Amos: Marines will feel drawdown’s squeeze - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Amos: Marines will feel drawdown’s squeeze

The commandant of the Marine Corps told a congressional panel Thursday that as the service begins to draw down by 20,000 Marines, he intends to honor existing enlistments while providing ample opportunity for others to leave voluntarily.

Prompted by questions from Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., a retired Marine officer and member of the House Armed Services Committee, Gen. Jim Amos spelled out his plan to shed about 5,000 active-duty Marines a year between 2013 and 2017. For starters, Amos said, the number of new Marines coming in each year will decrease, and those wishing to re-enlist may find it harder to do so.

Amos went to Capitol Hill to discuss details of the service’s $30.8 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2013. That figure includes a base budget request of $23.9 billion and another $6.9 billion for overseas contingency operations.

The commandant told the committee that he “feels good” about the service’s plan to reduce authorized end strength from 202,100 to 182,100, and offered his assurance that the Corps will remain capable. As a principal strategy, officials are “maximizing voluntary opportunities for Marines to leave early,” he said. However, many will feel the squeeze.

“Those Marines who finish their first enlistment after four years, it’s going to be more competitive to be able to stay in the Marine Corps,” said Amos, who added that Marines wishing to re-enlist for a second term may also find the environment more competitive. “We’re looking now at reducing what we call the second-term alignment program, which are those that are finishing their second enlistment and making that a little bit more competitive.”

He reiterated his intention to honor existing enlistments among Marines, from those on a four-year contract to those who are reaching the 20-year retirement point. There are indications, however, that existing force-shaping tools in use for the officer corps will intensify. One such area is the Career Designation Program, which weeds out hundreds of active-duty first lieutenants annually before they can compete for promotion to captain.

The commandant’s posture statement, a 30-page document submitted to members of the HASC in advance of the hearing, recounts the Corps’ involvement in numerous operations around the world, as well as the ongoing commitment to prioritize support of Marines in combat in Afghanistan.

The statement also reinforces the Corps’ long-stated plans to grow its special operations and cyber communities in coming years, even as the service draws down personnel and restructures. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command will tack on about 800 Marines, while Marine Corps Force Cyber Command will add about 700, according to the document.