Chairman Stevens, Senator Inouye, distinguished members of the Committee; it is my honor to report to you on the state of your United States Marine Corps. First, on behalf of all Marines, I want to thank the Committee for your continued support. Your sustained commitment to improving the warfighting capabilities of our Nation¡¦s armed forces and to improving the quality of life of our Service men and women and their families is vital to the security of our Nation, especially now, while our Nation is at war.
I. INTRODUCTION
The Navy-Marine Corps Team continues to play a key role in the global war on terrorism and in the establishment of stability and security in many of the world¡¦s trouble spots. Marines, both Active and Reserve, are operating side-by-side in Iraq, as well as in diverse locations, from Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, Turkey, the Georgian Republic, Colombia, Guantanamo Bay, and the Philippines. The actions of your Marines¡Xalong with Navy Corpsmen and SeaBees¡Xattest to their morale and readiness better than any words I could say here today.
Marine Corps operations throughout the past year have highlighted the versatility and expeditionary nature of our forces. Missions in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and NOBLE EAGLE marked the most visible accomplishments of our forward-deployed forces. Marine Air Control Squadrons continue to provide air control, surveillance, and air traffic control support to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM during their deployments to the Central Command area of responsibility. Elsewhere, the Marine Corps continues to support Operation JOINT FORGE in the Balkans by sending Civil Affairs teams to Bosnia. Even as the Marine Corps saw one of our busiest years in terms of operational deployments, participation in realistic, worldwide exercises remained critical to supporting the Combatant Commander¡¦s Theater Security Cooperation Plans and ensuring that we maintained a ready and capable force. Over the last year, Marines participated in more than 200 service, joint, and combined exercises. These included live fire, field training, command post, and computer-assisted exercises. Participants varied in size from small units to Marine Expeditionary Forces. Overseas, Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable) conducted exercises in Jordan, Italy, Croatia, Tunisia, the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, and Kuwait. At home, Marine reserve units were designated as ¡§on call¡¨ forces to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency¡¦s role in homeland security. In addition, the Marine Corps also conducted numerous training operations and internal exercises. This important training helps develop individual and unit proficiency and competency. It also allows the Marine Corps to examine unit operational skills and ensures that each unit has the capabilities required to execute our full range of missions.
The Marine Corps continues to contribute to the Nation¡¦s counter drug effort, participating in numerous counter-drug operations in support of Joint Task Force Six, Joint Interagency Task Force-East, and Joint Interagency Task Force-West. These missions are conducted in the Andean region of South America, along the U.S. Southwest border, and in several domestic ¡§hot spots¡¨ that have been designated as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. Individual Marines and task-organized units are assigned to these missions in order to provide support for domestic drug-law enforcement throughout the United States, and to provide conventional training to military forces in South America that execute counter-narcotics missions. Marine operational and intelligence teams also support Colombian military efforts to combat narco-terrorism. Marines of our reserve forces have executed the majority of these missions.
Our successes in these global operations and exercises have not been achieved alone. We have worked closely alongside the Navy, our sister Services, and Federal agencies to realize the true potential of joint, interoperable forces in the new environment of 21st Century warfare. The operational and personnel readiness levels we have been able to maintain directly reflect the strong, sustained support of the Congress in last year¡¦s National Defense Authorization and Appropriations Acts. In Fiscal Year 2004, we seek your continued support for the President's Budget so we can consolidate the gains made to date, improve those areas where shortfalls remain, and continue transforming the way the Navy -Marine Corps Team will fight in the 21st century.
II. BUILDING ON SUCCESS
The President¡¦s FY2004 budget, together with your support, will provide a strong foundation on which we can continue building on our successes. Our focus is on improving our ability to operate as an agile, lethal, ready, and effective member of a broader joint force that takes the complementary capabilities provided by each Service, and blends them into an integrated and effective force for meeting future challenges. Increases in our Military Personnel accounts have a positive effect on the retention of our most valued assets¡Xour Marines. Given the increasing pressure to modernize and transform the force, the Marine Corps is constantly working to identify and assess program tradeoffs to enable the most effectively balanced approach between competing demands and programs. These tradeoffs occur within a larger context of the Department¡¦s overall program tradeoff decisions, which is driving the Navy and Marine Corps to work more closely than ever before in our planning, budgeting, and decision making. An additional concern that complicates this process is the sizeable unfunded cost of the ongoing global war on terrorism.
Challenges also arise from the changing realities of our National security environment. The Marine Corps is committed to the idea that we will fight as an integral part of a joint team. We continue to place high priority on interoperability, shared concept development, and participation in joint exercises with our sister services. Additionally, the security environment now demands that we pay more attention to our role in Homeland Defense, our critical infrastructure, and force protection¡Xeven as we deploy more forces overseas. These challenges demand that we balance competing priorities while remaining focused on maintaining excellence in warfighting.
Adapting to a Changing, Dynamic World. While we adapt the advantages of technology to meet the changing face of warfare, we draw strength from the unique culture and core values that make us ¡¥Marines.¡¦ We look for innovation in four broad areas to address future challenges: „X Transformational technology „X New operational concepts „X Refined organizations „X Better business practices
Innovative approaches culled from these efforts should provide insight into new capabilities that we can adapt for future warfighting. In this regard, we are currently engaged in an immediate and critical tasking to define how we, along with our partners in the Navy, intend to project Naval power ashore in the 2015-2025 timeframe. This effort requires the intellectual rigor and participation of all the elements of our Marine Air-Ground Task Forces and is influencing the entire Marine Corps¡Xfrom our structure and training to the way we will fight on future battlefields as an integral component of a joint force.
