U.S. Marines Facing Force Reduction In Modernization Drive, Is This Safe?

Facing deeper budget cuts, recruitment struggles, and complex threats has forced the United States Military into a "Do more with less" mindset. The recently released Force Design 2030 report outlines the U.S. Marine Corps plans to re-orient the service over the next decade.

The main goal is to reduce the service down to 175,000 Marines from the current 180,000 and focusing on retention. This comes after the Corps reduced their numbers by 7,000 over the last few years. As time goes on another 15% of the Marine Corps personnel roster will be cut.

“We’ve gained quite a bit of momentum on Force Design but the learning continues,”

Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl

The only way this will succeed without harming National Security is if the Marine Corps can increase retention for more than a single term of service, which has been about 25% in recent years. This is devastating to the force as the Military relies on building servicemembers into long term, skilled positions.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger has been vocal about changing the culture of the Marine Corps to retain members and reduce the high turnover. He has called for a change to the "recruit and replace" paradigm that plagues the force.

In a move to better take advantage of the dwindling defense budget, Gen. Berger has enacted a pretty radical plan: eliminate tanks and a large portion of aircraft, artillery and other such expensive assets.

"infantry is going to continue to locate close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver -- that's not going to change." Instead, what is changing is "the range of options for how they do that."

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger

Of course, Gen. Berger has faced quite a lot of backlash over this plan, but he has not backed down. In fact, he has leaned into the transformation and believes that it will make the Marine's a more effective fighting force for amphibious landings on islands and conducting sea control and denial. Gen. Berger notes that in modern warfare, "smaller, more distributed units ... overmatch the large bulky formations that have huge logistical requirements to sustain them." 

This is something clearly seen in Ukraine where Russia has struggled to overcome smaller, lighter, more skilled fighting forces resisting the invasion. Considering that Russia does not field NCO's has further demonstrated that Gen. Berger's plan to shape the Marine Corps into an older, skilled force will play out well with what we know so far of Military success.

Of course, only time will tell whether Gen. Berger's plan will work out. With Chinese tensions on the rise, a strong Marine Corps will be critical to any conflict that may arise in the Pacific. While small, skilled fighting forces can be a powerful precision tool, they need a delivery system. Any reduction of Marine Corps equipment will need to be carefully considered so as not to cripple our Devil Dogs.

What do you think, is Gen. Berger's plan a good one? Do you think our defense budget is getting too low? Is a conflict with China something on the horizon, and will the Marine Corps be essential to that fight?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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38 comments on “U.S. Marines Facing Force Reduction In Modernization Drive, Is This Safe?”

  1. No I think reducing the marines is just another one of the liberals moves to completely destroy America

    1. I agree. A rotten shame to see, to what extent Biden is going to destroy AMERICA making it ever so easy for his friend China to step in and take control. Folks put the foot down - DO NOT LET IT HAPPEN - YOU WILL LIVE TO REGRET IT.

      1. See my last reply THE UNITED STATES~~~ WE ARE DENYING OUR COUNTRY WHEN WE CLUMP US WITH THE COMMUNISTS' COUNTRIES, THE DICTATORSHIPS AND ABSOLUTE UNFREE COUNTRIES...WE ARE SPECIAL - - YOU & i LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES!!!

    2. YOU Racecar want to be just a part of a continent? PLEASE refer to us as THE United States...America consists of THREE continents - North, South and Central...I say we defend OURSELVES, the United States BEFORE all the other - including communist - countries!!!

  2. Wrong on so many levels. How do you retain military members when all benefits are now crap. No retirement crappy medical CRT crap just to name a few. I am from a military family and I will not encourage my grandchildren to join. I pray that My grandson that is in the Marine corp WILL NOT reenlist. The commanders no longer have their backs.

    1. SO Cheryl YOU want to leave the US withOUT and defense??? YOU are the one that is full of CRAP - you should be FIGHTING through your Congresspeople to CHANGE what you feel is not good enough for the military...FIX it STOP trying to allow our US to be destroyed from within & making it easier for China or Russia to TAKE us!!! If you'd fight as hard to CORRECT their plight as you are fighting to destroy the military, it might not take so long to FIX it!!! WAKE UP LADY!!!

