Plan calls for Corps to retain amphib expertise

Marines from Expeditionary Strike Group One, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit disembark a Landing Craft Utility ship from the amphibious assault ship Tarawa.


Plan calls for Corps to retain amphib expertise
By John T. Bennett - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 17:31:59 EST

The Marine Corps must retain its amphibious-assault expertise for the future fight, according to the service’s first “Service Campaign Plan,” recently released by Commandant Gen. James Conway.

Defense News, a sister publication of Marine Corps Times, obtained a copy of the document, which is dated Dec. 9 and carries Conway’s signature. The document is intended to help service officials structure the force and conduct operations through 2015.

In the plan, Conway stated his desire that the Afghan-focused Corps not forget how to do other kinds of operations, such as amphibious assaults.

“The recent tempo of deployments has dictated an almost singular focus on preparing units for the next rotation and counterinsurgency operations,” said the campaign plan.

“This focus and the deployment rate of many units threaten to erode the skills needed for Marine Corps missions such as combined arms maneuver, mountain warfare and amphibious operations,” the document said. “The challenge is particularly acute at the (Marine Expeditionary Brigade) and (Marine Expeditionary Force) level, where opportunities to maintain our historically high levels of proficiency in these operations have been reduced.”


Rest of article at: http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/01/marine_amphib_010610w/