Why should the Marine Corps ever be weaker?
September 24, 2024
Marine Corps Compass Points
Broader Thinking, Deeper Understanding, and Better Decisions, for a Stronger Marine Corps
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The world is on the precipice of war in the Middle East, in the South China Sea, and elsewhere. Does the Marine Corps have the muscle to help deter these crises and, should deterrence fail, fight and win key battles? Over the last five years, the Marine Corps has lavished time, attention, and resources on the idea of placing small, narrow, Marine missile units on islands in the Pacific.
Critcs contend the focus on isolated Marine missile units has weakened the Marine Corps and in particular weakend the global, combined arms, Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). In reply, the island missile proponents have begun to criticize the MAGTF. They claim the MAGTF was always full of equipment problems and never was particularly useful or capable. But is that true? Were the MAGTFs of years gone by useful and capable or not?
Let’s look at an actual snapshot of MAGTF operations. Marines arriving in Iraq, Luzon, Oman, Somalia, Bangladesh, Guantanamo, Sicily, and even South Central LA. Marines arrived to all these locations on short notice to help in a crisis. And they accomplished all these operations across just 30 months. That was then. Does the Marine Corps have the same ability to respond globally today?
If the Marine Corps of today and tomorrow is going to be able to accomplish more than the Marine Corps of yesterday, then Marines must understand what the Marine Corps of the past could accomplish. Study the past to leap beyond the past. Study what has gone before to make what is to come even better.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-magtf-snapshot
