For nearly a year, the Marine Corps’ top officials have stayed on message with two main points regarding manpower: A drawdown wouldn’t begin until after the war in Afghanistan, and it would reduce the service to 186,800 Marines. Those points were reinforced early this year with the release of the Corps’ force-structure review recommendations. It called for a 13 percent reduction in ground combat forces, but stuck with that 186,800 end-strength figure. It’s time for a reality check. In light of the nation’s financial trouble, that plan may not be feasible. In this week’s Marine Corps Times cover story, we…
Browsing: Capitol Hill
If you’ve been following the news coming out of Washington, D.C., you know that the financial and political realities of our nation are coming together in a great, big mess. The recent agreement reached to cut the U.S.’s deficit could have widespread impact on the military, especially when a 12-member “super committee” in Congress begins hunting for $1.2 trillion in federal budget cuts by mid-November. The debt deal will reduce defense spending by $350 billion over the next decade, and potentially as much as $1 trillion. This week’s Marine Corps Times explores all those themes, but also drills down into…
With ringing endorsements from the Pentagon’s top leader and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim Amos to kill the program, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle’s fate is close to being sealed. But the EFV remains a contentious issue as big defense contractor General Dynamics continues with its push to save the program, with some help from congressional members who say nixing the EFV is akin to killing the Marine Corps itself. Beating the drum is Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-Calif., an Iraq veteran who now represents California’s 52nd district. In recent weeks, Hunter has taken his pro-EFV argument to various newspaper op-ed…
The defense community and national news outlets are buzzing this morning about a Senate report that says U.S. security contractors have hired local warlords and thugs to private security, putting the lives of U.S. service members in danger. For perspective’s sake, here’s colleague Rick Maze’s coverage of the report. The Associated Press story is also circulating widely. It’s hard when you’re reading the reports to not immediately think of Lance Cpl. Joshua Birchfield, who died in Farah province, Afghanistan, on Feb. 19. While the Senate’s report covers incidents that occurred in 2007 and 2008, Birchfield would appear to be a…
It’s been about 24 hours since the Pentagon announced that Gen. James Mattis has been nominated to take over U.S. Central Command, and it has been met within the Marine Corps with the reaction most military observers expected. In short, the typical Marine response: “Su-weet!” There’s many reasons for that. Mattis, commander of the initial Marine invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, obviously has a track record as an innovative military thinker, but he’s also a leader who goes the extra mile for Marines in hostile environments. An example: Far removed from day-to-day Marine operations, Mattis advocated behind the scenes for more…
Rep. Walter Jones is back at it. The Republican congressman with Camp Lejeune, N.C., in his backyard has again picked up the drumbeat calling for a congressional review of the rules of engagement used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In a letter released Friday, Jones again asked House Armed Services Committee Ike Skelton, D.-Mo., and ranking member Howard “Buck” McKeon, R.-Calif., to hold a “classified hearing” in which military leadership explains the rules under which rank-and-file troops conduct operations outside the wire. The letter is also signed by Reps. Jeff Miller, R.-Fla., and Doug Lamborn, R.-Colo. “As you are…