Technology and Experimentation
The plan for realizing future joint concepts consists of three closely related processes: (1) Joint Concept Development, (2) Joint Experimentation & Assessment, and (3) Joint Integration & Implementation. The overall process is more commonly known as Joint Concept Development & Experimentation. In order to ensure support and engagement throughout this process, the Marine Corps reorganized to establish three Joint Concept Development & Experimentation divisions under the cognizance of the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. These three organizations are key elements of Marine Corps Transformation and enable full Marine Corps involvement in Joint Experimentation and Transformation as well as the Navy¡¦s Sea Trial process for Naval Experimentation and Transformation. The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory maintains cognizance over Marine Corps- specific experimentation¡Xwith a focus on the tactical level¡Xto develop enhanced warfighting capabilities for the future. Technologies and procedures are field tested in experiments conducted with the operating forces. In addition, the Lab coordinates closely with the Office of Naval Research to identify promising technologies that support the next generation of warfighting capabilities.
New Concepts and Organizations
The Marine Corps is streamlining force development from concept to acquisition under the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development. Our Expeditionary Force Development System is a single system of dynamic functions integrated into a process that produces and sustains capabilities to meet the needs of the Marine Corps and the Combatant Commanders. The Marine Corps advocates for ground combat, aviation combat, command and control, and combat service support, as well as the Marine Requirements Oversight Council, are key participants in the process. The Expeditionary Force Development System continuously examines and evaluates current and emerging concepts and capabilities to improve and sustain a modern Marine Corps. The system is compatible with and supports Naval and joint transformation efforts and integrates transformational, modernization, and legacy capabilities and processes. This integrated, concept-based driver for transformation is currently working on several ideas that will influence the future Marine Corps.
Expeditionary Strike Groups. The Marine Corps and Navy are engaged in a series of experiments that will explore the Expeditionary Strike Group concept. This concept will combine the capabilities of surface action groups, submarines, and maritime patrol aircraft with those of Amphibious Ready Groups and Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable), to provide greater combat capabilities to Regional Combatant Commanders. In the near future, the Navy-Marine Corps Team will conduct a pilot deployment on the west coast to test the Expeditionary Strike Group concept. Navy combatants have already been incorporated within the existing training and deployment cycle of the Amphibious Ready Group. This experiment will also allow us to test command-and-control arrangements for the Expeditionary Strike Group. It will provide critical information to support the future implementation of the concept and highlight any needed changes in service doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities. Tactical Aviation Integration. The Navy and Marine Corps Team has embarked on a Tactical Aircraft (Strike-fighter) Integration plan that will enhance core combat capabilities and provide a more potent, cohesive, and affordable fighting force. This integration is the culmination of a long-term effort to generate greater combat capability from Naval fixed-wing strike and fighter aircraft, and represents a shared commitment to employ the Department of the Navy¡¦s resources as judiciously as possible. This integration has been ongoing for several years, with four Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadrons operating as part of embarked carrier air wings. This Navy-Marine Corps effort will guarantee that Naval aviation will be integrated as never before, and will effectively support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force and the joint warfighter. Specifically, the integration plan: ƒ{ Reinforces our expeditionary ethos ƒ{ Provides a smaller, more capable, more affordable force for the Department of the Navy ƒ{ Integrates Marine strike fighters in ten Navy Carrier Air Wings ƒ{ Integrates three Navy strike fighter squadrons into the Marine Unit Deployment Program ƒ{ Includes the global sourcing of all DoN strike fighter assets and ensures their support to Marine Air-Ground Task Forces and Regional Combatant Commanders ƒ{ Provides increased combat capability forward ƒ{ Complements the enhanced seabasing concept.
A cornerstone of this plan is Department of the Navy funding and maintenance of legacy aircraft at the highest levels of readiness until the Joint Strike Fighter and F/A-18E/F replace them. This requires an unwavering commitment to level funding of strike fighter readiness across the Department of the Navy. These integration-driven readiness levels will allow the Navy-Marine Corps Team to surge more aircraft than what is possible today. Enhanced Networked Seabasing. Fully networked, forward-deployed Naval forces and platforms that are integrated into our seabasing capability will provide Naval power projection for Joint Force commanders. These forces will use the sea as a means of maneuver, enabling a broad range of joint campaign operations. Sea-based operations incorporate, integrate, protect, and sustain all aspects of Naval power projection, from space to the ocean floor, from blue water to the littorals and inland ¡V without dependence on land bases within the Joint Operating Area. Seabasing will provide enhanced capabilities to the Naval force, such as rapid force closure, phased arrival and assembly at sea, selective offload of equipment tailored for individual missions, and force reconstitution for follow-on employment. The traditional Naval qualities of persistence and sustainment ¡V enhanced by advanced force-wide networks ¡V underpin the staying power and flexibility of the sea base. Naval platforms can stay on-station, where they are needed, for extended periods of time. The at-sea maneuverability of the seabase, coupled with advanced underway replenishment technologies and techniques, will ensure force readiness over time. Integrated Logistics Capabilities. The Integrated Logistics Capabilities effort began as a unique collection of military, industry and academic organizations collaborating to develop a future vision of Marine Corps logistics processes. The product is a set of transformational initiatives that will provide better support to the warfighter. The purpose of the Integrated Logistics Capabilities concept and process is to implement a transformation strategy, based on best practices, that provides the framework for the execution of agile, effective logistics support to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, with the focus of streamlining the logistics chain. Capabilities are being conceptually refined and incrementally validated in the Operating Forces as they are identified and recommended. An assessment of the Proof-of-Concept, published in November 2002 by the Center for Naval Analysis, reflected improved supply response time (68% reduction in time) and overall repair cycle time (33% reduction).
