The incumbent Marine Corps Commandant, General Berger, espouses a new doctrine for the Marines which focuses on primarily protecting the fleet. He eschews amphibious landings and fighting conventional wars. Instead, he envisions approximately 75 person teams with landing crafts to gain access to land to conduct its fleet centric mission to protect ships. I do not subscribe to this transformation for two reasons. Who will conduct large amphibious landings if necessary? What if the army is engaged in a large land war? According to General Bergers vision, the 170,000 strong Marine Corps will not support the Army if that situation arises.
The evolution according to his vision entails reducing field artillery, aviation, infantry, and completely divesting itself of tanks. I have a strong suspicion General Berger is looking and salivating at the War in Ukraine as proof he is right that long range precision fires will be instrumental in the primary mission to protect the fleet. However, the Marine Corps must retain the capability of grinding it out warfare. The war in Ukraine is a revolution in warfare due to the volume of longer-range precision fires, but the Ukrainian military is also grinding it out with the Russians as well. Nothing that I have read about this vision and transformation addresses this capability, therefore, I get the impression it is of low priority.
The evolution according to his vision entails reducing field artillery, aviation, infantry, and completely divesting itself of tanks. I have a strong suspicion General Berger is looking and salivating at the War in Ukraine as proof he is right that long range precision fires will be instrumental in the primary mission to protect the fleet. However, the Marine Corps must retain the capability of grinding it out warfare. The war in Ukraine is a revolution in warfare due to the volume of longer-range precision fires, but the Ukrainian military is also grinding it out with the Russians as well. Nothing that I have read about this vision and transformation addresses this capability, therefore, I get the impression it is of low priority.
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