Wow.
How can so many people be so wrong about so simple an issue.
Yes Secretary Gates ordered a force structure review.
No, the Secretary is not talking about "killing" the Marines. More the opposite. Take this for example...
Since then,
Marines have fought on the beaches, mountains and trenches of Korea, the
highlands and rice paddies of Vietnam, and the deserts of Kuwait, Iraq
and Afghanistan. Although many of these operations saw Marines initially
projected from the sea, “they soon turned into long, grinding, ground
engagements,” Gates said.
The nation does not need a second land army, Gates said, but rather
forces that can deploy quickly and sustain themselves for a short period
of time.
Sounds like he is endorsing the work already done by the current Commandant to get the Marines feet wet again.
But just to show that I am paying attention, this is the part where many are all-a-twitter...
“Looking ahead, I
do think it is proper to ask whether large-scale amphibious landings
along the lines of Inchon (Korea in 1950) are feasible,” the secretary
said. Anti-access technologies, such as more accurate cruise and
ballistic missiles, will work to drive the starting point for amphibious
operations farther and farther out to sea.
All will gain from a serious and balanced look at military missions,
with an emphasis on balance, Gates said. “The United States will
continue to face a diverse range of threats that will require a flexible
portfolio of military capabilities,” he said. The military must be
equally adept in counterinsurgency and full-spectrum operations. Any
enemy is going to confront perceived American weaknesses, and how the
military responds to asymmetric tactics must be considered, he added.
The funny thing here is that Forcible Entry in general and Amphibious Assault in particular has been reaffirmed once again. This is honestly a shot at only one part of the Marine Corps and that's the EFV. This entire speech was a thinly veiled shot across the bow at a weapon system and not the Marine Corps.
If anything, this is showing that Gates is willing to play hardball with the Marines when it comes to the fight for that vehicle.
I wonder what the powers that be are going to do for a counter move over in Quantico. This will get ugly.