Over both the mid- and long-term, improved combat effectiveness and efficiencies in the logistics chain are expected. However, efficiencies cannot be fully realized until the people, process and technology changes are applied across the entire operating force. The logistics transformation and process modernization, together with the cutting edge suite of technologies provided by the Global Combat Support System, will greatly enhance the combat capabilities of Marine forces. Reestablishment of Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies. We have validated the requirement to reestablish our Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies (ANGLICO). These Companies will provide our Commanders a liaison capability with foreign area expertise to plan, coordinate, and employ terminal control of fires in support of joint, allied, and coalition forces. ANGLICO will be reestablished with a company on each coast, and a separate brigade platoon in Okinawa. Each company will have a habitual relationship with the reserves. Full operational capability is expected by late summer 2004. Marine Corps¡XU. S. Special Operations Command Initiatives. Today, 105 Marines are filling Special Forces billets around the world. In addition to providing the current Chief of Staff to US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM), the Marine Corps provides support to and ensures interoperability with Special Forces through the actions of the SOCOM-Marine Corps Board. That board met twice in 2002 and developed initiatives in the areas of Operations, Training and Education, Communications/C4, Information Operations, Psychological Operations, Civil Affairs, Intelligence, Aviation, Future Concepts, and Equipment & Technology. One of the initiatives, pursued in coordination with the Naval Special Warfare Command, is the Marine Corps' first sizeable contribution of forces to the Special Operations Command. Consisting of 81 Marines and 5 Sailors, a detachment has been organized, trained and equipped to conduct special reconnaissance, direct action, coalition support, foreign internal defense and other special operations missions, and will begin training at Camp Pendleton California in June 2003. They will subsequently transfer to the operational control of US SOCOM during October 2003, and deploy in April 2004 as augmentation to a Naval Special Warfare Squadron supporting both US Pacific Command and US Central Command.
Better Business Practices We continue to seek out and use better business practices to achieve greater cost-effectiveness, improve performance, and sharpen our focus on our warfighting core competencies. In line with the competitive sourcing initiatives in the President¡¦s Management Agenda, we are increasing emphasis across our Supporting Establishment on competing our commercial activities with the private sector. We are complementing this initiative with continued development of an effective Activity-Based Costing and Management initiative across our installations. This allows us to focus on the true cost of various functions and services and to develop benchmarks that enable us to improve performance and to focus analyses on cost-saving initiatives. This will occur both in commercial areas that we compete, and in non-commercial areas that cannot be competed. Competitions completed to date have resulted in saving millions of dollars annually and returning almost 900 Marines to the operating forces. We will continue to seek additional competition candidates. Activity-Based Costing and Management initiatives provided our installation commanders with cost and performance information that enabled them to save over $37 million last year. As we refine our databases, we expect continuing increases both in performance and cost effectiveness.
Through all of the efforts outlined above, the Marine Corps is building on today¡¦s success. As we build on our current capabilities, embrace innovation, and transform to meet the daunting conventional and asymmetric threats to U.S. security in the 21st century, we will continue to be the Nation¡¦s Total Force in Readiness, fielding warriors whose unique seabased expeditionary and combined-arms capabilities will be critical to success in crisis and conflict. In the process of balancing our programs to meet these goals, we will focus on two primary objectives: (1) our main effort¡Xmaintaining excellence in warfighting, and (2) taking care of our Marines and families.
III. TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN
Providing for the needs of our Marines, their families and our civilian Marines remain among our top priorities. The most advanced aircraft, ship, or weapons system is of no value without highly motivated and well-trained people. People and leadership remain the real foundations of the Corps¡¦ capabilities. It is important to note that the Marine Corps operates as a Total Force, including elements of both active and reserve components. We continue to strengthen the exceptional bonds within our Total Force by further integrating the Marine Corps Reserve into ongoing operations and training.
Human Resources
End Strength. The Congressionally authorized increase in Marine Corps end strength to 175,000 in response to the global war on terrorism is very much appreciated. This increase of 2,400 Marines allows us to sustain the increased missions associated with the activation of the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism), enabling us to replace Marines in the active units that we ¡§borrowed¡¨ in standing up the Brigade, and continue to provide the Nation with a robust, scalable force option specifically dedicated to anti-terrorism.
Recruiting. Sustaining our ranks with the highest quality young men and women is the mission of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command. Recruiting Command has consistently accomplished this mission for more than the past seven years for enlisted recruiting and twelve years for officer recruiting. These achievements provide the momentum fueling the continuous pursuit to improve the recruiting process and enhance the quality of life for our recruiters. To continue to attract America¡¦s finest youth, Recruiting Command has provided recruiters with the best tools available to accomplish their mission. The Marine Corps supports the National Call to Service Act and continues to work closely with DoD in developing an implementation policy. We expect to commence enlisting individuals under this program commencing October 1, 2003. The Marine Corps Reserve achieved its FY02 recruiting goals, accessioning 5,904 Non-Prior Service Marines and 4,213 Prior Service Marines. With regard to our Reserve Component, our most challenging recruiting and retention issue is the ability to fill out our Selected Marine Corps Reserve units with qualified officers. The Marine Corps recruits Reserve officers almost exclusively from the ranks of those who have first served a tour as an active duty Marine officer.
While this practice ensures our Selected Marine Corps Reserve unit officers have the proven experience, knowledge and leadership abilities when we need it the most¡Xduring mobilization¡Xit limits the recruiting pool that we can draw from to staff our units. As a result, the Selected Reserve currently has a shortage of company grade (Second Lieutenant to Captain) officers. We are exploring methods to increase the reserve participation of company grade officers through increased recruiting efforts, increased command focus on emphasizing reserve participation upon leaving active duty, and reserve officer programs for qualified enlisted Marines. We are also pursuing the legislative authority to provide an affiliation bonus to reserve officers as an additional incentive for participation in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve.
Retention. Retaining the best and the brightest Marines has always been a major goal of the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps is by design a youthful service, however, it is of paramount importance to retain the highest quality Marines to lead our young force. History has proven that leadership in the Staff Noncommissioned Officer ranks has been the major contributor to the combat effectiveness of the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps has two retention standards. Our First Term Alignment Plan has consistently achieved its reenlistment requirements over the past eight years. With one-third of the current fiscal year completed, we have achieved 87% of our first-term retention goal. A look at our Subsequent Term Alignment Plan (second tour and beyond) demonstrates that we have already retained 51% of our goal for this fiscal year. Both of these trends indicate healthy continuation rates in our career force. Current officer retention is at an eighteen year high, continuing the strong performance of the last two years. Despite this positive trend, we cannot become complacent. As a Corps, we will continue to target specific qualifications and skills through continuation pay. Military compensation that is competitive with the private sector provides the flexibility required to meet the challenge of maintaining stability in manpower planning.
