TESTIMONY
OF
LIEUTENANT GENERAL GARRY L. PARKS
DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR
MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS
U.S. MARINE CORPS
AND
LIEUTENANT
GENERAL JAN C. HULY
DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR
PLANS, POLICIES, AND OPERATIONS
U.S. MARINE CORPS
BEFORE THE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TOTAL FORCE
REGARDING
ADEQUACY OF THE TOTAL FORCE
March 10, 2004
Chairman
McHugh, Congressman Snyder, and
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee:
We are honored to appear before you today to
provide an overview of your United States
Marine Corps. The continued commitment of
the Congress to increasing the war fighting
and crisis response capabilities of our
Nation's armed forces, and to improving the
quality of life of your Marines, is central
to the strength that your Marine Corps
enjoys today. We thank you for your efforts
to ensure that Marines and their families
are poised to continue to respond to the
nation's call in the manner Americans expect
of their Corps.
OVERVIEW
United States Marines are deployed around
the world in 2004 - from Iraq and
Afghanistan to Northeast Asia, from the
Republic of Georgia to the Horn of Africa,
and from the Philippines to
Haiti. Marines deployed at sea
on the warships of Naval Expeditionary
Strike Groups are conducting sustained
operations ashore in support of U.S.
security interests and commitments. Our top
priority continues to be to maintain a high
state of readiness and to provide forces
capable of meeting the demanding needs of
the Unified Combatant Commanders and our
Nation in the prosecution of the Global War
on Terrorism.
Since the end of major combat operations in
Iraq, the Marine Corps has been "setting"
the force in order to enhance warfighting
readiness for future contingencies. Our
single greatest concern as we look beyond
Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II is setting the
force for subsequent training and
operations. When we refer to setting the
force, we are addressing our ongoing efforts
to maintain the combat readiness of your
Marine Corps. In our preparation for
current global operations, Operational Tempo
(the rate at which units deploy), Personnel
Tempo (the amount of time pursuant to orders
an individual spends away from home on an
exercise or operational deployment) and the
maintenance, repair, or replacement of
equipment is our focus. Starting in
January, and continuing through today, the
Marine Corps is deploying forces to relieve
the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 82d
Airborne Division in Western Iraq in support
of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II.
While the force is under some stress due to
increases in unit Operations Tempo,
individual Personnel Tempo, and the effort
to repair and maintain our equipment, we
continue to meet our operational
commitments. During 2004 Marine
Expeditionary Units will still deploy as
part of Naval Expeditionary Strike Groups in
support of Combatant Commander
requirements. Units will continue to deploy
to Okinawa and Iwakuni, Japan. However,
some of those forces will subsequently
deploy from Okinawa in support of Operation
IRAQI FREEDOM II. Marine Corps units
continue to support exercises with our joint
and coalition partners that are critical to
supporting the Combatant Commanders' Theater
Security Cooperation Plans, and
counter-drug
operations in support of joint and
joint-interagency task forces. While
the pace of operations remains high, our
recruiting and retention efforts continue to
meet their goals. We are continually
monitoring the health of our Service, and we
are focused on ensuring that the Marine
Corps remains ready for all current and
future missions.
END STRENGTH
The Marine Corps is assimilating the
Congressionally authorized increase in
Marine Corps end-strength to 175,000. The
increase of 2,400 Marines addressed an
urgent need to train and maintain additional
Marines for the long-term requirements
associated with the Global War on
Terrorism. It has been particularly
important in enabling us to provide the
Nation with the 4th Marine
Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism), a
robust, scalable force option specifically
dedicated to anti-terrorism.
The Marine Corps is expeditionary by nature
and therefore accustomed to deploying in
support of contingency and forward presence
missions. We are structured in such a way
as to satisfy our enduring requirements and
meet operational contingencies as long as
the contingencies are limited in duration.
At the present time we do not believe that
an increase in endstrength is necessary. We
can satisfy our current operational
requirements through selective use of
Congressional authorizations and
flexibilities. Using measures such as
expanded cross year extensions, voluntary
retiree recall, targeted Selective
Reenlistment Bonuses, increased accessions,
adapting non-infantry units such as
artillery battalions into a provisional
infantry role, and continued judicious use
of Reservists will allow us to satisfy our
requirements. Moreover, we are looking at a
number of initiatives to enhance and better
target our reserve capabilities. Similarly,
we will continue to pursue complementary
initiatives, such as military to civilian
conversions in order to realign more Marines
into the operating forces.
Again, while stretched, we are meeting our
operational commitments. Our higher
operational and personnel tempos have not
decreased the propensity of great Americans
to either enlist or reenlist.
