Marine cuts coming pros & cons

Commandant Gen. David Berger’s plan to eliminate thousands from the Marine Corps personnel in FY 2021 won't be the biggest reduction the force will face, he told lawmakers Feb. 27. Berger gave a glimpse into an anticipated review, that is to shape the Corps for years to come, while testifying before members of the House Armed Services Committee. Alabama Republican Mike Rogers asked the commandant when "we're going to start seeing you take the knife out and start taking some action." The Marine' FY-21 budget request includes dropping its end strength from 186,200 to 184,100. “You need us to be mobile. It needs to be integrated with the Navy. So, we're going to reduce the size of the Marine Corps some this year, more next year," Berger said. The general did not specify future end strengths or programs to be cut. FY-21's requests indicate that the Marines will begin phasing out decades-old Amphibious Assault Vehicles, along with Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. Not all lawmakers were sold on the idea of cutting military personnel. Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) warned against making long-term cuts for short-term gains. It's tough to replace experienced troops, he indicated, if leaders later find they cut too deeply. "You can't replace an E-6 with a trainee. That's 12 years of experience to get there that we can't replace." (MIilitary.com 02/27/20) Kelly is currently serving as a Brigadier General with the Joint Force Headquarters for the state of Mississippi as a member of the Army National Guard, serving in the Mississippi National Guard. In 1990, he mobilized for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm as a Second Lieutenant engineer officer. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/27/more-marine-corps-personnel-cuts-are-coming-commandant-says.html