Marine Corps Reserve - Partners in the Total Force. It is important to note that the Marine Corps operates as a Total Force, including elements of both active and reserve components. We continue to strengthen the exceptional bonds within our Total Force by further integrating the Marine Corps Reserve into ongoing training and operations. Concurrent with the various initiatives underway to improve integration and update capabilities, the Marine Corps Reserve continues to support its primary mission of augmentation and reinforcement. Reserve units and Marines provided over 1.8 million man-days in FY02. Reserves provided support at all levels within the Marine Corps and at Combatant Commands and High-Level Staffs.
As we enter the 21st Century, the overall structure of Marine Forces Reserve will retain the current basic structure. However, Marine Forces Reserve is currently working to create new capabilities identified as part of its comprehensive review. Both as a structural and an operational change, Marine Forces Reserve is increasing its operational ties with the Warfighting Commanders by improving lines of communication with our operating forces. These increased operational ties will improve interoperability, increase training opportunities, and enhance the warfighting capabilities of the Total Force.
Mobilization. Since the events of 9/11, the Marine Corps judiciously activated Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Marines in response to both internal and joint operational requirements. The Marine Corps has maximized the use of individual volunteers to meet these requirements primarily in the areas of staff augmentation and force protection. In addition, Selected Marine Corps Units (SMCR), were activated for force protection requirements in support of homeland security. Because of emerging requirements associated with war on terrorism, we began involuntary recall of some of our Individual Ready Reserves on January 17, 2003.
Stop Loss. On January 15, 2003, the Marine Corps instituted Stop Loss across the Marine Corps to meet the emerging requirements associated with the expanding war on terrorism. Stop Loss was initiated to provide unit stability/cohesion, maintain unit readiness, meet expanded force protection requirements, and to reduce the requirement to active IRR personnel. We will continue to make judicious use of this authority and continue to discharge Marines for humanitarian, physical disability, administrative, and disciplinary reasons. We have instructed our General Officers to continue to use a common sense approach and have authorized them to release Marines from active duty if it is in the best interest of the Marine Corps and the Marine.
Education
Our leaders¡Xespecially our noncommissioned officers¡Xthroughout the entire chain of command have kept the Corps successful and victorious. Their sense of responsibility is the cornerstone of our hard-earned successes. We will continue to develop leaders who can think on their feet, act independently, and succeed. In the future, as today, leaders will continue to instill stamina and toughness in each individual while simultaneously reinforcing character that values honor, integrity and taking care of our fellow Marines ¡V including treating each other with dignity and respect. Aggressive and informed leadership demands education, training, and mentoring. The importance of these key elements cannot be over-emphasized, and we must attend to each at every opportunity. Marine Corps University has responsibility and authority for the planning, coordinating and overseeing all education for our Marines. The University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to confer Masters degrees and currently offers a Masters of Strategic Studies at the Marine Corps War College, and a Masters of Military Studies at the Command and Staff College. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff currently accredits the War College, Command and Staff College, and the College of Continuing Education for Phase I Joint Education. The President of the University also exercises command authority over the Expeditionary Warfare School and the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academies worldwide. Notable accomplishments include Department of Education approval of a Masters of Operational Studies at the School of Advanced Warfighting, which is the first step toward our third Master¡¦s degree program.
Plans for the future include providing coordination and continuity through a coherent education plan for all Marines. Our goal is to develop better warfighting leaders at all levels through an increased emphasis on relevant, structured education ¡V at the graduate and undergraduate level ¡V through both resident programs and distance education. Our intent is to greatly expand beyond the current emphasis on field-grade officers to support leadership development throughout the training and education continuum from Marine Private through General Officer, and to specifically bring senior Non-commissioned Officers further along the education continuum.
Our Lifelong Learning mission is to establish an integrated approach to learning; providing Marines with one destination for enrollment in a college program, access to research tools such as books, periodicals, and the Internet, basic skills enhancement, and nonresident courses. In the face of a requirement to increase Tuition Assistance from 75% to 100% of tuition costs, and the rate from $187.50 per semester hour to $250 per semester hour, the Marine Corps added the necessary funds to expand the Tuition Assistance program in the FY04 POM, which provides sustainment until FY09.
Quality of Life / Quality of Service Congressional support for increases in the Basic Allowance for Housing, as well as the aggressive Marine Corps use of the Public Private Venture (PPV) authority provided by Congress five years ago, are resulting in dramatic improvements to the housing of our Marines and their families. Your continued support of our budget to help us achieve zero out-of-pocket expenses by FY2005 is greatly appreciated. The condition of other infrastructure, such as our barracks, workspaces, and training ranges, are also key factors in overall quality of life. While our infrastructure budgets reflect only the minimal essential military construction and re-capitalization necessary, they will allow us to achieve a re-capitalization rate of 67 years within the FYDP (down from 100 years in FY99) and an improvement of our facilities readiness by FY2013.
We have been aggressively working to reduce the number of Marines and civilian Marines in non-core business areas, reapplying the Marines to other operational requirements, and looking to optimize the use of civil service/contractor support where appropriate. Our track record is good. By example, we have reapplied Marines in the garrison food service and mobile equipment areas back to the operating forces and competed a significant number of civilian positions. We will continue this process in line with the President¡¦s Management Agenda to review fifty percent of our positions by FY2008. By ensuring that quality of service remains high, we will help maintain our successful record of recruitment and retention.
