Behind the Cover: The Drawdown Plan
April 9th, 2012 | Afghanistan Battle Rattle Behind the Cover budget Camp Lejeune Drawdown Manpower Marines | Posted by James Sanborn
By now it’s no news that the military is facing serious cuts. The Marine Corps alone will drop 20,000 over the next five years. But just how leaders will make those cuts has been a mystery — until now.
To get the lowdown on how the Marine Corps will drawdown by 2016, and what the plan means for you, check out this week’s edition of Marine Corps Times.
For our cover story, we traveled to Camp Lejeune, N.C., to sit in on a briefing by the drawdown’s architects who are now on an eight-week tour of the fleet. In it, we learned what cash incentives are up for grabs, how it will effect re-up and promotion opportunities, and what MOSs and ranks are most at risk.
Also in this week’s issue is a pair of great faker stories by staff writer Gina Cavallaro. The first is about a Pennsylvania man who claims to be a Marine first sergeant. Even his brother has called him out, but he was still able to dupe a Canadian soldier who started a foundation for Afghanistan veterans grappling with PTSD. The second revisits the case of Skyler Whalen. He once claimed to be a gunny, but has now moved on to impersonating a police officer.
Pick up Marine Corps Times on newsstands now or click here to subscribe.
Behind the Cover: 9 ways Marines face manpower cuts
February 20th, 2012 | Behind the Cover Drawdown Manpower | Posted by Dan Lamothe
It’s no secret that the Marine Corps will trim 20,000 Marines from its end strength by fall 2016, but Commandant Gen. Jim Amos has offered few details so far about how that will occur.
Amos and other top Marine officials have been clear about how it won’t be done, of course. The Corps will not “break faith” with its Marines, they’ve said repeatedly, a catchphrase that represents their promise to not authorize reductions in force, which would result in existing contracts being broken.
What about how it will be done, though? This week’s Marine Corps Times cover story addresses that, laying out the programs the Corps has at its disposal to trim the ranks. The squeeze will affect Marines of nearly all ranks, whether they’re first-term personnel seeking a new contract or a senior officers nearing the end of their career.
As the cover image above suggests, the drawdown will likely be painful for some. The options available include paid early outs, forced retirements for officers and enlisted personnel and boatspace caps for Marines coming up on the end of their second enlistments. That’s life in the fast lane during a drawdown, even if its phased and deliberate.
This week’s Marine Corps Times also includes an interview with Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett, the Corps’ top enlisted Marine; a look at new dirtbike training at Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command and a feature on the service’s earch for an amphibious tractor that won’t make Marines lose their lunch.