UNCLAS
062050Z FEB 07
CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL ALMAR(UC)
ALMAR
ALMAR 008/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS END STRENGTH INCREASE//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. MARINES, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT HAS
APPROVED OUR REQUEST FOR THE MARINE CORPS TO GROW FROM ITS CURRENT
END STRENGTH OF 175,000 MARINES TO 202,000. I WANT TO PASS ON WHY
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR CORPS AND WHAT THIS INCREASE MEANS FOR US.
2. THE CURRENT OPERATIONAL TEMPO OF THE LONG WAR HAS RESULTED IN
STRAIN ON OUR MARINES AND ON THE CORPS AS AN INSTITUTION. WHILE
THE MORALE OF OUR MARINES REMAINS HIGH - I AM NEVERTHELESS CONCERNED
WITH THE STRESS OF MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS ON OUR MARINES AND THEIR
FAMILIES. THE SECOND EFFECT OF THIS HIGH OPTEMPO IS THAT IT
CHALLENGES THE ESSENCE OF OUR MARINE CORPS. BY THIS, I MEAN THAT
OUR CORPS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN FOR OTHER
MISSIONS TO FULFILL OUR CONGRESSIONALLY-MANDATED MISSION TO BE "THE
NATION'S SHOCK TROOPS."
3. AN ACTIVE DUTY COMPONENT END STRENGTH OF 202,000 MARINES WILL
GO A LONG WAY TOWARD REDUCING THE STRAIN BOTH ON INDIVIDUAL MARINES
AND ON OUR INSTITUTION. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS REQUEST FOR AN END
STRENGTH INCREASE IS SEPARATE FROM, INDEED IT PRE-DATES, THE
PENDING PLUS-UP OPERATION IN IRAQ.
4. IF THIS END STRENGTH INCREASE IS SUPPORTED BY CONGRESS, OUR
FIRST TASK WILL BE TO BUILD THREE NEW INFANTRY BATTALIONS AND THE
REQUIRED SUPPORTING STRUCTURE - APPROXIMATELY 4,000 MARINES. WE
WILL THEN GROW BY APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MARINES PER YEAR.
5. THIS END STRENGTH WILL DO MORE THAN JUST ADD THE MUCH NEEDED
INFANTRY BATTALIONS - WE WILL BALANCE THE MARINE AIR GROUND TASK
FORCE (MAGTF) AND REDUCE THE STRAIN ON MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL
SPECIALTIES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING A 1:1 DEPLOYMENT-TO-DWELL RATIO
OR LESS. THESE INCLUDE ROTARY WING SQUADRONS, MILITARY POLICE,
INTELLIGENCE UNITS, ENGINEERS, AND OTHER COMBAT SUPPORT AND COMBAT
SERVICE SUPPORT FIELDS.
6. IN GROWING OUR CORPS, WE PLAN TO GRADUALLY LENGTHEN OUR DWELL
PERIODS, SO THAT OUR MARINE CORPS WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE
TWO-FISTED FORCE OUR NATION EXPECTS: EQUALLY ADEPT AT
COUNTERINSURGENCY AS WELL AS FULL SPECTRUM OPERATIONS. IT WILL
ALSO ALLOW MARINES TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES. OUR GOAL
IS TO ACHIEVE A 1:2 DEPLOYMENT-TO-DWELL RATIO FOR ACTIVE COMPONENT
UNITS AND 1:5 FOR RESERVE UNITS.
7. SINCE OVER SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE PROPOSED MARINE CORPS END
STRENGTH INCREASE WILL CONSIST OF FIRST-TERM MARINES, WE ARE MAKING
PLANS THAT WILL ENHANCE OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION.
8. MARINES, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIME IN HISTORY TO SERVE OUR
COUNTRY. MANY OF YOU JOINED THE CORPS AFTER OUR NATION WAS ALREADY
AT WAR; YOU JOINED EXPECTING TO GO INTO HARM'S WAY AND HAVE
SHOULDERED THAT DUTY WITH COURAGE AND DETERMINATION. YOU ARE A
SPECIAL BREED OF AMERICA'S WARRIORS AND I SALUTE YOUR STALWART
SERVICE AND SACRIFICE. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL,
U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//