Marine Corps Ready for Review’s Scrutiny, Commandant Says

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2009 – The Marine Corps is lean and built for a fight, including the scrutiny of the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review, its commandant said during a military strategy forum here today.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway delivers the keynote address focusing on the Quadrennial Defense Review at the CSIS Military Strategy Forum in Washington D.C., on May 15, 2009. Conway said he expects the Marine Corps will withstand any scrutiny during QDR discussion. DoD photo by Marine Cpl. Erin A. Kirk

“We think that … as a Marine Corps, we’re going to be scrutinized during the QDR but in the end, we think we’ll be OK,” Marine Gen. James T. Conway said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Military Strategy Forum. The QDR is a study the Defense Department conducts every four years to analyze strategic objectives and potential military threats.

“The Marine Corps pulls down about 6 percent of the department’s budget,” Conway said. “For that 6 percent, you get about 15, 16 percent of the maneuver battalions; you get 15 percent of the attack aircraft [and] you get 19 percent of the attack helicopters. The average Marine costs the country about $20,000 less than the next closest service man in other services.”

The Corps also defines the kind of service Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is seeking: a balanced force oriented toward the hybrid, but able to counter surprises that sometimes develop around the globe, Conway said.

“One hundred percent of our Marine Corps procurement can be used in both the hybrid kind of environment or in major combat,” he said. “It’s a record we’re proud of and we think that’s certainly going to continue on downrange.”

The QDR most likely will bring up three issues involving the Marine Corps, the commandant said. The first is the lay down of forces as it relates to the Corps’ pending move to Guam.

The second is the shortfall in the Corps’ attack aircraft procurement. It hasn’t purchased such a craft in 11 years, but with good reason, he said.

“We chose not to buy the F-18 E and F when the Navy did, so that we could await the arrival of a fifth-generation fighter called the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35B,” Conway said. “Interestingly, we are the first of all the services to get initial operation capacity out of that aircraft.”

That capacity won’t be a reality until 2012. Until then, the Marine Corps has taken steps to make sure its fleet of F-18 A through D fighter jets are viable resources, including extending the jets to 10,000 hours of flight time, Conway said.

The third issue focuses on the need for amphibious capability and how much is necessary.

“That is a major player as far as Marines are concerned, of course … because it talks about that niche capability that we provide,” Conway said. “I would rephrase the question a little bit and [ask], ‘How much does this maritime nation and world superpower need for purposes of security cooperation and theater engagement? If you ask that question of the combatant commanders, they will tell you almost uniformly that’s their No. 1 requirement.”

Conway said he believes the chief of Naval Operations would say the amphibious ships are the best for that particular job.

They provide a great range of capabilities including training, air, medical and dental.

“We think that the value on a day-in and day-out basis is really the engagement that this nation has to be able to accomplish over time and [be able to do it] from the sea,” Conway said.

The military is seeing more nations request the aid the U.S. military has brought them, but they don’t necessarily want them creating a footprint ashore, he said.

 

 

Homeland secretary: Cautious optimism about H1N1 flu

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the severity and reach of the H1N1 flu virus is encouraging, the secretary of Homeland Security noted during a briefing here May 4. 

"As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted over the weekend, we have started to see encouraging signs that this virus may be mild and its spread may be limited," Secretary Janet Napolitano said. "We are; therefore, cautiously optimistic."

The secretary also said that despite encouraging signs, the nation may not have seen the last of the virus when the current outbreak abates. 

"We also have in mind that H1N1 flu could die down and return later again this fall when the flu season enters back in full swing," she said.

The United States has documented 286 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in 36 states. The cases are mild and haven't required hospitalization. In fact, Secretary Napolitano said, many of the patients already have recovered. It's still possible; however, that the World Health Organization will raise its pandemic alert to Level 6.

"This would not be a surprise, nor would it affect our preparation efforts, since we have been preparing since the first appearance of H1N1 flu as if this will be a Level 6 (outbreak)," the Homeland Security secretary said.

A rise in the pandemic alert level from the WHO does not mean the virus has become any more severe, Secretary Napolitano explained. Rather, it means it has spread to a number of countries.

"In other words, the number is about geography, not severity," she said.

Secretary Napolitano urged individuals, families, the private sector and governments to realize their responsibilities and take steps to mitigate its spread. Updated information and guidance can be found on the CDC Web site.

People should be vigilant about hand washing and covering their mouths when they cough, not with their hand, but with their sleeves, she said, and families need to think ahead. For instance, she asked, what would parents do if their child was released from school had to remain at home?

Businesses need to plan for a large degree of absenteeism, Secretary Napolitano said, and all levels of government need to dust off their plans for dealing with a large-scale event.

"I think it's important to note that the federal government, state governments and local governments have been planning for a number of years in case we faced a situation like the current one," she said. "Those plans are serving us well now, because we're actually seeing how well they work and also (are revealing) areas where we need to improve."

Regardless of the direction the outbreak seems to be moving in, Secretary Napolitano said, the government will continue to closely monitor the virus for the coming days and weeks.