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Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’

Rogue Valley

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Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’

General Robert Neller complains about “fiscal challenges without precedent” as he cancels important military exercises with the Marines stationed at the border.

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Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller.

3/21/19
The commandant of the Marines has warned the Pentagon that deployments to the southwest border and funding transfers under the president's emergency declaration, among other unexpected demands, have posed “unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency.” In two internal memos, Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller said the “unplanned/unbudgeted” deployment along the border that President Trump ordered last fall, and shifts of other funds to support border security, had forced him to cancel or reduce planned military training in at least five countries, and delay urgent repairs at bases. The border deployment and "funding transfers", as well as recovery costs from hurricanes Florence and Michael, new housing allowances and civilian pay raises, are taking a toll on combat readiness, Neller wrote to Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Navy Secretary Richard Spencer.

Neller, a four-star general, said because of the problems, Marines will not participate in planned training exercises in Indonesia, Scotland and Mongolia, and will reduce their participation in joint exercises with Australia and South Korea. Marines “rely on the hard, realistic training” of the training exercises “to develop the individual and collective skills necessary to prepare for high-end combat,” said Neller, who has been commandant since September 2015. He complained about canceling or shrinking the Marines’ participation “at a time where we are attempting to double down on strengthening alliances and attracting new partners.” Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), vice chairman of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said Neller’s memos showed the danger in diverting Pentagon funds to build Trump’s border wall. “If the president won’t listen to the American people or Congress, then listen to the commandant of the Marine Corps,” Durbin said in a statement. The border deployment is adding to the strain after hurricanes severely damaged Marine Corps facilities and housing in North Carolina and Georgia, Neller wrote. Citing limits on his ability to transfer money because of the planned reprogramming under the border emergency, Neller said the Marines already are short $1.3 billion for recovery operations this year with another hurricane season approaching. “The hurricane season is only three months away,” Neller wrote, “and we have Marines, Sailors, and civilians working in compromised structures.”

And there you have it.

The Commandant of a US service branch is stating that the southern border deployments and funding transfers due to Trumps emergency declaration are having a significantly adverse impact on the US Marine Corps.

It's a crying shame that Trump is stealing from our military to pay for his vanity wall project.

Related: Marine Corps Boss Slams Border Deployment As ‘Unacceptable Risk’ To Combat Readiness
 
Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’

General Robert Neller complains about “fiscal challenges without precedent” as he cancels important military exercises with the Marines stationed at the border.

la-1553207783-pb7fskxw3p-snap-image

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller.



And there you have it.

The Commandant of a US service branch is stating that the southern border deployments and funding transfers due to Trumps emergency declaration are having a significantly adverse impact on the US Marine Corps.

It's a crying shame that Trump is stealing from our military to pay for his vanity wall project.

Related: Marine Corps Boss Slams Border Deployment As ‘Unacceptable Risk’ To Combat Readiness
Sounds like congress should allocate enough funds to do both or deal with not everything being funded

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk
 
So? Mattis quit over the Syria thing and turns out ISIS is almost totally done. He got in a big snit and quit his job over something that would have actually made him look great.

In the movie Gettysburg there's a line that says "there's nothing so close to a God as a general on a battlefield" or something like that. They're not Gods and they're not always right.
 
Yes..increases in Military funding must continue to heal the damage of the Obama years, like nearly $10,000,000 blown "fixing" transgenders. The Obama Adm. treated the military like an intramural college sport.

AGREED.
 
Sounds like congress should allocate enough funds to do both or deal with not everything being funded

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk

Why bother? Trump doesn't abide in the Constitution or what Congress appropriates.
 
The border deployment Trump has extended through September will hit $830 million while it's cost through January is $230 million.

On Monday, the Pentagon sent Congress a list of more than 400 military construction projects around the country and worldwide that could be affected by the emergency order. The 21-page document cites more than $12.8 billion in projects that could be delayed or canceled under the emergency,

Trump already wants Congress to appropriate a record $718 billion for the Pentagon in 2020, including $9 billion for hurricane relief, border security and backfilling military construction projects whose funding could be raided under the national emergency Trump declared on Feb. 15.



Shanahan and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to testify Tuesday before the House Armed Services Committee. Members are likely to ask about Neller’s concerns. While the armed services chiefs often warn of budget shortfalls, independent experts who reviewed Neller’s memos described the language as unusually strong, in particular because it cites the president’s highest-profile political priorities.

“It’s pretty unusual for the commandant to be raising concerns that... a top political priority for the president is undermining the ability of the Marine Corps to do the training they need,” said Mandy Smithberger, a defense expert at the Project for Government Oversight, a nonpartisan independent watchdog group. “It looks like from Commandant Neller’s perspective, he does think these policies are undermining readiness,” she added.

