View Full Version : USMC Infantry Only?
USMC dumping just about everything but Infantry?
I can understand the services all need some sliming but this doesn't sound right.
Marines to Shut Down All Tank Units, Cut Infantry Battalions in Major Overhaul
23 Mar 2020
Military.com | By Gina Harkins
In the next decade, the Marine Corps will no longer operate tanks or have law enforcement battalions. It will also have three fewer infantry units and will shed about 7% of its overall force as the service prepares for a potential face-off with China.
The Marine Corps is cutting all military occupational specialties associated with tank battalions, law enforcement units and bridging companies, the service announced Monday. It's also reducing its number of infantry battalions from 24 to 21 and cutting tiltrotor, attack and heavy-lift aviation squadrons.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/23/marines-shut-down-all-tank-units-cut-infantry-battalions-major-overhaul.html?ESRC=eb_200324.nl
Might as well just become the amphibious branch of the Army.
Intel NCO
03-24-2020, 10:39
The Army is short on 19Ks- I wonder if the USMC will sign off on some conditional releases. :munchin
Assume a Pacific mission to seize man made islands in the South China Sea ...
what force structure do you need. Tanks are definitely not on the list.
Of course, seizing instead of "destroying" may not be the optimum goal anyway.
If the linked WSJ article is accurate, it actually looks like the USMC will slightly reduce the number of infantry battalions, significantly cut artillery, and zero out armor and bridging companies to plus up their missile/rocket forces and UAV units.
Marines Plan to Retool to Meet China Threat (https://www.wsj.com/articles/marines-plan-to-retool-to-meet-china-threat-11584897014?emailToken=82937f6b975d2bb438ddf484ac3 a29feK9dgOQSYYx4p1oTS0BUY3ju9pLP/9HsEkROzlkcgHIMDVoTS1%20wvg5wl1IkszJpCzpxJTT8ih1At odgcsNq7uaiFxfAv5E6BeHeSPUS0YQw=&reflink=article_copyURL_share&fbclid=IwAR2MZV1e4FEmlHC2EP9yMFVW7aQLB_8GzY_Fs4wPD B8_Qz9qU3N9poci-Pk)
mojaveman
03-24-2020, 15:05
USMC dumping just about everything but Infantry? I can understand the services all need some sliming but this doesn't sound right.
Still plenty of future objectives in other parts of the world where they still might have to go in heavy?
We need two land oriented 'Armies' like we need a hole in the head.
This change has been debated for some time now, and if you read all the estimates on why they are doing this it is actually pretty amazing that any organization of that size can self-initiate a change of this size.
They don’t think ANY of their current Amphib capability is now survivable, and are focusing on what they need to do to support naval maneuver....which is their original job. Island hopping in WWII wasn’t to control more Japanese terrain, it was to allow the navy to operate closer and closer to The Japanese mainland and control more of the sea.
With war changing, the Marines have realized the way they are going to do this has to change, and have slaughtered some sacred cows in doing so. I’ll see if I can find some links that better explain what they’re after here.....but the changes were way bigger than ditching tanks.
Really interesting, thanks for the explanation. I’m very interested in orgs that initiate their own creative destruction.
Remington Raidr
03-24-2020, 22:50
.
This change has been debated for some time now, and if you read all the estimates on why they are doing this it is actually pretty amazing that any organization of that size can self-initiate a change of this size.
They don’t think ANY of their current Amphib capability is now survivable, and are focusing on what they need to do to support naval maneuver....which is their original job. Island hopping in WWII wasn’t to control more Japanese terrain, it was to allow the navy to operate closer and closer to The Japanese mainland and control more of the sea.
With war changing, the Marines have realized the way they are going to do this has to change, and have slaughtered some sacred cows in doing so. I’ll see if I can find some links that better explain what they’re after here.....but the changes were way bigger than ditching tanks.
I know at the lowest levels the USMC continue to be quite innovative.
I’m waiting to see someone have the courage to experiment with what the dismounted infantry rifleman protects and supports besides the machine gun.
Marine Maker is a pretty cool initiative.
Hearing rumours about REF/AWG.