinese missile attacks inside the WEZ. I believe the US Army’s Multi-Domain Task Forces would perform equally well but we don’t have a real world example to demonstrate their capabilities. Historians will point to General Berger’s clouded view of future warfare as an unprecedented and serious error for a Marine to make.
1. Ships. The proposed LSM is not compatible with ARG operations. To keep construction costs down it is not designed for combat. It will not have safety protections built in for embarked Marines for this reason. The ESB, ESD, and the Expeditionary Fast Transports are all compatible with global ARG operations. They are all available RIGHT NOW. How in heavens name is the LSM still being considered with the potential for global conflict on the precipice?
2. Missillers. Drones, cruise misssiles, and ballistic missiles were fired by Iran at Israel yesterday. Their total number approached 500. Only 2 ballistic missiles made it through of that swarming number. One child was seriouly woundedby schrapnel. They were all countered by allied efforts to protect Israel. In Ukraine, Russia has been able to counter the GPS guided 160,000 dollar HIMARS missile by jamming GPS. Russia is not able to jam a 5000 dollar 155 round once it has been fired.
3. Indo-Pacific. It isvery important that indigenous forces of the Quad alliance (Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Australia, and India) defend their sovereign territories. In doing so, their forces presence in their respective countries does not upset the DOD defined Competition Continuum that the presence of U. S. Marines would cause in their place. ^Wolf^s^ answer of the combined arms logistic, air, ground amphibious capability to back up the indigenous defenses positioned in the Indo-Pacific provides either the deterrence needed against China aggression, or if that fails, the capability to close with and destroy that missiles do not provide.