The USAF understands the global bases network it must be able to deploy to with viable combat packages supported by the required logistics. I wish they had more that would overlap and be mutually supportable. The post Cold War draw down was too rapid and too steep.
The Navy has a similar need for ports and Naval Air Stations and was also too quick to divest and down size based on the mirage of a promise of greater efficiency and cost savings.
The Army also needs bases in close proximity to flash points. DS/DS was fought primarily with trained and ready forces from Germany with the addition of east coast forces.
The USMC, being primarily sea transported, was relevant with trained and ready forces deployed on amphibious shipping and supported by MPS squadrons. The Air Force, Navy and Army are all readjusting and reorganizing in light of the Quad Threat of China, Russia, N Korea and Iran and a host of far lesser but none the less venomous threats.
Russia and China are a significant threat to U.S. vital interests in Europe and Asia. N Korea is an unpredictable, unstable wild card, rabid adversary. Iran remains problematic if only for their religious zealotry that might cause them to self ignite.
The USMC also attempted to adjust and in so doing applied such poor judgement and basic dishonesty that it made itself irrelevant to each and every threat while it deluded itself that it was going to reorganize to become a vital piece in deterring China.
I am unable to find an example in history where a highly successful, storied military force so misunderstood its own potency and self castrated itself.
The Marine Corps has about 160,000 Marines. That is bigger than most Armies in the world and even bigger than the entire defense establishment of some significant allies. In return the nation gets a coastal artillery force with short range, subsonic missiles with war heads too small to sink enemy warships. The Corps at one time produced the most juice for the squeeze. The exact opposite might now be true. We are now on the cusp of being irrelevant. It is high time for an about face and reconstitution and modernization.
The USAF has typically done well copying good ideas from the USMC and hiring from the USMC as their needs dictate. See 'Special Reconaissance' (https://afspecialwarfare.com/afspecwar-overview/special-reconnaissance/). They are also pretty good at smiling over their cards at the patsy while sitting at the DoD poker game.
Would it surpise anyone if in the next year, the USAF announces small Sensor/CCT Deep Strike Detachments, basically small composite reconnaissance units with networked passive sensing capabilities designed to operate from areas around Pacom, employing medium to long range full spectrum fires? (Of course, someone will say we basically already have that, and I will say, I know....and not talking about the MLR here).
I concur 100% with the observations and assessment of our current Corps' MAGTF capabilities by the author here! FD2030 is a proven disaster! Congress or SecDef or SecNav must intervene, stop, and reverse this madness before it's too late!
Kudos to the Air Force for adopting a flexible, deployable force package. They say that imitation is the biggest form of flattery. CP points out that the "Air Force concluded there was no better way to serve the Nation, to accomplish a variety of missions, and to deter and defeat worldwide foes than by using expandable air, ground, task forces." Unfortunately, the Marine Corps has given up its own example of a multi-taskable ready force. Instead, the Marine Corps has adopted a semi-rigid, weakly armed, inflexible force geared towards one region of the world: Pacific islands. FD is rigid in that it cannot fight a multitude of mission types. As a missile force, it is a weak expeditionary force (which is mandated), it cannot fight a mechanized force, and has very little heavy direct fire support. After four years of hype, this missile force is still not ready to do what it has been organized to do. It has no intra-theater naval transport, has limited range missiles, and cannot conduct heavy operations in other parts of the world. It is no longer a ready deployable world-wide reaction force.
The irony never ceases to amaze me. For generations the Marine Corps has faced external threats to eliminate and/or greatly reduce its lethality. The Marine Corps thwarted any and all challenges, all the while growing and improving! Then comes General Berger, one of our, who did what so many others could not do! He simultaneously knee capped and gave us a near fatal blow to the head in decreasing and diminishing our lethality in addition to letting the Navy reduce our amphibious lift capabilities! General Berger will be remembered as the absolute worst Commandant ever! It remains unclear if the Marine Corps can ever regain all that has been taken away but one thing is crystal clear.........it will take a decade if not an entire generation! Thank you General Berger for single handedly diminishing is to near irrelevance!
The USAF understands the global bases network it must be able to deploy to with viable combat packages supported by the required logistics. I wish they had more that would overlap and be mutually supportable. The post Cold War draw down was too rapid and too steep.