Families
The Marine Corps is an expeditionary force prepared to deploy on short notice to accomplish assigned missions. While we may recruit Marines, we almost always retain families¡Xit becomes a family decision for a Marine to stay for an entire career. Because of our expeditionary culture, deployment support is provided to Marines and their families as part of our normal operations, largely through the efforts of Marine Corps Community Services. In addition to concerted efforts to improve housing and family services, security and support is offered during pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment phases of our operations. The Marine Corps also offers numerous programs focused on new parent support and the prevention of domestic violence, as well as services and programs for infants, toddlers, children and teens. The Exceptional Family Member Program focuses on assistance to service personnel who have a family member with special needs before, during and after Permanent Change of Station Orders.
Safety
Ensuring a safe command climate and working environment remains a critical concern for the Marine Corps. Often, the settings and the work our Marines do are dangerous, but effective command climates continually mitigate those dangers through planning and leadership. Our safety programs are integral to force protection and operational readiness. Leadership and programming in safety awareness and standards are vital to providing Marines and their families with a meaningful quality of life and service. On the heels of a very successful year prior, FY2002 was a disappointing year for safety in the Corps, as we lost more Marines to mishaps in FY2002 than we had in any single year for the preceding decade. Our aviation mishap rate increased as well (from 1.40 to 3.9 class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours).
These results do not indicate a lack of desire to safeguard Marines. Rather, several factors were involved that made it particularly difficult to prevent mishaps through normal operational risk management efforts. Demographically, the Marine Corps is a younger force than the other Services (by an average six to eight years), with maturity being a contributing factor in many mishaps; however, none of these factors are excuses for any failure to avoid preventable mishaps. Our leadership at all levels is deeply concerned about the negative trend and we are actively involved in multiple efforts to improve readiness and save our most precious Marines and valuable equipment.
IV. OUR MAIN EFFORT¡XEXCELLENCE IN WARFIGHTING
Marines have a vision for the future, and we are moving forward with the modernization and transformation efforts needed to make this vision a reality. We fully understand that our vision cannot be achieved independent of our sister Services. Each of the Services has its own critical role to play in providing for our Nation¡¦s collective security; however, it is important that each of our contributions be, simultaneously, both unique and complementary. In particular, the Corps stresses the importance of our key partnership with the Navy. The Navy-Marine Corps Team has never been stronger, or more necessary for our Nation.
We have stated that our first concern is with the care and stewardship of our people. This philosophy extends to the rest of our programming in that we focus on procuring the programs and equipment that will maximize the abilities of our Marines to perform effectively in combat. With the foundation of requirements drawn from our emerging concepts, the Marine Corps is transforming its warfighting systems and assets throughout the elements of our Marine Forces. The following examples reflect but a few of our transformation and modernization efforts. A more comprehensive description of the Marine Corps¡¦ entire acquisition program can be found in the publication entitled Marine Corps Concepts & Programs 2003.
Training
We believe the enduring wisdom, ¡§you fight the way you train.¡¨ Because of this, our training exercises are becoming ever more Joint and Combined to provide our Marines with the experience they will need when called upon to respond to crises ¡V because there is no doubt that we will work alongside our sister Services and coalition partners from other Nations in such circumstances. The Marine Corps Combat Training Center at Twenty-nine Palms, California focuses on integrated live fire and maneuver, as well as combined arms training, and will continue to play a central role as our foremost training and testing site for Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare. Ongoing initiatives will expand the role of the Combat Training Center and transform it into a ¡§Center of Excellence¡¨ that will focus the training efforts across our operating forces. The Combat Training Center facilitates and supports the development of new concepts and capabilities, thereby reinforcing our combat effectiveness, enhancing joint interoperability, and supporting Dodd transformation efforts. The future role of the Combat Training Center will grow beyond its current emphasis on battalion-level integrated live fire, combined arms training to support expanded training opportunities for all elements (ground, air, combat service support, and command) of Marine Air-Ground Task Forces up to and including a Marine Expeditionary Brigade. This will include: enabling multi-site, distributed training evolutions that tie together units from various bases; and investing in technology that simultaneously links live, virtual, and constructive training. Additionally, improvements to the existing Expeditionary Air Field and construction of a large-scale urban training facility are being studied as possible ways to enhance training opportunities at Twenty-nine Palms. All of these efforts have the potential to increase the capability of our training center to support evolving training requirements, enabling the Corps to maintain its focus on uniquely Marine training skills, while providing a vehicle to further integrate Marine Corps capabilities into those of the Joint Force.
Infrastructure
Marine Corps infrastructure consists of fifteen major bases and stations and 185 Reserve facilities in the United States and Japan. In keeping with the Corps¡¦ expeditionary nature, these installations are strategically located near air and seaports of embarkation, and are serviced by major truck routes and railheads to allow for the rapid and efficient movement of Marines and materiel. Recognized as the ¡§fifth element¡¨ of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force because of the close link to the operating forces and their operational readiness, the condition of the Corps¡¦ bases and stations is of vital importance. With the ability to train as an integrated force being a fundamental requirement of the Corps, infrastructure development planning is designed to provide the facilities, training areas, and ranges (both air and ground) to accomplish this requirement while minimizing excess and redundant capacities. With increasing encroachment pressures and constrained fiscal resources, the Marine Corps face significant challenges to provide and maintain a lean and efficient infrastructure that fully meets changing mission demands.