“This is a pretty strongly worded memo,” said Todd Harrison, director of defense budget analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Hurricane recovery efforts, increases in civilian pay and the military housing allowance are probably the biggest factors in the budget shortfall, he added.


Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’ - Los Angeles Times


Conservatives and other Republicans want meanwhile to toss more of other people's money at the problem Trump has created and that the Fanboys support and continue to cheer on.
 
So? Mattis quit over the Syria thing and turns out ISIS is almost totally done. He got in a big snit and quit his job over something that would have actually made him look great.

In the movie Gettysburg there's a line that says "there's nothing so close to a God as a general on a battlefield" or something like that. They're not Gods and they're not always right.
Which is more likely to be true; Trump knows best, or the General knows best?

Should be a no brainer even for the no brain Trumpsters.
 
Methinks Trump wants to keep troops at the southern border through the 2020 election. Nor would I be surprised to see Trump try to drum up some fake reasons to get the troops engaged directly against migrants. That would be a hell of a mess that would get Trump into some deep stuff with the Pentagon.



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Air Force Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy commander of US Northern Command discusses deployment of forces under his command to the southern border. Northcom defends the continental United States and includes 5th Army and 1st Air Force. O'Shaughnessy came to Northcom from command of Pacific Air Forces.


While U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel will be in charge of dealing with any asylum seekers, there is the possibility of “incidental interaction” between refugees and active-duty forces, O’Shaughnessy said.

“We are making sure that our soldiers, our Marines are fully trained on how to do that interaction,” O’Shaughnessy said. “They’re going to understand those rules for that interaction to be consistent with CBP.”

When Task & Purpose asked O’Shaughnessy if active-duty troops would be allowed to shoot refugees under certain circumstances, he replied that all U.S. military personnel will be given “very clear guidance” on the use of force.

“It’s similar to if we were going to any location within the United States,” O’Shaughnessy said. “We have these rules in place for a reason: It allows us to have a very standardized set that applies to multiple situations. Our forces are trained to that. We are the most disciplined force in the world, from a military perspective.”

Moreover, NORTHCOM is setting up training programs for units and individual service members on how to respond to scenarios they might encounter and what civil authorities’ rules on using force are, he said.


Air Force General Says 5,200 Troops Going To Border Is Just A Starting Point - Task & Purpose
 
Re: Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’

Speaking of Gen. O'Shaughnessy. 8 stars vs bones spurs. :lol:


The four-star Air Force general in charge of the defense of the U.S. homeland told lawmakers Tuesday the influx of illegal immigrants and illicit narcotics across the southern border does not constitute a national emergency, despite claims by the White House otherwise.

Terrence O'Shaughnessy, four-star Air Force general, disputes claims of border emergency - Washington Times
 
Which is more likely to be true; Trump knows best, or the General knows best?

Should be a no brainer even for the no brain Trumpsters.

No, no, no! Trump knows more than the generals, believe me! He said so, therefore it is truth!

And remember, Trump always wanted to get a Purple Heart medal, but for those dang bone spurs! He would have been the greatest general this country had ever seen, believe me!
 
Re: Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’

Speaking of Gen. O'Shaughnessy. 8 stars vs bones spurs. :lol:


The four-star Air Force general in charge of the defense of the U.S. homeland told lawmakers Tuesday the influx of illegal immigrants and illicit narcotics across the southern border does not constitute a national emergency, despite claims by the White House otherwise.

Terrence O'Shaughnessy, four-star Air Force general, disputes claims of border emergency - Washington Times

The Joint Chiefs don't buy Trump's emergency for a minute. That's 28 stars:

Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, National Guard Bureau, Coast Guard; the chairman who's a Marine. That's all 7 of 'em. It's unanimous and it has been unanimous from Trump's get-go on it.

These are the same guys who shut down Trump Jong Un on his parade that was going to be bigger and better than the Bastille Day Extravaganza in Paris to which Trump finagled an invitation so he could hang his mop on it trying to outdo it in Washington. The same guys who know Trump's decision today to remove sanctions against Kim is worse on top of very bad already. And so on around the globe.

Meanwhile at Camp Lejeune NC the headquarters of 1st Expeditionary Force still doesn't have a roof from last year's hurricane season. Marines money grief only gets a lot worse after that. None of the services are doing any better either.
 
Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’

General Robert Neller complains about “fiscal challenges without precedent” as he cancels important military exercises with the Marines stationed at the border.

la-1553207783-pb7fskxw3p-snap-image

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller.



And there you have it.