MANAGING TIME AWAY FROM HOME
The Marine Corps remains committed to
maintaining the proper balance between
operational deployments and the quality of
life of our Marines and their families.
Having said this, Marines join to train and
deploy, and we do not disappoint them.
Service in the Marine Corps requires
deployments for readiness and mission
accomplishment.
As a result of the current operational
requirements, the Personnel Tempo (PERSTEMPO)
of our Marines has increased. Presently,
there are 1,959 active component Marines and
2,079 Reserve component Marines who have
exceeded the 400-day PERSTEMPO threshold as
compared to 331 active component Marines and
891 Reserve component Marines at this same
time last year. Additionally, we have
42,721 active component Marines and 17,099
Reserve component Marines who have
accumulated between 182 and 399 PERSTEMPO
days, as compared to 29,831 and 6,199 one
year ago, respectively. The significance
and impact of the increased numbers of
Marines with high PERSTEMPO numbers remains
to be seen. The Marine Corps benefits by
being largely composed of first term
Marines, whose retention is less affected by
increased operational requirements. Of
primary concern, then, is the impact on our
career force, especially the officers and
the staff non-commissioned officers in the 8
to 12 year range. Whether increased levels
of PERSTEMPO adversely affect the retention
of our Marines, to what extent, and whether
they are sustainable, depends upon the
duration of the increased PERSTEMPO. To
date, there is no evidence that this has
adversely affected the retention of
Marines.
Each individual Marine is different, but all are influenced to some degree by intangible factors such as the quality of leadership and the care and concern shown for family members who must endure long separations. In general, Marines are recruited based on these intangibles and they will accept greater hardships and longer deployments as leaders inspire trust, and link them personally to the fulfillment of national and strategic goals.
MOBILIZATION
Since 9/11, the Marine Corps has relied on
our Total Force concept, the mobilization of
both the Selected Marine Corps Reserve and
Individual Ready Reserve Marines in response
to both internal and joint operational
requirements. The Marine Corps maximized
the use of Individual Ready Reserve
volunteers to meet these requirements,
primarily in the areas of staff augmentation
and force protection. At the height of
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation
IRAQI FREEDOM, the Marine Corps had 21,316
reserve Marines on active duty.
As of March 1, 2004,
we had 5,398 Marines mobilized; 4,114 in
Selected Marine Corps Reserve units and
1,284 Individual Augmentees. Overall, we
have approximately 7,500 SMCR unit Marines
that will be mobilized for our Operation
IRAQI FREEDOM II-1 and II-2 requirements.
The Marine Corps has since 9/11, had 1,169
Marines activated more than once, of which
387 are currently activated. Furthermore,
the Marine Corps involuntarily activated
2,063 Individual Ready Reserve Marines for
use as linguists, intelligence specialists,
and for force protection requirements. Of
these 2,063, only 307 remain activated; 271
who voluntarily extended their activation
orders, and the remaining 36 who asked to
complete their existing activation orders
will deactivate by April 2004. Since 9/11,
47 percent of our Selected Marine Corps
Reserve Marines, 59 percent of our
Individual Mobilization Augmentees, and 5
percent of our Individual Ready Reserve
Marines have been activated at least once.
Similar to the active component, the
challenge for the reserve component is
managing the high demand/low density
specialties such as Civil Affairs, KC-130,
military police, and intelligence. To date,
96 percent of the Civil Affairs, 89 percent
of the KC-130, 72 percent of law
enforcement, and 69 percent of the
intelligence Reserve Marines have been
activated as compared to 50 percent of
reserve infantry Marines. The continuing
demands being placed on the high demand/low
density skills is not unique to the Marine
Corps, and is something that we, along with
the other Services, will address as we
rebalance the force.
MARINE CORPS RESERVE
From immediate support on September 11, 2001
to combat operations in Afghanistan in 2002
and Iraq in 2003, the Marine Corps Reserve
has demonstrated its ability to rapidly
mobilize combat ready Marines to augment and
reinforce the active component. As
mentioned earlier, in support of Operation
NOBLE EAGLE and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM,
4,463 reserve Marines were on active duty in
March 2002. Just over a year later 21,316
Reserve Marines were on active duty in May
2003 to support Operation IRAQI FREEDOM,
representing 52 percent of the Selected
Marine Corps Reserve. Marine Corps Reserve
units and individuals were ready and rapidly
integrated into gaining force commands,
fighting along side their active component
counterparts and making a difference,
demonstrating a key core competency
emphasized in Marine Corps Strategy 21.