Blount Island Acquisition. We are committed to undertake the wisest possible course to conserve our real property and, when necessary, to acquire any additional property that is mission critical. The Blount Island facility in Jacksonville, Florida, is a National asset that must be acquired to ensure its availability for long-term use. Blount Island¡¦s peacetime mission of supporting the Maritime Pre-positioning Force is vitally important, while its wartime capability of supporting large-scale logistics sustainment from the continental United States gives it strategic significance. The facility will play a vital role in the National military strategy as the site for maintenance operations of the Maritime Pre-positioning Force for years to come. The Marine Corps plans to acquire the Blount Island facility in two phases. Phase 1, funded in FY2000 and FY2001, is currently in progress and is will acquire interests in approximately 311 acres of land for the primary purpose of ensuring public safety on parcels adjacent to the leased central management operational area. Phase 2, planned for FY2004, involves acquisition of the central maintenance operational area, consisting of over 1,000 acres. Training at Eglin Air Force Base. With cessation of training at Vieques, Puerto Rico, the established training ranges, quality of training support, and proximity to the ocean available at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, can provide Naval Expeditionary Forces with an alternative training capability. Eglin's capabilities, location, and tenant commands provide the opportunity to facilitate joint training between Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Special Operations Forces. Development of an expeditionary force training capability at Eglin can support the Secretary of Defense¡¦s vision and direction for training transformation and the development of a Joint National Training Capability. This type of training will be critical to Naval expeditionary combat-readiness. The Marine Corps proposes to execute two ten-day training exercises with a Marine Expeditionary Unit at Eglin each year. These exercises include a variety of scenarios such as amphibious landings, raids, mechanized operations, helicopter operations, and live fire and maneuver exercises. No final decision on training activities will be made until an Environmental Assessment currently underway is completed. The Navy and Marine Corps are actively working to develop and sustain cooperative relationships with the local community and the State of Florida. Encroachment and Environmental Issues. Encroachment¡Xdefined as any deliberative action that can cause the loss of, or restrict, the use of land, airspace, frequency, or sea maneuver areas¡Xis a serious threat to the operational readiness of the Corps. Urban and residential areas now surround many Marine installations that were originally remotely situated. This growth is often accompanied by pressure for access to Marine Corps resources, or demands to curtail Marine Corps operations to make them more compatible with surrounding land uses. The Corps¡¦ training lands often provide excellent habitat for threatened and endangered species, serving as islands of biodiversity amid the crush of densely populated urban areas that surround many of our installations. The Marine Corps is proactively engaged with federal, state, and local agencies and governments, as well as nongovernmental organizations, to provide win-win solutions to these encroachment pressures, and ensure compatible land usage and environmental security without degrading training and mission readiness. Unimpeded access to our installations and ranges is critical to the Marine Corps remaining America¡¦s ¡§Force in Readiness.¡¨ Our Nation has crafted a strong environmental code of conduct structured on a wide range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Vague or inflexible environmental requirements, however, can present significant challenges for Marines performing their primary mission. We support ongoing efforts to seek clarity and limited flexibility in certain environmental laws, so that we may more effectively balance our training requirements with our long-term environmental stewardship responsibilities. Our ultimate goal is to ¡§fight the way we train,¡¨ while preserving the natural environment. Today, Marines at all levels perform their jobs with an increased awareness of potential environmental impacts. All of our bases and stations, for example, have implemented Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans and aggressive pollution prevention programs. The hard work does not end with these initiatives. The impact of encroachment on the Corps¡¦ ability to fully utilize its installations are varied and require constant vigilance and attention to ensure that operational readiness is not diminished.
Command and Control
Interoperability is the key to improving Naval expeditionary command and control effectiveness, especially as we begin to integrate battlespace sensors residing in our manned and unmanned aerial, space, and ground vehicles. This is particularly true as the Marine Corps continues to work routinely with a range of government, non-government, and international agencies. The command, control, communication, and computer (C4) end-to-end interoperability of the Global Information Grid will serve to enhance our ability to conduct joint, multi-department, and multi-agency operations through the use of technology, standards, architectures, and tools.
The Marine Corps works closely with the Joint Staff, combatant commanders, operating forces, and other Services to ensure that, where possible, joint concepts of operations are developed for common capabilities. An example of this process is occurring with the development of the Joint Tactical Radio System, which combines numerous single function programs of current inventories into a single, interoperable, joint radio program that will provide secure digital communications while enhancing wideband tactical networking.
Intelligence
Our FY96 - FY03 enhancements to Marine Intelligence Support are paying off during Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. Intelligence Support organic to Marine Forces combined with capabilities from our Marine Corps Intelligence Activity in Quantico, Virginia to provide federated production (reachback) support has been validated through current operations. Marine Expeditionary Unit¡¦s forward deployed with organic all-source intelligence collection and production capabilities provide current intelligence support to Marine and Special Operations units. Our deployed signals intelligence, human intelligence, ground sensor, and reconnaissance teams provide the commander current situational awareness. All-source intelligence Marines have the systems and training to integrate organic collection, network with the joint force on the ground, and effectively reach back to the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity and joint centers at secure locations.
Mobility
While the global war on terrorism has demonstrated the current capabilities of the Navy-Marine Corps Team, our continuous transformation and modernization efforts hold even greater potential for increasing Naval power projection capabilities in the future. Many of these efforts focus on increased speed, range, payload, and flexibility of maneuver units¡Xmobility. This concept includes a vision of an all-vertical lift Air Combat Element, with the introduction of tiltrotor and Short-Take-Off/Vertical-Landing (STOVL) aircraft. The following initiatives are some of the keys to the achievement of Marine Corps operational mobility objectives: MV-22 Osprey. The MV-22 remains the Marine Corps¡¦ number one aviation acquisition priority. While fulfilling the critical Marine Corps medium lift requirement, the MV-22¡¦s increased capabilities of range, speed, payload and survivability will generate truly transformational tactical and operational opportunities. With the Osprey, Marine forces operating from the sea base will be able to take the best of long-range maneuver and strategic surprise, and join it with the best of the sustainable forcible-entry capability. Ospreys will replace our aging fleets of CH-46E Sea Knight and CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters. KC-130J. The KC-130J will bring increased capability and mission flexibility to the planning table with its satellite communications system, survivability, and enhancements in aircraft systems, night systems, and rapid ground refueling. The KC-130J is procured as a commercial off-the-shelf aircraft that is currently in production. We are pursuing a multi-year program for purchase with the US Air Force. Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle. The Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV) is the Marine Corps' only Acquisition Category 1D program and will be one of the principal enablers of the Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare concept. AAAV will provide never before realized high-speed land and water maneuver, a highly lethal day/night fighting ability, and advanced armor and Nuclear-Biological-Chemical protection. This¡Xcoupled with a systematic integration into emerging service and Joint Command and Control networked information, communications and intelligence architectures¡Xwill provide the Marine Corps with increased operational tempo, survivability, and lethality across the spectrum of operations.
