Open Letter To The Commandant Of The Marine Corps...

Sir.

We've, no scratch that, you've got a problem.  You've seen data that has you transforming the USMC into a form that is unrecognizable to most.  You obviously believe this transformation is necessary in order to "keep pace" with the Chinese.

That's a laudable goal.  If that's what this is about then I applaud you.  However in making this DRAMATIC change you're leaving those you lead behind.

In essence you're failing Change Leadership 101.  You're not getting buy in from those you lead and that will cause chaos, not change.  via Forbes.

A weak culture that isn’t aligned with the mission, lack of participation and buy-in, under-communicating a powerful vision, over-communicating a poor vision, not enough training or resources, and so on. But one very critical roadblock standing in the way of bringing a change vision to fruition is what I call change battle fatigue.

Are you getting the force of connection here?  No?  Then let me break it down Barney style.

I don't buy for one second that the Marine Corps has a weak culture.  To the contrary it's extremely strong.  However that culture has been under attack for over a decade now.

That alone can cause chaos, fatigue and resentment.  Have we had a chance to reset?  To adjust to the change?  No.  It just keeps getting stuffed down throats.  I won't go into whether that change of culture is good or bad.  I will however say that if the Corps was going thru just that it would be a strain.

I do buy lack of participation.  I read the journals, and do my best to keep up with Marine Corps news but this latest move came like a thunderbolt.  Where you and other flag officers operated from solid information, the rank and file was left with rumor.  That's not good.  Remember the old chestnut of keeping your men informed?  Hey cowboy you failed on that one big time.

Communicating your vision?  Again you're substandard.  You're pushing the missile Marine Corps meme but you're failing to explain how dozens of missiles fired from shore will actually influence the sea battle in a favorable way.  Will the Marine Corps buy enough anti-ship missiles to equal what just 3 Burke Class Destroyers can carry?  If not then we're just pin pricks while the beasts rage at sea.  The Chinese already have enough missile boats to assign one to each shore based battery.  I won't even go into aircraft.  I have doubts about modern ISR having difficulty locating those batteries.  Your plan was applauded in think tank world but to the little people it makes no sense!

Change battle fatigue!  This is the big one!  This is the one that you should especially take note of and explain why this time it's different.  Every Commandant since Amos has come up with some weird form of predicting the future battle.  Everyone of them has seen those plans crumble because things are changing so fast.  How can you be sure?  Why should we trust that this time you got it right?  Additionally you're making a huge bet in a time of austerity.  If you're wrong (and to be blunt I think you are) then you're about to cripple the Marine Corps for the next 20 years.

Long story short?

Your Corps is under strain.  Your job is to bring order to chaos, not add to it. Additionally your Corps seems to be adrift.  It's facing attacks from within and without and needs a bearing.  A re-establishment for its reason for being.

It's actually strange to me that an organization that has been winning the nation's battles for over 200 years has to once again not only justify it's existence to the world but to itself but here we are.

My advice?

Take a beat.  Reorient the entire Corps.  If its to your new plan so be it but understand where things currently stand within the Fleet Marine Force.  Battles have been fought overseas, it's culture is being attacked at home, friction is being applied to the whole thing by leadership that is indecisive/always changing and the troops are restless (not even gonna add in the stress from this pandemic!).

Take care of the details with regard to the force and the rest will sort itself out.  Stop striving for transformation when the future is murky at best and evolve the force instead.  Accept the idea that there will be no easy way.  No bloodless battles between great powers.  Tell the leadership that too so we won't get into a stupid war.

Do these things and your tenure will be remembered with fondness not dread. Continue on your course and you will fail.  The last thing the Marine Corps needs is another milk toast Commandant.