Posted on Jan 7, 2014
Will Marine Corps survive budget cuts/Army transition?
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With the combination of severe budget cuts, the Army growing increasingly more expeditionary and lethal and possibly 'encroaching' on
the Marine's territory, will
the Marine Corps survive for much longer?
Seems crazy, but seems to be a possibility.
Posted in these groups: 
Army
Marine Corps
Army Marine Corps
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 31
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As long as there is an Iwo Jima monument, there will be a Marine Corps. ;-)
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LTC Paul Labrador
If we run out of money to maintain and keep open national monuments, that may go away too..... ;o)
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I doubt it very highly. The Marines always have MEU (SOC)'s forward deployed to hotspots all around the world. It gives the US a massive advantage in terms of "SURPRISE! We're already here!".
Given that each MEU comes with it's own Infantry battalion ,logistical support, helo squadron, air wing, artillery, special forces, naval assets, light armor, tanks, and a partridge and a pear tree, that's not an advantage we would give up lightly, I would think.
It gives the heavier services time to complete all their recalls, pack up, and go.
Plus, the war powers act gives the President a 90 day window in which he or she can deploy troops without congressional approval. If I had that small a window to accomplish whatever task was at hand, I want the guys who are already there, and don't need to be called up and take a few days or weeks.
Given that each MEU comes with it's own Infantry battalion ,logistical support, helo squadron, air wing, artillery, special forces, naval assets, light armor, tanks, and a partridge and a pear tree, that's not an advantage we would give up lightly, I would think.
It gives the heavier services time to complete all their recalls, pack up, and go.
Plus, the war powers act gives the President a 90 day window in which he or she can deploy troops without congressional approval. If I had that small a window to accomplish whatever task was at hand, I want the guys who are already there, and don't need to be called up and take a few days or weeks.
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Sgt Packy Flickinger
The Army would be shocked to see an ENTIRE squadron mobilzed and deployed in 24 hours. Planes, people and support equipment.
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SFC(P) (Join to see)
Sgt Packy Flickinger, why do you think the Army would be shocked to see an entire squadron mobilized and deployed in 24 hours? I hope you are not suggesting this is not within the Army capability. I have done the 24 hours wheels up GRF song and dance more times than I care to remember. This is common practice with BCTs and Aviation elements on the GRF/POTUS tasking. I'm sure there are some valid points other than this you could provide. I'm not trying to contest your argument being that I don't give a sh** knowing this will never be accomplished in my day. Just wanted to inform you that is not special for any branch currently.
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LTC Paul Labrador
Hiding an entire Amphibious landing armada is kind of hard nowadays. Any nation with modern surveillence is not going to be surprised when they detect a naval fleet approaching their shores....
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Sgt Jason Tanner
The difference is that the entire Marine Corps is designed around an expeditionary philosophy. The Army has historically been formed around a more set piece slow buildup to full capability philosophy. Where as the Marines look at thing from a 'Strike Quick, Strike Hard with what you can carry to the battle' standpoint, the Army traditionally tend to build up their assets before taking offensive action.
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It's interesting how the assumption is that Marine Corps' missions would be taken over by the Army and not vice versa. The Marine Corps is already a small well organized, and disciplined air, land, sea force that has proven to do more with less.
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Sgt Jason Tanner
LTC Labrador, The reason that some Marine units 'leech', as you call it, off of the units that they are working with is because for the last 10 to 20 years the Corps has been being used in a manner that it has not been formed, trained, or equipped for since the end of WWII.
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LTC Paul Labrador
Sgt Jason Tanner, this structure has been going on for more than "10 or 20 years." The Marine Corps has always relied on either Navy or Army support for CS and CSS above BDE level going back to WW1 because the Corps never possessed it in the first place. Yes there is some truth that the Marines have strayed beyond what they were "originally" intended for: shipboard security, forward deployed quick reaction/forced entry expeditionary force. You don't need robust logistical needs for those missions. Again, as in other discussions, moving forward into the 21st century and age of fiscal constraints, the Corps is in an interesting quandary: What happens when America says we can't afford to have two fighting forces with the amount of overlap in mission sets as the Army and Marines?
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MAJ (Join to see)
When was the last time you saw a marine medic, the marine corps is intended to rely "leech" on the navy or Army. The Army leeches on the Airforce, who depends on the Army for their survival/security. It's a well oiled machine of interdependency.
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SPC (Join to see)
SSgt (Join to see) The Marines take so much pride in their service? Yet they caught over 60 Marines in a sexual harassment scandal a while ago with the whole "Marines United"
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