Maritime Pre-positioning Force. The Maritime Pre-positioning Force (Future) will be the true enabler of primarily sea-based operations. When it becomes operational, the future Maritime Pre-positioning Force role will expand beyond that of today, and will provide a true seabasing capability. In this regard, it will serve four functions that the current capability cannot: (1) Phased at-sea arrival and assembly of units; (2) Selective offload of equipment and cargo; (3) Long-term, sea-based sustainment of the landing force; and (4) At-sea reconstitution and redeployment of the force. The Naval Services are exploring several new technology areas during the development of Maritime Pre-positioning Force (Future). Currently, the Maritime Pre-positioning Force (Future) Program is conducting an analysis of alternatives to inform an acquisition decision by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
High-Speed Vessel (HSV). High-speed vessels will enhance the Marine Corps¡¦ capability to perform a wide range of missions, from providing support to a theater security cooperation plan to sustaining long-term operations ashore. High-speed vessels can enhance our ability to conduct sea-based operations and use the sea as maneuver space. HSVs do not have the loitering and forcible entry capabilities of amphibious ships or the pre-positioning capacity of our Maritime Pre-positioned Force Squadrons. However, their shallow draft, high speed, maneuverability, and open architecture make them a valuable link in a seamless logistics system that extends from source of supply to the sea base and the joint force, enabling a faster, more responsive, and capable deployment of a range of force modules from forward-based ¡§hubs¡¨ such as Okinawa, or from the United States. The Marine Corps is currently testing and validating these concepts by employing a high-speed vessel in the Pacific theater as a form of strategic lift. Power Projection Platforms. Combined with embarked Marines, Naval expeditionary warships provide the Nation with forward-presence and flexible crisis response forces. They also provide a truly unparalleled expeditionary forcible-entry capability. As part of a joint effort, the Marine Corps will remain capable of getting to the fight rapidly in order to decisively deter or defeat adversaries who try to impose their will on our country or its allies. A fiscally constrained programmatic goal of twelve Amphibious Ready Groups ¡V one that deliberately accepts increased operational risk by attempting to balance force structure with available resources ¡V does not change the warfighting requirement to lift the Assault Echelons of three Marine Expeditionary Brigades via future platforms for amphibious shipping. The Marine Corps supports the LPD-17 and a modified LHD-8 (¡§Plug Plus¡¨) ship design in FY 2007 and will evaluate the adequacy of the R&D; and SCN funding for the development of future LHA(R) ships for the remainder of the class. Mine Countermeasure Capabilities. Naval expeditionary forces require an effective counter-mine warfare capability to open and maintain sea lines of communication and to operate within the littoral battle space. This is probably our greatest concern when it comes to projecting power in an anti-access environment. With respect to mine countermeasures, we require a family of capabilities that encompasses mine detection, location, neutralization, marking, and data dissemination. Designed to provide an organic mine counter-measures capability within operationally acceptable timelines and with acceptable levels of operational risk, this next generation of systems includes the Advanced Mine Detector, the Assault Breacher Vehicle, the Remote Minehunting System and the Long-term Mine Reconnaissance System. Our most critical mine countermeasures deficiencies exist in the area near the shoreline through the high water mark and beyond, where detection and neutralization capabilities are extremely limited. Given the broad proliferation of known and unknown mined areas throughout the world, we must improve our ability to operate in this exceptionally lethal environment. Our intent is to leverage America¡¦s strength in technology to dramatically improve our ability to locate and avoid or neutralize mines and obstacles as necessary, and eventually remove the man from the minefield.
Fires and Effects
With the increased range and speed of expeditionary mobility assets, the landward area of influence of Naval forces has increased by an order of magnitude. Consequently, the Nation requires weapon systems with correspondingly greater range, lethality, flexibility and tactical mobility. A range of lethal and non-lethal fire-support programs is moving the Corps in that direction. The development and acquisition of non-lethal weapons systems will expand the number of options available to commanders confronted with situations in which the use of deadly force is inappropriate. The Marine Corps is developing a robust non-lethal capability that will address the non-lethal core requirements of clearing facilities, crowd control and area denial. Additionally, we are enhancing the capabilities with which we can affect our adversaries that defy the traditional concept of weapons and fire-support means. Technical advances in directed-energy weapons hold much promise for future capabilities in this area.
Joint Strike Fighter. The Joint Strike Fighter is the next-generation strikefighter for the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy and will replace the Marine Corps¡¦ AV-8B and F/A-18A/C/Ds. The JSF family of aircraft will include a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant, a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant, and an aircraft carrier-capable variant. Commonality between the variants will reduce both development and life cycle costs and will result in significant savings when compared to the development of three separate aircraft. The Marine Corps requires that its STOVL variant be able to operate from large-deck amphibious ships, austere sites, and forward operating bases. The STOVL Joint Strike Fighter version can use from three to five times more airfields around the world than our existing conventional take-off and landing aircraft. Moreover, because the STOVL variant can operate from both conventional carriers and amphibious assault ship decks, it thereby effectively doubles the number of platforms available for seabased operations. The advantages of a stealthy STOVL strike fighter¡Xcapable of taking off from an expeditionary base on land or at sea, flying at supersonic cruise, accomplishing its mission with advanced sensors and weapons, and then returning to its expeditionary site¡Xare dramatic. The STOVL Joint Strike Fighter will provide the reliability, survivability, and lethality that Marines will need in the years ahead, and transform the very foundations of Naval tactical air power for the 21st Century. Naval Surface Fire Support. Our ability to provide fires in support of expeditionary forces operations beyond the beach has not kept pace with the dramatic increases in mobility. Critical deficiencies currently exist in the capability of the Navy to provide all-weather, accurate, lethal and responsive fire support throughout the depth of the littoral in support of expeditionary operations. The Marine Corps supports the Navy¡¦s near-term efforts to develop an enhanced Naval surface fire support capability with the fielding of the 5-inch/62-caliber Naval gun and the development of extended-range munitions. In the far-term, the Marine Corps supports the development and fielding of the Advanced Destroyer [DD(X)], armed with 155mm Advanced Gun Systems and Land Attack Missiles, to fully meet our Naval surface fire support requirements. Our Nation¡¦s expeditionary forces ashore will remain at considerable risk for want of suitable sea-based fire support until DD(X) joins the fleet in significant numbers. Indirect Fire-Support. A triad of indirect fire-support programs will provide needed firepower enhancements for Marines in the near- to mid-term. The first element of the triad is the Lightweight-155mm (LW-155) towed howitzer needed to replace our current M-198 howitzer, which is at the end of its service life. The Lightweight-155 is a joint Marine Corps-Army effort that will meet or exceed all the requirements of the current system while significantly reducing its weight.
