Congress told that White House plans will decimate Corps
The Washington Times reports that the assistant commadant of the Marine Corps told Congress yesterday that plans to cut the force to 150,000 Marines will seriously impact their ability to accomplish an assigned mission;
“A hundred and fifty thousand would put us below the level that’s necessary to support a single contingency,” said Gen. Joseph Dunford, who as assistant commandant is the nation’s No. 2 Marine.
Furthermore, the Marines, known as America’s 911 response force, would be limited in carrying out an array of special missions.
“We will not be there to deter our potential adversaries,” he told the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness. “We won’t be there to assure our potential friends or to assure our allies. And we certainly won’t be there to contain small crises before they become major conflagrations.”
I don’t know why the General thinks that the USMC’s ability to fight the next war is important at all to either Congress or the White House, or even the Defense Department. They’re looking for ways to cutspending in a way that doesn’t directly affect the idiot voters who don’t see the need for a strong military.
I commend the general for telling it like it is, speaking truth to power, but he might as well go piss up a rope.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Congress sucks, Military issues
Thank God for a Marine General! Most of the Army stars would be re-siring themselves into a tizzy.
Too bad there isn’t a politician inside the beltway with the balls (or vagina) to tell the bean counters there is a line they will not cross, and the safety of our nation is a BIG line.
How does one reduce the military to an oversized police force without ticking off the American electorate? You sell it as merely cost reduction and have the mainstream media repeatedly reassure folks that they will not be at greater risk, that the savings will be tremendous, and that the need for a large standing force is fading with our withdrawal from Iraq and Afghnaistan. This way, you weaken the US, appease the leftist base, and tell the overburdened taxpayer that relief is on the way. As for the Marine general, sure he spoke up–so would any exec who was told that his workforce is being rendered impotent. Let’s see what happens.
Here we go with the Bill Clinton Military program yet again. Him cutting the military is why it took so long to get geared up for both Iraq and Afganistan Wars.
Even with them gutting the Corps down to 185k there’s a lot of guys getting the boot. I can’t imagine what it will be like trying to get to 150k.
Panetta’s even calling Congress out on their cuts.. When the Democratic Secretary of Defense is saying your are cutting too much.. You know we are already too far gone.
January 20, 2013, cannot come soon enough.
Well, there go my plans to join the Marine Corps, I guess.
One hopes that the out and out appeasement of the left and yanking the crank of the OWS sidewalk crappers will bite’m in the ass next Nov., but given the gullibility of the American voter you never know. Like to say; “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it”. They know history, they just don’t care.
Sometimes it’s hard to decide who’s worse. The morons running this country or the morons that keep voting for them…
I think if these cuts continue the days of a separate Marine Corps may be over. They may get rolled into the Army and billed as “Amphibious” divisions. Of course we all know 10th mountain doesn’t actually do dick with mountains, so . . .
Every branch has their fair share of retarded and pointless MOSs, but if there’s any branch that can afford to cut stupid MOSs, it’s the Marine Corps. I know it’s not a popular opinion, but ground combat and air-wing jobs in the MC are the ones most important to mission accomplishment. I’m sure the Navy could take on some of the support burdens for the green side–just like they’ve been doing in the medical department for years now.
WOW!
Returning the Marines to pre-1900 strength?!?!
Does NOT bode well for the Army, which is historically Congresses #1 toilet bowl and septic tank for cuts and BS.
#12 Jack: no, the USN won’t do that. The only time the USN supports air operations is when the carrier is safe and that frees up birds. The safety of the carrier is paramount, and the Marines are expendable. That is why the Marines developed their own air capabilities.
Whew – didn’t the “to” in cutting to 150K. Let’s see: the POTUS hates Air and Missile Defense, so that’s an cut to make.
Here’s a great idea.
1. Fire the civilians at the chow halls on all Marine bases. We have cooks, let them cook. In Pendleton (my last duty station) I had to learn to speak Spanish to order food at the chow hall.
2. Fire the civilians at CIF (where we get our gear issued) I thought that was what supply Marines were for.
3. Fire the guards at the gates. We have MP’s. I know that they are not really there for this, but we could augment some infantry as well.
4. Get rid of the civilians that cut the grass. Bring back CCU and other forms of company level punishment and have those Marines cleaning the area.
5. Can the civilians at range control. Wasn’t that what the Range Officer (Warrant Officer) was for? and the enlisted were FAP’s.
Do we see where this is going? If we want to cut military spending…let the military support itself. STOP HIRING CIVILIANS TO DO OUR JOB!!!!
GaigeM – Why would this have any effect on whether or not you enlist in the USMC?
Jeff – Dick Cheney recommended a 25% cut in defense spending in 1990. He was right. The Cold War was over. These cuts are right too. We spend way too much on defense, notionally and as a percent of GDP. I’m sure there are plenty of ways to trim the fat without significantly reducing the military’s ability to project power.