      1. You are the one who needs to "wake up" !!!! First off -- congress is a major part of our problem -- they will do NOTHING to fix what's broke. Besides that -- Cheryl is not leaving the U S defenseless -- it is our high ranking skirt wearing woke officers, this illegitimate administration and it's communist handlers. She is right -- this is no time to join the military.

    2. Cheryl -- not to mention the putting of troops on trial for doing their job because someone wants to wine and whimper we did it too well. This is definitely NOT the time to join our military.

  3. Biden and his administration have put our national security at extreme risk. None of them have lived up to and honored the oaths of office they swore to uphold in defending our Constitution and our laws. The word Traitor doesn’t go far enough in describing what they are and what they have done to our country and it’s citizens. For them to reduce the budgets of our military denies our fighting forces of the resources to keep our country safe from the external forces looking to overthrow our way of life. Instead of walking softly and carrying a big stick, this administration continues to bumble its way along a path of confusion and wokeness. Biden’s and all his administration must go if this country is to regain the strength, respect and financial stability it had before Biden's administration messed everything up.
    Prevent the Democrats from cheating again on another election. Get out and vote. Vote Republican. And VOTE IN PERSON at your polling place. And convince others, including Democrats, to go to their polling places. Make your votes count.

  4. Just more of the DNC trying to destroy this country. List them under TRAITORS of the USA!!!!!

  5. I agree with the General, smaller groups can advance better than larger ones! Division into smaller more areas can be covered with more surprise to the enemy!

    1. How about swams of smaller groups? Peace through strength and an ocassional demonstration of force when a tyrant that sent refugees to the US is removed along with his supporters. Criminal gangs are surrounded and exterminated. Death is the only effective cure for savagery.

      1. Hey, an idea - recruit the gang members to come & get PAID to fight - for the US against the bullies of mankind...give the gang members a BIGGER "gang" to be loyal to...the USA!!! Yes, it would take time AND energy AND smart process...our military is smart enough to do that...RECRUITERS, are you LISTENING??? Let us use the power we have!!! They can be HEROS and SAVE THE US!!!

        1. Sorry, they don't share our values, so they cannot help. and they will go to the highest biddder

    2. Smaller units at "fronts", because fronts are so fluid in modern wars, harder to define than in 20th century wars, but not a smaller FORCE!

    3. Alice --- I think you have been watching too many movies -- we are not talking hollywood here. I was the NCO of a scout team in Vietnam and I always welcomed tank,air,artillary,naval ship fire and reinforcements whenever possible.

  6. What do you think, is Gen. Berger’s plan a good one?
    In my educated opinion, No. History has demonstrated that force depletion of this magnitude in an environment of questionable impending conflict is dangerous and I’ll-advised (I’m being Kind and respectful here, General). The expense and lack of experience of a rapid recruitment process once conflict has started results in either unnecessary extended conflict or a high body count/Lifelong Injury.

    Do you think our defense budget is getting too-low on? Absolutely! The “Rash” (Pun intended) reduction of DoD funding is ridiculous and considerably illegal. The democrats need to re-read the US Constitution, it is pretty clear on the subject.

    Is a conflict with China something on the horizon, and will the Marine Corps be essential to that fight? In my opinion, the midterm elections may well determine the answer to that question. I think the World is watching our lowest time in history unfold and whether our republic form of governance from the People to the Governor’s, work. If the midterms change the current direction of our Republic towards our founding principles, you’ll see a different World response than if we don’t.

    I’m not a radical Republican by no means but I’m not a liberal or democrat either. I hold conservative values and choose for myself what legislation I believe is in the best interest of our country. I don’t arbitrarily follow others.

    1. ALL the MORE reason to recruit gang members & mentor them to LOYALTY and DEFEND the US as "their turf"!!! Have entire UNITS of them - teach them to COMBINE THEIR FORCES and fight for their mothers, grandmothers, their children & grandchildren!!! LEAVE A GOOD LEGACY that the "every-day person" can RESPECT!!!