The second element, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), will deliver very high volumes of rocket artillery in support of the ground scheme of maneuver. The HIMARS will provide accurate, responsive general support and general support reinforcing indirect fires at long range, under all weather conditions, and throughout all phases of combat operations ashore. It will fire both precision and area munitions to a maximum range of 36 miles. The Expeditionary Fire Support System, the third system of the land-based fire support triad, will accompany Marines in any expeditionary mode of operation. It will be the primary indirect fire-support system for the vertical assault element of the ship-to-objective maneuver force. The Expeditionary Fire Support System, as a system, will be internally transportable by helicopter or tilt-rotor aircraft to allow the greatest range and flexibility of employment for our future operations.
Information Operations. Defense planners are engaged in studies exploring Information Operations as a core military competency, fully integrated into both deliberate and crisis action planning. The Marine Corps intends to enhance our operational capability in both offensive and defensive Information Operations. Marine Corps doctrine and warfighting publications are being reviewed and revised to acknowledge Information Operations as a core warfighting capability fundamental to all operations spanning the spectrum of conflict with equal significance during non-combatant and humanitarian operations. We recognize a requirement to develop and train an Information Operations career force of trained professionals from the ground up in support of joint and inter-agency efforts.
New Weapons Technologies. The Corps is particularly interested in adapting truly transformational weapon technologies. We have forged partnerships throughout the Department of Defense, other Agencies, and with industry over the past several years in an effort to develop and adapt the most hopeful areas of science and technology. Several notable programs with promising technologies include: (1) advanced tactical lasers, (2) high-power microwave, non-lethal active denial systems, (3) free electron lasers, (4) electro-magnetic guns (rail guns), and (5) common modular missiles for aircraft.
Logistics and Combat Service Support The Marine Corps logistics¡¦ vision is to significantly enhance the expeditionary and joint warfighting capabilities of our Operating Forces. Key warfighting capabilities encompassed in our future concepts ¡VEnhanced Networked Seabasing and Ship-To-Objective-Maneuver ¡V will be defined by our logistic capabilities and limitations. Hence, we are committed to exploring and implementing actions to increase combat power, operational versatility, and deployability. The concept of focused logistics in Joint Vision 2020 is guiding the Marine Corps as we strive to increase the sustained forward-deployed capability of our forces. Future force combat service support¡Xand the Marine Corps logistics that enables it¡Xwill be changing as we shift more of our operations to the sea base. At the forefront of this effort is the Marine Corps Logistics Campaign Plan that outlines essential objectives and tasks based upon overarching Marine Corps, Naval, joint, and DoD concepts and guidance. Our strategy encompasses four pillars: Logistics Information Fusion and C2. A key to current and emerging warfighting capabilities is a robust and responsive logistics information technology capability¡Xone that is integrated with our command-and-control architecture and interoperable with Naval and joint systems. The Global Combat Support System ¡V Marine Corps (GCSS-MC) and shared data environment, along with the Common Logistics Command and Control System, provide logisticians across the Marine Corps with a set of common logistics assessment, planning, and execution tools that are interoperable with the common operating picture.
Seamless Distribution. The single capability that defines Marine Forces in a joint environment is its ability to sustain itself over an extended period of time. The principal goal is to move from defining sustainment in terms of deployable ¡§days of supply¡¨ to a continuous uninterrupted sustainment capability for the force. A key element in achieving this is integrating current distribution processes and systems into broader Naval and joint distribution processes. Achieving this capability will not only greatly enhance Naval operations, but will be transferable to the task of sustaining joint forces and operations.
Enhanced Equipment Readiness. The bulk of our logistics effort and associated ¡§footprint¡¨ is driven by its equipment-support activities. The Marine Corps seeks to reduce the required level of support for equipment by greatly improving the reliability, availability, and maintainability of ground tactical equipment.
Enterprise Integration. Achieving the emerging warfighting capabilities envisioned by future concepts require dynamic shifts in our logistics processes and organizations. Leading this effort toward logistics modernization is true enterprise integration consisting of GCSS-MC, process reengineering, and organizational reform.
V. CONCLUSION The major challenges confronting the Marine Corps today center on organizing, training, and equipping our force to better support joint force commanders, now and in the future. The modernization programs and the transformational systems that we are pursuing are key to our ability to meet the Nation¡¦s wartime, crisis, and peacetime requirements. We have put into place well-conceived programs addressing the needs of our Marines and their families, the requirement to enhance the current readiness of legacy systems, the critical role infrastructure plays in present and future readiness, and the balance between modernization and transformation. We are focusing on the development of integrated capabilities that, when combined with those of our sister Services and Special Operations Forces, will effectively meet the challenges of an increasingly varied and threatening National security landscape. You can remain justifiably proud of what your Marine Corps contributes as America¡¦s forward engagement and expeditionary combined-arms force. We are grateful for the unwavering support you provide in this vitally important work.