Judicious employment of reserve Marines
remains a top priority of the Marine Corps
to ensure they retain the capability to
augment and reinforce the active component.
A strong Inspector-Instructor system and a
demanding Mobilization and Operational
Readiness Deployment Test program ensure
Marine Corps Reserve units achieve a high
level of pre-mobilization readiness. Marine
Corps Reserve Units continuously train to a
high readiness standard, eliminating the
need for post-mobilization certification.
Ninety-eight percent of Selected Marine
Corps Reserve Marines reported for
mobilization and less than one half of one
percent, just .4 percent, requested a
deferment, delay, or exemption. For
Operation IRAQI FREEDOM the Marine Corps
Reserve executed a rapid and efficient
mobilization with units averaging six days
from notification to being deployment-ready
and 32 days from deployment order to arrival
in theater.
Building on the important lessons learned of
the last year, the Marine Corps is pursuing
several initiatives to enhance the Reserves'
capabilities as a ready and able partner of
the Total Force Marine Corps. These pending
initiatives include: increasing the number
of Military Police units in the reserve
component; establishing a Reserve
Intelligence Support Battalion that will
enhance command and control of reserve
component intelligence assets, to include
placing Reserve Marine Intelligence
Detachments at the Joint Reserve
Intelligence Centers; returning some of our
Civil Affairs structure to the active
component to provide enhanced planning
capabilities for operational and Service
headquarters; and bolstering the Individual
Augmentee management program to meet growing
joint and internal requirements.
Successful recruiting is essential to
replenishing the force and maintaining a
high state of readiness. Sustaining our
ranks with the highest quality young men and
women is the mission of the Marine Corps
Recruiting Command. Our Recruiting Command
has accomplished this mission for more than
eight years for enlisted recruiting and 13
years for officer recruiting. This past
year the Marine Corps recruited over 100
percent of its goal with over 97 percent
Tier I High School graduates. The Marine
Corps Reserve achieved its fiscal year 2003
recruiting goals with the accession of 6,174
Non-Prior Service Marines and 2,663 Prior
Service Marines. For fiscal year 2004, both
active and Reserve recruiting remain on
track to meet their respective missions.
This year, as force structures are developed
to pursue the Global War on Terrorism, your
support is essential in arming our
recruiters with the resources they need to
ensure the readiness of your Marine Corps.
RETENTION
A successful recruiting
effort is but one part of placing a properly
trained Marine in the right place at the
right time. The dynamics of our manpower
system must match skills and grades to our
Commanders' needs throughout the operating
forces. The Marine Corps endeavors to
attain and maintain stable, predictable
retention patterns. However, as is the case
with recruiting, civilian opportunities
abound for Marines as employers actively
solicit our young Marine leaders for private
sector employment. Leadership
opportunities, our core values, and other
similar intangibles are a large part of the
reason we retain dedicated men and women to
be active duty Marines after their initial
commitment. Of course retention success is
also a consequence of the investments made
in tangible forms of compensation and in
supporting our operating forces - giving our
Marines what they need to do their jobs in
the field, as well as the funds required to
educate and train these phenomenal men and
women.
Enlisted Retention
We are a young force.
Achieving a continued flow of quality new
accessions is of foundational importance to
well-balanced readiness. Within our 154,600
Marine active duty enlisted force, over
27,000 are still teenagers and 104,000 are
on their first enlistment. As noted at the
outset, in fiscal year 2004 we will reenlist
approximately 25 percent of our first-term
Marine population. These 5,974 Marines
represent 100 percent of the career force
requirement and will mark the tenth
consecutive year that we will achieve this
objective. Moreover, we introduced the
Subsequent Term Alignment Plan in fiscal
year 2002 to track reenlistments in our
career force. In fiscal year 2003, our
second year, this proved to be a huge
success as we met our career reenlistment
goals and achieved a 94 percent skill
match. Given the strong draw from the
civilian sector, further emphasis in
retention of our career force was achieved
by effectively targeting 40 percent of our
Selective Reenlistment Bonus program
resources to maintain an experience level on
par with previous years. The Selective
Reenlistment Bonus is a powerful tool and we
take great pride in our prudent stewardship
of these resources. In the aggregate, we
are seeking a judicious increase in
Selective Reenlistment Bonus funding for
fiscal year 2005 to $56.7 million, from
$51.8 million in fiscal year 2004. While
the Selective Reenlistment Bonus is just
one-half of one percent of our military
personnel budget, it allows us the means to
effectively target our retention efforts.
