Lethal and survivable or irrelevant and vulnerable? Marine redesign debate rages
By Todd South
May 16, 03:22 PM
It's "not a custody fight. It’s a fight for the life of the child," said retired. Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper. (Lance Cpl. Ryan Ramsammy/Marine Corps)
A group of retired Marine Corps senior leaders are in a custody battle with the service’s current leadership over ongoing efforts to redesign the force for future combat much like grandparents fighting with parents over what’s best for the child.
That’s the description laid out by four senior defense officials who debated the topic Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies event, “On the Future of the Marine Corps: Assessing Force Design 2030″.
But one of Commandant Gen. David Berger’s strongest critics had more strident description.
“And those other retired generals who are concerned don’t believe the Marine Corps will exist if (Force Design) 2030 is fully implemented. said retired Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper, former commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command. “That’s how seriously we take it. So, not a custody fight. It’s a fight for the life of the child.”
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2022/05/16/lethal-and-survivable-or-irrelevant-and-vulnerable-marine-corps-redesign-debate-rages/
