The Shrinking U.S. Marine Corps

Amos' Marines Could Go Even Smaller, to 120,000 -- Aaron Haubert, Defense One

In his Sept. 16 commentary in Defense One, Gen. James Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, makes the argument that the Corps would be right-sized at around 174,000 personnel. This comes not long after his office made the argument that a Marine Corps sized at 186,800 Marines was deemed fiscally impossible. I believe that the reason that the Marine Corps is having a difficult time finding the right size is that it remains tethered to the legacy formations of the past. It is possible for the Marine Corps to provide its vital services to the nation for between 120,000 and 150,000 Marines if it embraces a new approach to the future.

The ideal Marine Corps would encompass counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, stability operations and deal with anti-access/area denial attempts. Marines are expected to help train allied nations and quickly respond to humanitarian and other emerging crises, while still deterring aggression and, of course, defeat those who aren’t deterred. While accomplishing this, they must maintain a small foot print in a cost efficient manner. The Corps believes that the best way to accomplish these tasks is by being a littoral-focused amphibious organization with a combined arms Marine Air Ground Task Force, or MAGTF, at the heart of every unit. They believe that a scalable, forward-deployed and forward-engaged force with their own independent logistics backbone provides the best results. Additionally, the Marine Corps remains committed to fielding two Marine Expeditionary Brigades to conduct forced-entry amphibious assaults. This is the baseline to which any proposed Marine Corps must measure up.

Read more ....

Update #1: Amos: America Needs a Robust Crisis Response Force -- Gen. James Amos, Defense One
Update #2: The Marines Need Funding for Today's Threats, Not a Pre-9/11 World -- Gen. James Amos, Wall Street Journal
Update #3: Commandant calls for new, smaller Marine Corps with 174,000 Marines -- Marine Times

My Comment: It all comes down to money .... and if sequestration continues, I do expect the US Marine Corps to get down to that 120,000 personnel level that Aaron Haubert is predicting.