A positive trend is developing concerning
our first term non-expiration of active
service attrition - those Marines who depart
before their enlistment term has completed.
As with fiscal years 2002 and 2003, we
continue to see these numbers decrease. The
implementation of the Crucible and the Unit
Cohesion programs continues to contribute to
improved retention among our young Marines
who assimilate the cultural values of the
Corps earlier in their career. The impact
of this lower attrition allowed a reduced
recruiting mission in both fiscal years 2003
and 2004.
Our enlisted force is the backbone of the Corps and we make every effort to retain our best people. Although we regularly experience minor turbulence in some specialties, the aggregate enlisted retention situation continues to be encouraging. We are segmenting and tracking retention indicators closer than ever and the numbers remain solid. Given the demands on our Corps, we will continue a watchful eye on the statistics.
Primarily because these quality young Marines remain in high demand in the civilian sector, some shortages continually exist in high-tech Military Occupational Specialties that are an important part of our war fighting capability. These highly technical specialty shortages include intelligence, data communications experts, and air command and control technicians. As mentioned, specialty shortages are addressed with the highly successful Selective Reenlistment Bonus program. The Selective Reenlistment Bonus program clearly improves retention within our critical skill shortages. In fiscal year 2004, the Corps is continuing to pay lump sum bonuses, thus increasing the net present value of the incentive and positively influencing highly qualified, yet previously undecided, personnel. It is a powerful influence for the undecided to witness another Marine's reenlistment and receipt of his or her Selective Reenlistment Bonus in the total amount. And, with the added benefit of the Thrift Savings Program, our Marines can now confidently invest these funds toward their future financial security.
Officer Retention
Overall, officer retention continues to
experience great success. Our aggregate
officer retention rate reached a
nineteen-year high of 93.5 percent in fiscal
year 2003. The significant increase in our
officer retention rate directly corresponds
to a reduction in voluntary separations.
Nevertheless, as with the enlisted force, we
have some skill imbalances within our
officer corps; fixed-wing aviation,
intelligence, and command and control.
While fixed wing pilot retention remains a
concern, we are cautiously optimistic.
Aggregate fiscal year 2003 retention targets
for aviators were met, though deficiencies
remain in some fixed wing pilot year groups
based on attrition from the late 1990's. In
the interim these gaps are covered by rotary
wing pilots and naval flight officers
filling
a larger share of staff
billets, thereby not impacting the flying
squadrons. Retaining aviators involves a
concerted effort in multiple areas.
Important elements include recent retention
initiatives that reduce the time to train,
and supplementary pay programs such as
Aviation Continuation Pay provide a
proactive, long-term aviation career
incentive to our field grade aviators. We
remain focused on retaining mid-grade
aviators - junior majors through lieutenant
colonels - and will continually review our
overall aviation retention posture to
optimize our resources.
Overall, the Marine Corps' officer and
enlisted retention situation is very
encouraging. With the phenomenal leadership
of our unit commanders, we expect to achieve
every strength objective for fiscal year
2004, and start fiscal year 2005 poised for
continued success. Again, while the Corps
is stretched to meet current operational
commitments, this has not negatively
impacted our recruiting nor our retention;
however, we continue to monitor both very
closely. The Marine Corps remains
optimistic, thanks in large measure to the
continued support of Congress.
CONCLUSION
Through the remainder of
fiscal year 2004, and into fiscal year 2005,
our Nation will likely remain challenged on
many fronts as we prosecute the Global War
on Terrorism. Services will be required to
meet commitments, both at home and abroad.
Marines, sailors, airmen, and soldiers are
the heart of our Services - they are our
most precious assets - and we must continue
to attract and retain the best and brightest
into our ranks. Transformation will require
that we blend together the "right" people
and the "right" equipment as we design our
"ideal" force. We look forward to working
with the Congress to "do what's right" to
maintain readiness and take care of your
Marines.
The Marine Corps continues to be a
significant force provider and major
participant in joint operations. Our
successes have been achieved by following
the same core values today that gave us
victory on yesterday's battlefields. Our
active, reserve, and civilian Marines remain
our cornerstone and, with your continued
support, we will achieve our goals and
provide what is required to accomplish the
requirements of the nation. Marines are
proud of what they do! They are proud of
the "Eagle, Globe, and Anchor" and what it
represents to our country. It is our job to
provide for them the leadership, resources,
quality of life, and moral guidance to carry
our proud Corps forward. With your support,
a vibrant Marine Corps will continue to meet
our nation's call as we have for nearly 229
years! Thank you for the opportunity to
present this statement.
Semper Fidelis
2120 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
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