U.S. Marines: America Needs Its 911 Force More Than Ever
ByBryan McGrath
Published19 hours ago
The United States has had numerous opportunities since its founding to ponder the existence of its Marine Corps, and there have been several near-death moments. Statute and custom now serve to guarantee the Marines, but necessity has always been the best argument. “America’s 911 Force”, “America’s Force in Readiness”, “First to Fight”—all of these slogans point back at a military force whose primary virtue is immediacy; a force whose employment reflects strategic imperatives to deter aggressors and assure friends from a posture of presence, lethality, flexibility, and capability.
Much ink has been spilled on the innovations of Marine Corps Commandant General David Berger’s “Force Design 2030” and the controversy it has engendered within the retired USMC general officer community. This essay takes no position on that discussion.
Putting aside Berger’s reputation for innovation, he has clearly and consistently articulated the Marine Corps’ continuing leading role in crisis response. There is no evidence that either he or his Service in any way wishes to de-emphasize this defining responsibility.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2023/02/u-s-marines-america-needs-its-911-force-more-than-ever/
