thedrifter
11-28-06, 04:26 PM
Extended Iraq tours? Larger Corps may be needed, Conway says
By Gordon Lubold
Staff writer
Some Marines could have their war-zone tours extended soon as the Corps awaits word of what's next in Iraq, according to the new commandant.
Gen. James Conway said he may want to increase the size of the Marine Corps to better meet operational commitments around the world and ease deployment tempo. But in the short term, he said he may be asked to supply more leathernecks to support the effort in Iraq.
If so, Conway would have to decide if keeping some units past their normal seven-month rotation is a viable option. He wouldn't rule it out, he said.
"We would examine every opportunity to do that," Conway told reporters Nov. 22. "One distinct opportunity would be to extend troops on deck.
"We'd have to determine what is the most effective, what's going to accomplish the mission, but then very quickly on the heels of that, what is in the best interest of the troops," he said.
Extending troops would be a short-term option as an answer to perhaps a new requirement to "surge" the level of U.S. troops in Iraq for a short time. Increasing that level by as much as 20,000 - for a total of 160,000 - is one of the options President Bush will consider in the coming weeks.
The Corps has generally been reluctant to extend units' or individuals' deployments but has done it occasionally for weeks at a time, Conway said. In the most dramatic recent move, the Army extended the 172nd Stryker Brigade in Iraq for another four months even after some elements of the unit had returned home.
In his eighth day on the job, Conway met with reporters to discuss the way ahead for the Corps as he embarks on a four-year tour as the service's top officer. Conway is a former member of the Joint Staff. Prior to that, he led the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based I Marine Expeditionary Force through the invasion of Iraq and later in the first battle for Fallujah in 2004. He succeeded Gen. Mike Hagee, who retired Nov. 13.
Despite the possibility of extending Marines' war-zone tours, Conway said he is actually trying to increase the time Marines spend at home. In a message to Marines released Nov. 13, Conway said he wants to "right-size our Corps" to achieve a 1:2 deployment-to-dwelltime ratio. That means Marines would get at least twice as much time at home between deployments as they do now. Most units deploy for seven months, stay at home for seven to 10 months, and then return to Iraq.
The only way to improve Marines' dwell time is to reduce the commitment in Iraq or increase the size of the Corps, Conway said. Bush and the incoming defense secretary will consider the options in Iraq, and some choices may require fewer, not more troops.
"I sense that there may be some change in the strategy out there in the near term and that requirement could change," Conway said.
Or that requirement could go up, he added.
If it did, and Marines are asked to maintain their current level of commitment, he said, he would need more troops.
Conway's staff is working to determine how big the Corps would have to be to meet his goal of doubling troops' time at home. It's likely that a bigger force would be the answer, he said, although a number has not been identified. Hagee said earlier this year that he would like to permanently add 5,000 Marines to the Corps, increasing its end strength to 180,000.
"When I see what the final number is, I think that will be the conclusion," Conway said, adding that officials with Marine Corps Recruiting Command have told him they could expand the overall force by 1,000 to 2,000 recruits per month.
But with that in mind, Conway has other concerns.
If the Corps is asked to contribute more forces to the effort in Iraq, equipment issues will be a factor. For the most part, Congress has authorized enough money to reset the Corps. But if more Marines have to spend time in Iraq, providing them the right amount of equipment would be a challenge, Conway said. Currently, there are three squadrons of equipment floating at sea, any one of which could be used to provide Marines with Humvees, helicopters and other gear within seven days. One such squadron is not yet fully reconstituted, but will be soon, he said.
But perhaps Conway's biggest long-term concern is whether the Corps is losing sight of its maneuver-warfare heritage. With counterinsurgency operations now the focus, Conway said, many Marines, such as artillerymen, aren't performing jobs in the specialties for which they are trained. And large units, such as the MEF headquarters he used to lead, are more focused on small wars and fighting insurgencies than on the large-scale operations for which the Corps has always been, by law, on the hook.
"Right now, I think we're very capable in that arena," Conway said, referring to the Corps' ability to fight an insurgency. "But that is more singularly focused than I am comfortable being, based on our lawful tasking."
