I don't like this decision given recent trends in Marine operating concepts:
The Marine Corps is phasing out the assault section of rifle companies and abolishing the infantry assault Marine military occupational specialty altogether.
By doing so, the Corps expects to free up about 500 Marines for other jobs deemed essential to defeating future adversaries, such as cyber operations, electronic warfare and intelligence, Military.com reported on Wednesday.
Instead, combat engineers will be assigned to Marine companies to do the job of breaching obstacles slowing down the advance.
But will the combat engineers be part of the company team or aliens assigned as needed who won't mesh with the company through long practice and association?
And how does this save manpower given that the job still needs to be done and different Marines will continue to do the job.
And what jobs that Marine combat engineers used to do before being assigned to rifle companies will no longer be done? Or will the engineers get 500 more slots to take on the new job? If so, how are those other essential jobs staffed?
Given my hope for new armed transports to carry company or platoon teams of Marines to battle (behind a paywall, I'm afraid), weakening the companies is disheartening.
But these guys are professionals who know more than I do. So while I'm concerned, I won't say my worries are necessarily fully valid. I'll await the commentary from Marines in reaction to this decision.
