Gates establishes review of USMC

[MarkOttawa]

Semper yes, but what for?

Defense chief Gates orders review of Marines' role
Acknowledging concerns among current and former Marines that the Corps has evolved into another ground combat force, the Defense secretary aims to define the service's future path.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gates-speech-20100813,0,4748580.story

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is ordering a review of the future role of the Marine Corps amid " anxiety" that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had turned the service into a "second land army."

The review would seek to define a 21st century combat mission for the Marines that is distinct from the Army's, because the Marines "do not want to be, nor does America need" another ground combat force, Gates said in prepared remarks for a speech at Marines' Memorial Theatre in San Francisco on Thursday to a group that included retired Marines and foreign policy experts.

Gates is on a two-day trip to California. He met with sailors onboard the destroyer Higgins on Thursday and plans to attend a training ceremony for Navy Seals on Friday.

In ordering the Pentagon review, Gates was deepening a long-running debate about the role of the Marine Corps, including whether one of its main missions — amphibious assaults against fortified coastlines — has become obsolete because of the changing nature of warfare and advances in precision weaponry.

Gates is seeking $100 billion in budget savings from the military services and Pentagon bureaucracies, though he intends to invest the money in weapons programs. Given the unwavering support for the Marines in Congress, there is little chance the service would be eliminated or see its budget significantly reduced.

Gates noted that anxiety about the future of the Marines stems from the "perception … that they have become too heavy, too removed from their expeditionary roots."..

Gates said he did not want to preempt the review's findings, but he noted that "it is proper to ask whether large-scale amphibious assault landings" are feasible because advances in anti-ship missiles would require troop-carrying ships to remain "25, 40 or even 60 miles" away from shore.

Meanwhile across the pond:
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/95894/post-962333.html#msg962333

...
The Royal Marines also face coming under direct Army control from Navy command and the possibility of being grouped into a “super elite” unit alongside two Parachute Regiment battalions...

Mark
Ottawa

 

[ArmyRick]

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the devil dogs. I could see them reducing their size but I don't know about losing that capability to land and secure a beach head on a hostile, well protected coast line.

Maybe adopting a structure similar to the Royal Marines (Her majesties corps of royal marines)

If they are reduced and stick primarly to their expeditionary missions, then sustained combat operations might not be ideal for them. In reality IMO they have been used similar to another army unit.

I think they will really need to define their role in the grand scheme of things.

 

[George Wallace]

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the devil dogs. I could see them reducing their size but I don't know about losing that capability to land and secure a beach head on a hostile, well protected coast line.

Maybe adopting a structure similar to the Royal Marines (Her majesties corps of royal marines)

If they are reduced and stick primarly to their expeditionary missions, then sustained combat operations might not be ideal for them. In reality IMO they have been used similar to another army unit.

I think they will really need to define their role in the grand scheme of things.

Well.  When the US of A officially annexes Canada, we can either merge them into the CF, or merge the CF into the Marines.    >

 

[OldSolduer]

No, we will merge the entire armed forces of the US into the CF!!!

 

[Nemecek]

When the US of A officially annexes Canada...

Sounds a little treasonous!

 

[OldSolduer]

Well.  When the US of A officially annexes Canada, we can either merge them into the CF, or merge the CF into the Marines.    >

We're annexing them. They just don't know it!

 

[ArmyRick]

We got a strong hold of our Guys in hollywood

Next we get guys like Mike Fox, Jim Carrey or Dan Akroyd to become senators and governors

Then we take the presidency! (Scheming fingers)

 

[MikeL]

...or merge the CF into the Marines.    >

Enough people in the CF have issues passing an Express test, don't know how well they would fair with a USMC PFT