Posted on 07/30/2019 7:24:58 AM PDT by Freeport
The Commandant’s Planning Guidance (CPG) provides the 38th Commandant’s strategic direction for the Marine Corps and mirrors the function of the Secretary of Defense’s Defense Planning Guidance (DPG). It serves as the authoritative document for Service-level planning and provides a common direction to the Marine Corps Total Force. It also serves as a road map describing where the Marine Corps is going and why; what the Marine Corps force development priorities are and are not; and, in some instances, how and when prescribed actions will be implemented. This CPG serves as my Commandant’s Intent for the next four years.
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Unless specified within this document, all reference documents from previous Commandants are no longer authoritative; thus, Service and advocate-related publications using the Marine Operating Concept or Force 2025 as “REF A” must be revised. Current advocate plans must be reviewed within the context of this guidance, and appropriate changes made. We must communicate with precision and consistency, based on a common focus and a unified message.
What is abundantly clear is that the future operating environment will place heavy demands on our Nation’s Naval Services. Context and direction is clearly articulated in the NDS and DPG as well as testimony from our uniformed and civilian leadership. No further guidance is required; we are moving forward. The Marine Corps will be trained and equipped as a naval expeditionary force-in-readiness and prepared to operate inside actively contested maritime spaces in support of fleet operations. In crisis prevention and crisis response, the Fleet Marine Force – acting as an extension of the Fleet – will be first on the scene, first to help, first to contain a brewing crisis, and first to fight if required to do so.
(Excerpt) Read more at hqmc.marines.mil ...
So a revetment back to a Navel support/defence force and not an "On Your Own" attack force.
Still a lot of fangs on the ground, but snuggled up against the fleet again.
As a biased Navy vet and looking ahead at our biggest threats which mainly exist in the Pacific Rim, I think the refocus is appropriate for a Service that is part of the Dept. of the Navy. The Marine Corps can and should stop being an auxiliary force of the Army.
I can’t disagree. The bigger problem is the “How they get to the fight.” part. One is certainly not air lifting the force en total, so it’s ships. If the big ships are gone, and it’ll be 10 - 20 years for a bunch of smaller ships to get designed, built and incorporated, what is the short term solution 10 - 15 years?
Yes, that would be: the mens department..
Semper Fi, Squid! LOL!
Mid-term solution would be to re-build our merchant marine force. Have more cargo ships American flagged, and American-crewed. Get rid of maritime unions, if possible, in order to make this economically feasible again.
If we can get the supplies to the area on regular cargo ships, that frees up room on transports for people.
In a pinch, you could even use cargo ships to base helicopters and VTOL planes, as the Brits did in the Falklands conflict.
That’s the end game I think, but the solution you offer up didn’t happen overnight. The Brit’s couldn’t even do what they did in the Falklands today.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait and see what pops out of this.
The problem is that an army, being what it is, is a slow plodding formation. Many of our Wars need shock troops and assault troops. That’s where the Marines come in.
“The American Marines have it [pride] and benefit from it. They are tough, cocky, sure of themselves and their buddies. They can fight and they know it.” General Mark Clark, U.S. Army
“I can’t say enough about the two Marine divisions. If I use words like ‘brilliant,’ it would really be an under description of the absolutely superb job that they did in breaching the so-called ‘impenetrable barrier.’ It was a classic-absolutely classic-military breaching of a very, very tough minefield, barbed wire, fire trenches-type barrier.” General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander, U.S. Central Command, February 1991
“Panic sweeps my men when they are facing the American Marines!” Captured North Korean Major
These, and dozens of other proven On The Ground events are the reason that every major land campaign will have to have Marine presents. The reality is that the Army is too weak to do it by their self these days.
We have two companies of Marines running rampant all over the northern half of this island, and three Army regiments pinned down in the southwestern corner, doing nothing. What the hell is going on?
Gen. John W. Vessey Jr., USA, Chairman of the the Joint Chiefs of Staff
during the assault on Grenada, 1983
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