If Berger has to choose between the Stand In Force vs Crisis Response which do you think will get killed?

 via 1945

Putting aside Berger’s reputation for innovation, he has clearly and consistently articulated the Marine Corps’ continuing leading role in crisis response. There is no evidence that either he or his Service in any way wishes to de-emphasize this defining responsibility.

That is debatable.  We've seen Berger and his band of merry men talk about using the well decks of amphibs for everything except gear for forcible entry.

They've talked about everything with regard to the sea battle, nothing has been said about going from ship to objective...hell they barely talk about HA/DR.

The Pentagon seems to be aboard with that thinking too.  We're seeing the US Army gobble up more and more of the "crisis response force" role and more and more the Marine Corps sitting on the sidelines.

So no.  

I do not believe that Berger is at all interested in that mission.

What I do believe he's interested in is more amphibious warships.

  Another few lines from the same article.

 Given that the need for Marine Corps devotion to the everyday business of global crisis response today is as great as it was before great power competition re-emerged, it is illogical to assume that devotion can be pursued with an amphibious force structure less than that which was applied to the task then.

This is why the 31-ship requirement is problematic. If a 31 ship, two-hub approach required the Marine Corps to create a land-based crisis response SPMAGTF in the absence of great power competition, then its presence surely argues for force structure that not only addresses the innovative warfighting requirements of General Berger’s design, but also addresses known shortfalls in crisis response shipping.

Put another way, the Marine Corps requirement for amphibious ships must be large enough to meet the demands of global crisis response—which the post-Cold War two-hub approach did not meet—even as it evolves to meet the new mission and force structure requirements of General Berger’s force design.

What does my spider sense tell me?

Berger will probably get his Landing Ship Medium (LSM...formerly LAW) but will lose in the process.

Berger will lose big amphibs (I'm guessing down to probably 26 or 27)  which will add to the idea that the Marine Corps is a one region, one fight force.