An influential group of over two dozen retired generals has launched a counteroffensive against plans to transform the Marine Corps, and is using their clout in a high-power pressure campaign to get Congress to slam on the brakes.
The changes Berger is putting forward “do not meet … requirements and do not meet the needs of the combatant commander,” Anthony Zinni, a retired general and former head of U.S. Central Command, told POLITICO. “We think the cuts are far too drastic and really, greatly diminish the capability of the Marine Corps as a combined arms team and move it away from its traditional role.”
But the land war against Russia has shifted Washington’s strategic calculations, and given new impetus to the retired generals’ mission. One of the group’s more vocal forward-facing members, Vietnam vet Bing West,that urban battles taking place in Ukraine, and similar fights in Vietnam like Hue City and Fallujah in Iraq prove the need for tanks and heavy armor in modern combat. Without them, Marines “today are less capable than two decades ago.
The Marines have already mothballed hundreds of Abrams tanks, warehoused several helicopter squadrons, and are rapidly swapping cannons for rocket artillery. The revamp also transforms the Corps’ storied infantry units into smaller, more technologically dependent units. The retired generals say the moves infringe on the Corps’ traditional strengths as a small, tough-as-nails battering ram called on to do everything from storming beaches to fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan.
In a sign of how seriously Berger appears to take the generals’ criticisms, the Marine Corps has drafted an unpublished rebuttal to the criticisms that meets some of their points head-on. The changes being made to the Corps won’t take away from its ability to deploy anywhere around the globe, the draft states, and leadership continues to plan for multiple contingencies.
Berger’s plan “challenges the Corps’ culture because it seems to shift its function from offense to defense and trade manpower for technology,” Hoffman said. “Both of these are antithetical to the Marine Corps’ sense of identity.”
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Family of slain Palos Hills Marine Daniel Martinez plans to sue Boston bar where he was killedA bouncer at Sons of Boston bar stabbed Daniel Martinez to death, and Martinez's family attorney says the bar did nothing to report the stabbing.
Read more »
The Practiced, Savvy Creations of Rustic DIY YouTubersOn the dissonance between the rustic ideals of cottagecore videos and the technological expertise required to deliver them.
Read more »
Man and woman shot and killed during quarrel on the road in Belmont Cragin; violent crime up in communityPolice late Thursday were trying to determine whether road rage led to dozens of shots being fired into a car in Belmont Cragin – killing a couple inside.
Read more »
#ReadWithMC Reviews 'The Paris Apartment''The main twist totally took me by surprise, to the point where I actually stopped reading and flipped back a few chapters to try and find the breadcrumbs I had missed.'
Read more »
Watch Now: Tourists surf down active volcano in Nicaragua, and more of today's top videosSpewing lava can’t stop these tourists tackling one of Nicaragua’s deadliest destinations, a street musician plays for Lviv residents as they try to keep their spirits up, and more of today's top videos.
Read more »
China's Zero-Covid Policy Tests Small Businesses in a Make-Or-Break It YearWhile China tries to shake off omicron, the country’s zero-Covid policy sets small businesses up for a third year of stop-and-start uncertainty.
Read more »