Marines Remain America’s Crisis Response Force, Amos Says

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – The Marine Corps will remain America’s crisis response force for the foreseeable future, the service’s top officer said today.

This covers everything from humanitarian missions to military operations, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos told reporters during a roundtable discussion.

Amos also spoke about what the transition of U.S. strategy toward the Asia-Pacific region means to the Corps.

“The Marine Corps doesn’t have a domain,” he said. “The Navy has the water, the Army has ground and the Air Force has air and space. As I talk to my fellow service chiefs, I tell them, ‘The Marine Corps is not interested in poaching in your domain, but we have a lane that appears as a result of a crisis.”

The attributes the Marine Corps brings are a high-state of readiness, the ability to operate in austere environments and the ability to move quickly from the sea or via air, Amos said. “We appear, we do our nation’s bidding, and then our lane disappears and we cooperate and operate well with our joint partners,” he added.

Some issues that Amos said keep him awake at night are the drawdown in Afghanistan, the pending reduction of the Corps from 202,000 to 182,000 Marines, resetting and reconstituting the force, and the new defense strategy transition.

Part of that strategy calls for 22,000 Marines to be west of the International Date Line. “The agreement is a little over 10,000 Marines on Okinawa,” Amos said. “We’re comfortable with that.”

The number of Marines in Iwakuni, Japan, will grow as C-130s, command and control assets and other units transfer. “Guam right now is looking at probably 4,500 Marines,” he said. “Predominately, those forces will be rotational forces.”

An agreement between the United States and Australia calls for a rotational force of about 2,500 Marines operating out of Darwin, he said. “Our two nations will set the pace on that,” he added. “Right now, we have about 200 Marines, in Darwin and they will come out next month.”

A significant portion of the Marine presence west of the date line will be on amphibious warfare ships, Amos said.

The Marines are interested in building deeper relations with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region including India, Vietnam and Indonesia, Amos said. During a recent trip to the Philippines, he told reporters, he explored expanding Marine exercises with the Philippine armed forces.

Marines currently train in Thailand, Singapore, Korea and other nations. “My hope would be as a service chief that somewhere down the road we have an opportunity to train alongside those nations’ forces,” Amos said.

SECNAV, CNO, CMC Sign MOU to Join Navy, Marine Corps Forces

By Chinara Lucas, Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) met with the chief of naval operations (CNO) and the commandant of the Marine Corps March 14 to commit to achieving greater combat capability in naval aviation by signing a Tactical Aviation (TACAIR) Integration Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

"Today we reaffirm the enduring partnership of the Navy and Marine Corps. This MOU ensures that our aircraft apportionment is best suited to meet the needs of both services and fulfill the variety of missions undertaken by both," said SECNAV Ray Mabus. "Together, the Navy and Marine Corps are stronger than they are alone. And together, they will continue to be the most formidable expeditionary fighting force the world has ever known."

The joint commitment will bring increased combat capability to the nation for the foreseeable future, while reducing the force structure and the number of aircraft required to source requirements for both the Navy and Marine Corps. It also recognizes the service unique requirements of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

The MOU establishes a framework under which the Marine Corps will provide five squadrons of F-35C aircraft to carrier air wings. As part of the F-35 transition plan, the Marine Corps will procure 80 F-35Cs and 340 F-35Bs; the Navy will procure 260 F-35Cs.

The MOU also eliminates the need for the Navy to provide an expeditionary F/A-18 squadron as part of the Unit Deployment Program, supporting forward deployed forces in Japan.

"The Marine Corps' decision to purchase the F-35C is representative of our commitment to tactical air integration with the Navy," said Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos. "With this decision, it is important to note that the continued development of F-35B remains the centerpiece of the USMC tactical fixed wing modernization program."

"This reaffirms the way the Navy and Marine Corps serve the nation over time," said CNO Adm. Gary Roughead Chief of Naval Operations. "This brings a new capability into our forces and provides the nation with greater expeditionary capability."

Because of the dynamic nature of carrier and expeditionary operations, the MOU will be reviewed every five to seven years to ensure alignment with current missions. Additionally, a TACAIR Integration Team will annually examine current situations and attempt to forecast future requirements to be included in updated MOUs.