The Navy has a similar need for ports and Naval Air Stations and was also too quick to divest and down size based on the mirage of a promise of greater efficiency and cost savings.
The Army also needs bases in close proximity to flash points. DS/DS was fought primarily with trained and ready forces from Germany with the addition of east coast forces.
The USMC, being primarily sea transported, was relevant with trained and ready forces deployed on amphibious shipping and supported by MPS squadrons. The Air Force, Navy and Army are all readjusting and reorganizing in light of the Quad Threat of China, Russia, N Korea and Iran and a host of far lesser but none the less venomous threats.
Russia and China are a significant threat to U.S. vital interests in Europe and Asia. N Korea is an unpredictable, unstable wild card, rabid adversary. Iran remains problematic if only for their religious zealotry that might cause them to self ignite.
The USMC also attempted to adjust and in so doing applied such poor judgement and basic dishonesty that it made itself irrelevant to each and every threat while it deluded itself that it was going to reorganize to become a vital piece in deterring China.
I am unable to find an example in history where a highly successful, storied military force so misunderstood its own potency and self castrated itself.
The Marine Corps has about 160,000 Marines. That is bigger than most Armies in the world and even bigger than the entire defense establishment of some significant allies. In return the nation gets a coastal artillery force with short range, subsonic missiles with war heads too small to sink enemy warships. The Corps at one time produced the most juice for the squeeze. The exact opposite might now be true. We are now on the cusp of being irrelevant. It is high time for an about face and reconstitution and modernization.
I’ve been unable to ascertain precisely what the Marine Corps is capable of today.
Very little compared to what it was able to d before the 38th CMC destroyed its combined arms capabilities.
Exactly, sir! Semper Fi!
The USAF has typically done well copying good ideas from the USMC and hiring from the USMC as their needs dictate. See 'Special Reconaissance' (https://afspecialwarfare.com/afspecwar-overview/special-reconnaissance/). They are also pretty good at smiling over their cards at the patsy while sitting at the DoD poker game.
Would it surpise anyone if in the next year, the USAF announces small Sensor/CCT Deep Strike Detachments, basically small composite reconnaissance units with networked passive sensing capabilities designed to operate from areas around Pacom, employing medium to long range full spectrum fires? (Of course, someone will say we basically already have that, and I will say, I know....and not talking about the MLR here).
I concur 100% with the observations and assessment of our current Corps' MAGTF capabilities by the author here! FD2030 is a proven disaster! Congress or SecDef or SecNav must intervene, stop, and reverse this madness before it's too late!
Kudos to the Air Force for adopting a flexible, deployable force package. They say that imitation is the biggest form of flattery. CP points out that the "Air Force concluded there was no better way to serve the Nation, to accomplish a variety of missions, and to deter and defeat worldwide foes than by using expandable air, ground, task forces." Unfortunately, the Marine Corps has given up its own example of a multi-taskable ready force. Instead, the Marine Corps has adopted a semi-rigid, weakly armed, inflexible force geared towards one region of the world: Pacific islands. FD is rigid in that it cannot fight a multitude of mission types. As a missile force, it is a weak expeditionary force (which is mandated), it cannot fight a mechanized force, and has very little heavy direct fire support. After four years of hype, this missile force is still not ready to do what it has been organized to do. It has no intra-theater naval transport, has limited range missiles, and cannot conduct heavy operations in other parts of the world. It is no longer a ready deployable world-wide reaction force.
The irony never ceases to amaze me. For generations the Marine Corps has faced external threats to eliminate and/or greatly reduce its lethality. The Marine Corps thwarted any and all challenges, all the while growing and improving! Then comes General Berger, one of our, who did what so many others could not do! He simultaneously knee capped and gave us a near fatal blow to the head in decreasing and diminishing our lethality in addition to letting the Navy reduce our amphibious lift capabilities! General Berger will be remembered as the absolute worst Commandant ever! It remains unclear if the Marine Corps can ever regain all that has been taken away but one thing is crystal clear.........it will take a decade if not an entire generation! Thank you General Berger for single handedly diminishing is to near irrelevance!