

In any case, that argument has disappeared. This may have also been a reflection of the time, at least in part driven by 10 years of high wartime operational tempo (OPTEMPO).
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McKenzie, now General McKenzie, commander of CENTCOM) argued that forward presence and crisis response were the Marine Corps’ primary force drivers because of the strain that deployments put on the force. The McKenzie Group of 2013 (named after its leader, then-Lieutenant General Kenneth F. That would take the active-duty Marine Corps down to 172,000, a reduction that will likely be incorporated into the FY 2022 budget.Įven at that level, the Marine Corps would be coming out of the wars at about the same level (172,000) that it went in (172,600). However, last year, General Berger said: “If provided the opportunity to secure additional modernization dollars in exchange for force structure, I am prepared to do so.” 2 His restructuring plan, which came out after the budget was published, described cutting active-duty end strength by “about 12,000” to pay for the new capabilities envisioned. The projection in the FY 2021 budget shows a small decrease compared to the FY 2020 projection. However, flat budgets required some trade-offs. That level would have allowed the Marine Corps to build new capabilities without sacrificing the old. Not so long ago, the Marine Corps had talked about expanding the active-duty force to 194,000. One notable point is that the number does not go down, at least yet, as the active-duty force gets smaller. Marine Corps civilian strength levels have been relatively level for several years. Marine Corps civilians increase slightly, as with Department of Defense (DOD) civilians overall, reflecting the focus on rebuilding readiness and the substitution of civilians for military personnel in support activities. General Berger’s guidance hints at some changes in the future: “We will explore the efficacy of fully integrating our reserve units within the Active Component, as well as other organizational options.” However, that is still pending.
Efficacy on an umguided internet basex full#
(The Marine reserves got into some trouble in the past when they tried to expand to over 40,000.) On the other hand, the demands of maintaining a full division-wing structure prevent it from getting much smaller. On the one hand, the retention and recruitment challenges of expanding are too great. Marine Corps Reserve end strength stays level at 38,500, where it has been for many years. This is the first increment of a larger decrease to pay for the commandant’s restructuring. In FY 2021, the Marine Corps decreases active-duty end strength by 2,100. The restructuring has been criticized for focusing too much on a maritime campaign in the Western Pacific, ignoring other global conflicts, and relying on unproven operational concepts.The trade-off is that, because of the LAWs small size, they will not be able to support the customary level of global forward deployments, which may decline as a result. These will provide more distributed capabilities that can implement the Marine Corps’ intention to be a “stand in” force that can operate inside an adversary’s defensive bubble. The amphibious fleet will include large numbers of light amphibious warships (LAWs).UAVs would increase in number, but the Marine Corps is far behind the Air Force in this regard and the Marine Corps’ UAV development program is in disarray.Most artillery would convert from cannon to missile units Ground forces would gain long-range precision fires but give up three infantry battalions, tanks, and some counterinsurgency capabilities.Despite a continuing high operational tempo, the Marine Corps is pursuing modernization over expanding force structure.To pay for this, the Marine Corps’ active-duty end strength begins a decline to about 172,000, the level before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.General Berger’s new guidance aims to restore the Marine Corps to its naval roots after two decades of operations ashore, invest in capabilities focused on great power conflict in the Pacific, and divest unneeded forces.However, many commentators worry that the restructuring will make the Marine Corps too narrowly focused. The budget cuts units and personnel to pay for these new capabilities. Military Forces in FY 2021.The Marine Corps begins a major restructuring to develop capabilities for great power conflict after two decades of conducting counterinsurgency ashore.