The Commandant of a US service branch is stating that the southern border deployments and funding transfers due to Trumps emergency declaration are having a significantly adverse impact on the US Marine Corps.

It's a crying shame that Trump is stealing from our military to pay for his vanity wall project.

Related: Marine Corps Boss Slams Border Deployment As ‘Unacceptable Risk’ To Combat Readiness

It’s a reflection of the commandant’s own incompetence if the pittance Trump requested places the combat readiness of the entire Marine Corps at risk because it’s unplanned. Good lord. This pinhead would be utterly worthless in the event of an invasion. You don’t have the luxury of advanced notice in war and if you can’t run the Marines because a few thousand soldiers are being deployed on our own soil to perform a simple task then gtfo.
 
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It’s a reflection of the commandant’s own incompetence if the pittance Trump requested places the combat readiness of the entire Marine Corps at risk.

Well then! I think Trump ought to dismiss the general and take over the Corps himself - personally! Yeah! That's the ticket! Trump would look awesome in a 6 star general's uniform, dontcha think?

Screen-Shot-2016-05-26-at-1.21.42-PM.jpg
 
Well then! I think Trump ought to dismiss the general and take over the Corps himself - personally! Yeah! That's the ticket! Trump would look awesome in a 6 star general's uniform, dontcha think?

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I think a $700 billion DOD budget should buy better than an imbecile who needs advance notice or the Marine Corps won’t be available for combat. The events on 9/11 and chaotic response to it made it painfully obvious that the US military was sitting around with its thumbs up its collective ass and was totally unprepared to react to an attack on US soil. I would have thought lessons would have been learned but I guess not. The military needs leaders who know how to improvise and react quickly and effectively not a guy like this commandant who apparently would have to sit around and contemplate strategy while the world goes to hell.
 
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It’s a reflection of the commandant’s own incompetence if the pittance Trump requested places the combat readiness of the entire Marine Corps at risk because it’s unplanned. Good lord. This pinhead would be utterly worthless in the event of an invasion. You don’t have the luxury of advanced notice in war and if you can’t run the Marines because a few thousand soldiers are being deployed on our own soil to perform a simple task then gtfo.

You must know what Trump knows.

Nothing.
 
What I know is that the response to a need for unexpected troop deployment from a commandant should never be ‘calamity!’

Gen. Neller also has policy differences with Trump over the unneeded deployment. Read his statements and the assessment of 'em by civilian military specialists. Neller believes it is bad policy to deploy at the southern border. Gen. O'Shaughnessy is more open and direct about the policy differences between Pentagon and Trump as noted in scrolling.

Neller knows his fellow Joint Chiefs have his back on this because they have the identical difference with Trump on the deployment to the southern border. JCS have O'Shaughnessy's back too as he spoke exactly to the policy difference.

O'Shaughnessy in fact had been quietly extracting troops from the border in small increments of 50 or a hundred at a time. When Trump found out he went bananas so Northcom grabbed up 2500 troops as replacements to throw 'em into the remaining deployment. They were fresh troops who hadn't been deployed so Pentagon could preclude morale and discipline problems that may have occurred if drawn down troops had suddenly been returned to Camp Boredom.

Neller and O'Shaughnessy know the JCS have their back. Neller anyway retires this year so he's the JCS point man on this. Shanahan and JCS Chairman Gen. Dunford go before the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday. We can expect Shanahan to get skewered and Dunford the invisible man to get called out cause he's the only weak link on the JCS.
 
No, no, no! Trump knows more than the generals, believe me! He said so, therefore it is truth!

And remember, Trump always wanted to get a Purple Heart medal, but for those dang bone spurs! He would have been the greatest general this country has ever seen, believe me!
No doubt (in his mind).:roll:
 
Well then! I think Trump ought to dismiss the general and take over the Corps himself - personally! Yeah! That's the ticket! Trump would look awesome in a 6 star generals uniform, dontcha think?
He probably already has several faux uniforms in his closet.
 
I think a $700 billion DOD budget should buy better than an imbecile who needs advance notice or the Marine Corps won’t be available for combat. The events on 9/11 and chaotic response to it made it painfully obvious that the US military was sitting around with its thumbs up its collective ass and was totally unprepared to react to an attack on US soil. I would have thought lessons would have been learned but I guess not. The military needs leaders who know how to improvise and react quickly and effectively not a guy like this commandant who apparently would have to sit around and contemplate strategy while the world goes to hell.

USMC budget this year is $45.8 billion.

Gen. Neller is already talking billions in his memos.

Arguing only the DoD budget of $700 billion and slinging arrows at Neller is hysteria.

Or it's just plain lazy.
 
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