New top Marine Corps general releases plan to shake up the service

SSG Norman Lihou — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 19:52:43 -0500

Commandant Gen. Joseph F. Dunford’s planning guidance is intended to outline how the Marine Corps “will set the conditions to fight and win against future enemies,” he wrote. He took over as the service’s top officer on Oct. 17, replacing the retiring Gen. James F. Amos.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/01/23/new-top-marine-corps-general-releases-plan-to-shake-up-the-service/

Commandant Gen. Joseph F. Dunford said his plan is designed to 'set the conditions to fight and win against future enemies.'

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 23 at 2015 9:24 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 21:24:05 -0500

Great article, SSG Norman Lihou! GEN Dunford seems ready to shake up the force, indeed. And he seems to want to move out smartly as he implements his plan. That's probably key, because the next Commandant may not follow through the way GEN Dunford would like.

His goal is an “end state [that] enhance[s] the quality and resilience of the force – thereby making us more combat ready.” ... and more relevant than ever before. I think senior leaders have to think about the relevancy of the force (the service in this case), especially in these days of tighter budgets and drawdowns. GEN Dunford seems to be all over that.

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2015 1:43 PM

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 13:43:24 -0500

Shaking up the force is really just another way to say "keeping the force awake." I'm sure the Commandant doesn't want the troops to get too relaxed in the post-war period and getting lazy . . . . although there are plenty of smaller contingencies always on the horizon. It's also natural for the new Commandant to lay this intent out. I'd say every commander does that to set the tone for his/her tenure. Keeps people on their toes.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Mar 3 at 2015 12:48 PM

CPT Zachary Brooks — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 12:48:04 -0500

This is a great man. Lived next door to him and his family back in 1999 when he was still an LTC. Glad to see he continues to do well for himself and I think he will continue to do great things.