ACE capabilities...The Wing still suffers from lack of focus...

Listening to this Marine Officer makes me cringe.  She says all the right things but its obvious that the Wing still suffers from lack of focus.

The F-35 is dangerous in two ways.

The first is the carnage that its doing to the Marine Corps budget, both now and into the future.

The second is the fact that its allowing theorists to envision "new" missions, and participating in functions that don't focus on supporting the Marine on the ground.

It started with the Air Boss under Amos and continues to this day.

Why is it a problem that Marine Air wants to go play with the Air Force and/or the Navy?

Because the Marine Corps has built itself with the idea that the Wing is fully integrated into its warfighting scheme.

I'm not so sure that still applies.

If it doesn't and if I'm right then we need to follow the Army.  Emphasize those portions of the Wing that will always be there.  Emphasize working with rotary winged assets (I don't include the MV-22 in that mix) and plus up ground based air defense (and for God's sake yank that shit back from the Wing and give it to the the Regiment!).

Time will tell but the groundside of the house needs to keep an eye on things.

Sidenote.  I hate building bureaucracy.  But in the modern age its past time that the ground combat element had its own 4 star advocate in the Commandant's office.  Pilots will be pilots.  If they're gonna sit in the Commandant's chair then that means that we don't' have representation to defend our needs.  The last decade plus has indicated that its not only necessary but essential that we have someone with stars banging on the table addressing the needs of the GCE!  Everyone can say the right thing but we need someone that will ensure that we get what we need.  God knows its worked for the Wing!