Conway will soon embark on a tour of the Corps, visiting bases and stations and traveling to see Marines overseas.
By Gordon Lubold
Staff writer
Some Marines could have their war-zone tours extended soon as the Corps awaits word of what's next in Iraq, according to the new commandant.
Gen. James Conway said he may want to increase the size of the Marine Corps to better meet operational commitments around the world and ease deployment tempo. But in the short term, he said he may be asked to supply more leathernecks to support the effort in Iraq.
If so, Conway would have to decide if keeping some units past their normal seven-month rotation is a viable option. He wouldn't rule it out, he said.
"We would examine every opportunity to do that," Conway told reporters Nov. 22. "One distinct opportunity would be to extend troops on deck.
"We'd have to determine what is the most effective, what's going to accomplish the mission, but then very quickly on the heels of that, what is in the best interest of the troops," he said.
Extending troops would be a short-term option as an answer to perhaps a new requirement to "surge" the level of U.S. troops in Iraq for a short time. Increasing that level by as much as 20,000 - for a total of 160,000 - is one of the options President Bush will consider in the coming weeks.
The Corps has generally been reluctant to extend units' or individuals' deployments but has done it occasionally for weeks at a time, Conway said. In the most dramatic recent move, the Army extended the 172nd Stryker Brigade in Iraq for another four months even after some elements of the unit had returned home.
In his eighth day on the job, Conway met with reporters to discuss the way ahead for the Corps as he embarks on a four-year tour as the service's top officer. Conway is a former member of the Joint Staff. Prior to that, he led the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based I Marine Expeditionary Force through the invasion of Iraq and later in the first battle for Fallujah in 2004. He succeeded Gen. Mike Hagee, who retired Nov. 13.
Despite the possibility of extending Marines' war-zone tours, Conway said he is actually trying to increase the time Marines spend at home. In a message to Marines released Nov. 13, Conway said he wants to "right-size our Corps" to achieve a 1:2 deployment-to-dwelltime ratio. That means Marines would get at least twice as much time at home between deployments as they do now. Most units deploy for seven months, stay at home for seven to 10 months, and then return to Iraq.
The only way to improve Marines' dwell time is to reduce the commitment in Iraq or increase the size of the Corps, Conway said. Bush and the incoming defense secretary will consider the options in Iraq, and some choices may require fewer, not more troops.
"I sense that there may be some change in the strategy out there in the near term and that requirement could change," Conway said.
Or that requirement could go up, he added.
If it did, and Marines are asked to maintain their current level of commitment, he said, he would need more troops.
Conway's staff is working to determine how big the Corps would have to be to meet his goal of doubling troops' time at home. It's likely that a bigger force would be the answer, he said, although a number has not been identified. Hagee said earlier this year that he would like to permanently add 5,000 Marines to the Corps, increasing its end strength to 180,000.
"When I see what the final number is, I think that will be the conclusion," Conway said, adding that officials with Marine Corps Recruiting Command have told him they could expand the overall force by 1,000 to 2,000 recruits per month.
But with that in mind, Conway has other concerns.
If the Corps is asked to contribute more forces to the effort in Iraq, equipment issues will be a factor. For the most part, Congress has authorized enough money to reset the Corps. But if more Marines have to spend time in Iraq, providing them the right amount of equipment would be a challenge, Conway said. Currently, there are three squadrons of equipment floating at sea, any one of which could be used to provide Marines with Humvees, helicopters and other gear within seven days. One such squadron is not yet fully reconstituted, but will be soon, he said.
But perhaps Conway's biggest long-term concern is whether the Corps is losing sight of its maneuver-warfare heritage. With counterinsurgency operations now the focus, Conway said, many Marines, such as artillerymen, aren't performing jobs in the specialties for which they are trained. And large units, such as the MEF headquarters he used to lead, are more focused on small wars and fighting insurgencies than on the large-scale operations for which the Corps has always been, by law, on the hook.
"Right now, I think we're very capable in that arena," Conway said, referring to the Corps' ability to fight an insurgency. "But that is more singularly focused than I am comfortable being, based on our lawful tasking."
Conway will soon embark on a tour of the Corps, visiting bases and stations and traveling to see Marines overseas.