General: Cuts Risk Marines’ War-Fighting Missions -- Washington TimesWarns Congress against reduction.
A top Marine Corps general told Congress on Thursday that cutting the Corps to 150,000 Marines, as some analysts project, would mean it could not fulfill its mission during a major war, or respond adequately to crises and humanitarian disasters around the world.
“A hundred and fifty thousand would put us below the level that’s necessary to support a single contingency,” said Gen. Joseph Dunford, who as assistant commandant is the nation’s No. 2 Marine.
Furthermore, the Marines, known as America’s 911 response force, would be limited in carrying out an array of special missions.
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My Comment: So much for US military doctrine of being able to fight two major wars at the same time. With these cuts .... they are now acknowledging that they will be stretched to fight one.