  7. We won't need a military when China Joe completes the surrender process to his employer Xi. The purges of people found to have been conservatives are necessary to preserve order, as they have been known to violently defend their liberty. As when Stalin subjugated the Ukraine, they will avoid damage to the cities by simply removing the supplies of food and letting the people starve. In the end of the movie, as guerrilla warfare by surviving conservatives begins killing the occupying troops, sent to assist Biden in maintaining order, China withdraws from Los Angeles and New York and destroys both cites with nuclear weapons, warning Americans that further resistance will result in complete extermination by the superior people of Communist China, who have been purged to remove the weak. A missing Ohio nuclear submarine thought destroyed by the Chinese comes out from under the pack ice and destroys a good part of China. The new President brings back an old American tradition as carpenters are brought to Washington to construct an array of gallows where collaborators will be publicly hung to cheering crowds of survivors. Angels blow trumpets, as One Nation Under God has again survived.

    1. like Afghanistan, NO ONE can conquer, and control all of the country at one time. Ask Alexander, or those Russian bozos. The U.S.A. is too big a bite to swallow for any of these communist slime---including the U.S. democrat/KKK/slave owner/communist Party destroying America since 1828

    2. Nice fantasy, but NOT the end coming, which has already been clearly lined out by Yhwh God. You might want to read up on it... The likelihood of America still existing as a recognizable nation are VERY slim, at the end of the battle in Har Megiddo; China, Russia, & much of the ME are also apt to not be "standing" as nations, when the dust settles. The only SURE survivor as a nation, in fact, is Israel.

  8. Guess we DIDN'T learn from WW II, after all! Or the ijits in power are intentionally depleting & weakening our forces, for a coming attack...

    1. It has to be intentional. If you were to make a list of items needed to destroy America you couldn't do better than Joe Bidens handlers have, shrink military, destroy economy, end energy independence, force deadly innoculations on the lemmings, destroy supply lines and reduce food supplies by destroying processing plants and centers as well as reducing available farm supplies(fertilizers and seed), and don't forget the opening of our southern border to only God knows what. This is a partial list of what has been done and continues to be done. Nobody could ever be this inept unintentionally, I've seen people address the constitution as if it mattered to the Biden administration, be real folks, this president and his cronies hate america and the constitution.

      1. Precisely. They got it from Ailinsky's Rules for Radicals, almost verbatim. Yes, they do hate America, & our Constitution.

  9. Are the Marines going to give their job to the Army, Navy or Air Force??? Appears they don't want the reputation they have had for so long as the power house people of the military...Thanks again Mr. Biden!!! Is the US going to start with the "head between our butts" program?

  10. Thanks to Admiral Gilday, now every fighting Marine is armed to the teeth with a copy of Ibrim X Kendi's book "How to be an Antiracist"// In that way when a ferce well armed, well trained Chinese or Russian Marine is attacking you, you will be up to date on the latest defenses against this racist militant. Hope they gave you the bullet proof copy . God Bless America . He is our only salvation.

  11. Another Nano Hypocritical Arm Chair Warrior, who thinks he knows best for our country but instead is destroying it! What happens to our marines who either retire, resign or die? Will they be replaced? Put this piece of turd on the front line! You'll see him run to his MaMa! Semper FI!

  12. David Berger needs to be deported to Russia or China and let him "WOKE" their military not ours. So you want the grunt to win battles without air,artillary or tank support ---- GREAT THINKING MORONS !!!!!! I remember, like it was yesterday, assaulting a village or tree line across an open dried up rice paddy or open field -- I started feeling like target practice and I was the target. Fortunately air support showed up and it got better. We need more military, get rid of the obama woke ranking officers in all branches, get rid of the woke BS and get back to training for war - hoping it doesn't happen. Enough of this total lunacy !!!!!

  13. Berger needs to look at what will happen in a reduction of members in the Marine Corps . They should come up with a better way to recruit new Marines and increase the number not decrease it .

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