Former Marine Generals: ‘Our Concerns With Force Design 2030’

 Question.  Can you name more than 5 retired Marine Corps Generals that support FD2030 (I don't know of one)?  Can you name at least 2 former Commandants that do?

via National Interest.

More importantly, we recognized that a less capable Marine Corps posed a significant risk to national security, our first concern. Valued by combatant commanders for its high state of readiness and ability to respond quickly with robust sustainment from shipboard stores and Maritime Prepositioning Force stocks, the Corps was often the “go to” force. We saw Marine Corps capabilities that were needed today to fight the Nation’s wars being unwisely jettisoned to fund future, unproven capabilities that in some cases other Services already possessed. Not always recognized was the fact that the Corps provided 25 percent of the nation’s ground divisions and 15 percent of its fighter/attack aircraft, percentages that have steadily dropped over the past three years.

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 In response to our criticism, Marine Corps leaders have claimed that Force Design 2030, Expeditionary Advanced Force Operations, and “Stand-in Force” plans and operating concepts are applicable to a wide range of military contingencies. The evidence for this claim is sparse. The Corps is in the process of structuring three of its regiments into new organizations, Marine Littoral Regiments (MLR). MLRs are built around a battalion-size Littoral Combat Team (LCT) whose primary armament is a missile battery designed to engage enemy ships. The main purpose of infantry in the LCT is to provide security for dispersed missile teams. The MLR also has an anti-air battalion and a combat service support battalion. What it does not have is the ability to conduct offensive operations or to control maneuver units. In other words, it provides a fires solution to the detriment of maneuver. It has no ability to conduct combined arms operations, which have been the mainstay of Marine Corps operating forces for more than a hundred years.

Here 

It's weird but it seems that Berger is way out on a limb by himself...and it looks like he's doing the bidding of those outside the Marine Corps.

Is this the way that the Marine Corps gets disbanded?

Note how the Army is approaching the fight in the Pacific.  They simply added to their existing divisions but did NOT toss away current capabilities.

I have to wonder if FD2030 isn't more about culture and less about warfighting.  Making the Marine Corps more about computer screens and long range fires instead of assault/shock troops will make it a much softer organization.