12-19-2006

Mr. Secretary, You Want "Military Transformation"? Here's Some Real Military Transformation!!

President's Note: The following is from a letter to military reporter Joe Galloway from Jim Magee, a retired colonel of Marines & long-time friend of mine who could always be counted on to produce unconventional thinking. His friends would agree with me that Jim's unconventional approaches nearly always made the Marines and Navy's Perfumed Princes nervous. The following is shows Jim's "outside the box" thinking at its best.

Joe,

I've been an avid reader and a strong supporter of your views since I read We Were Soldiers Once and Young. With the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Commandant of the Marine Corps now publicly calling for more troops, here is a solution that I thought you might make use of to support the case for more infantrymen in both services. Not more troops- per se - but more usable troops, the infantrymen:

If we are serious about the "War on Terror," then the military needs to break the current Cold War model of our Armed Forces to put more infantrymen in the ranks.

For example: It is time we adopt a "ship-to-shore program" in which the Department of the Navy:

1. Cancels the double manning of submarines, the Blue-Gold manning scheme they've had for 50 years, for just "Gold crews" or "Blue crews," with the remainder of personnel slots deleted from authorized Navy manning tables and assigned to the Marine Corps' authorized manning for rifle company-level infantry Marines.

2. Cadres manning on 1/4 of their surface warfare ships of the destroyer and cruiser classes, and adopts "functional" manning of flotillas of the same classes of these ships tied up side-by-side, at anchor or at the pier (such as in Philadelphia), to keep the ships' propulsion, weapons and electronics in operational status = to being in an "overhaul period level of operational readiness:" i.e.; a "four weeks to make operational" status. About 200 sailors of the right MOS's can keep 30 ships operational at the suggested "4 week run-up level to operational" status for at least three years without negative effect on the ships. The manning from these savings is reduced from the Navy's authorized manning and assigned to the authorized manning of the Marine Corps company level infantry units.

3. All, and I do mean all, logistics functions above Marine Division (MarDiv) level are assigned to the US Navy or to DLA. All enlisted Marines serving in echelons above MarDiv logistics functions are assigned to retraining in infantry (Marines 03XX) occupational skills fields. Career logistics (Marine 04XX) occupational field field grade officers are assigned to Navy commands assuming these functions, or to joint commands relieving Marine 03XX occupational field field grade officers for assignment to MarDiv level assignments. Marine Corps transfers all "Force level" or higher assets to the US Navy or to DLA for sub-contracting of their operations and maintenance. That includes bulk fuel, FSSG-level motor transport and heavy engineer assets and missions. This includes ALL Marine Wing Support Group (MSSG) logistics functions of similar nature. All enlisted Marines serving in commands or support organizations in echelons in these FSSG/MSSG logistics functions are assigned to retraining in 03XX occupational skills and those authorized manning slots are transferred from FSSG/MSSG authorized manning tables to 03XX infantry manning tables of the Marine Corps to create an additional rifle company in each Marine infantry battalion (4th rifle company-not new regiments or battalions).

4. Four (4) aircraft carriers (CV's) are inactivated within 180 days; these ships are then tied up side-by-side, at anchor or at the pier (such as in Philadelphia), to keep the ships' propulsion, weapons and electronics in operational status = to being in an overhaul period level of operational readiness: i.e.; a "four (4) months to make operational" status. Or we can lease them to our allies (UK, Japan, Australia, and Italy) for $1.00 per year, if the allied nation agrees to man the ships, and equip them with US made F/A-18 or F/A-35 carrier aircraft. The US manning for the CV crews and CV air wings are deleted from the Navy's authorized manning, and this 24,000 person manpower level is reduced from the Navy's authorized manning and assigned to the authorized manning of the US Army infantry units (11X MOS) to create an additional infantry company at each Army infantry battalion (4th infantry company-not new brigades, regiments or battalions).

5. Marine Corps "cadres" four F/A-18 squadrons colors and transfers these "air wing" authorized manning level strengths to the Marine Corps' infantry authorized strength. Marines adopt "functional" manning of these F/A-18 aircraft parked side-by-side in the desert at MCAS Yuma, to keep the aircrafts' engines, weapons and electronics in operational status = to being in an overhaul period level of operational readiness, as an operational "float": i.e.; a "2 month run-up to make operational" status. About 40 civilian technicians of the right skills can keep 80 F/A-18 aircraft operational at the suggested "2 month run-up level to full operational" status for at least three years without negative effect on the aircraft.

It is time we adopt a "air-to-ground program" in which the Department of Defense orders the US Air Force:

1. To cadre manning on 1/10 of their non-airlift (i.e.; fighter and bomber) squadrons/wings, and adopt "functional" manning of flotillas of the same classes of these aircraft parked side-by-side in the desert at Davis Monthan AFB, to keep the aircrafts' engines, weapons and electronics in operational status = to being in an overhaul period level of operational readiness: i.e.; a "two-four month to make operational" status. About 100 civilian technicians of the right skills can keep 300 aircraft operational at the suggested "2-4 month run-up level to full operational" status for at least three years without negative effect on the aircraft. The manning from these savings is reduced from the Air Force's T/O and assigned to the authorized manning of the US Army (11B or 11X MOS's).

2. To transfer all, and I do mean all, logistics functions above USAF wing level for assignment to the DLA, who subcontracts these to the aircraft manufacturers (Lockheed Martin, United Defense, GD, Boeing, etc.). All officer and enlisted USAF personnel serving in echelons above USAF wing are discharged within 60 days. An exception would be only for those eligible for retirement within 3 years, or those accepting MOS retraining to an Army (11X) MOS. The manning from these savings is reduced from the Air Force's authorized manning and assigned to the authorized manning of US Army infantry units.

3. To offer all USAF civilian logistics personnel above wing level not more than 120 days to transfer to DLA or other DOD open personnel slots, and at the 120 day mark convert these USAF civilian slots to "uniformed" personnel slots and shift these personnel slots to US Army infantry authorized strengths from USAF authorized manning tables.

Of course, these are heart stopping changes --but-- perhaps our new DOD leader will develop the guts to mandate them.

Regards,

Jim Magee
Colonel US Marine Corps (Retired)

Ellie