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General, we are glad to have you here. I have already given you a word of welcome and I will say for those who have come in since, this is your first time here as a witness in behalf of the Marine Corps and the budget, so, we give you that special welcome. We will be glad to hear you now.

General CUSHMAN. I am pleased to have this opportunity to present my first report on the posture of the Marine Corps.

The full statement which I submitted for the record discusses the role of the Marine Corps in supporting national policies under the Nixon doctrine and the associated strategy of realistic deterrence.

Our force structure and deployments are discussed in terms of the readiness of our Active and Reserve Forces to meet our commitments. Our manpower situation is reviewed in light of our efforts to recruit and maintain a top-quality force as we approach the all-volunteer environment.

Finally, the statement outlines our initiatives in modernizing our equipment and support systems to meet the challenges of the approaching years. It supports our fiscal year 1973 budget requests. These requests total $2.109 billion of Marine Corps money.

The Navy in direct support of the Marine Corps has $779.4 million. This supports a force of 198,000 Regulars, 45,000 Reservists and 16,800 civilian personnel. This completes my summary of the prepared

statement.

(Prepared statement follows:)

Mr. Chairman . . . members of the committee, I am pleased to have this opportunity to present my first report on the posture of the Marine Corps. At the outset of my stewardship, I am firmly convinced that this remarkable military organization is one of America's soundest security investments, and I am confident it will remain so-both in terms of its inherent quality and its potential returns. Fire can have a tempering, as well as a destructive effect. The Marine Corps has emerged from the crucible of Vietnam tougher and more resilient than ever, despite combat losses. Our standards are untarnished, and we are prepared to resume our role as this Nation's amphibious ready force of combined arms.

Before I begin detailed discussion of the Marine Corps itself, I would like to touch upon our role in supporting National policies, from the standpoints of both our amphibious capability and our readiness to respond to crisis-anywhere, anytime.

Under the Nixon Doctrine and its supporting National Security Strategy of Realistic Deterrence, a requirement exists to provide the President a range of capabilities that will permit the selective application of force to deter armed conflict or to stabilize crises early in their development.

Navy-Marine Corps amphibious task forces, strategically located in international waters, can provide a credible peacetime deterrent by maintaining continuous presence in critical areas, without risking automatic involvement when crises develop. Combat power can remain afloat, as either a demonstration of U.S. concern or a show of force, depending upon the circumstances. It can be projected ashore, with a precision consistent with tactical and political aims, and, significantly, the combat power of amphibious forces can be disengaged and re-embarked on order, in low and mid-intensity conflict situations. Thus, positive control is provided for the level and duration of U.S. military involvement.

As our military presence overseas continues to diminish the possibility of unopposed reinforcement becomes more and more remote. In considering the alternative of forcible entry, we must regard our amphibious forces as uniquely capable of initiating and sustaining operations independent of fixed supply lines and local overseas facilities.

Since amphibious forces can establish U.S. presence without U.S. commitment, they can provide a peaceful means of supporting diplomatic undertakings. If we desire, we can mask our intent from potential opponents, while our options for action remain open.

After four decades of primary involvement in the development of amphibious doctrine, we Marines appreciate the subtleties of amphibious power. And we continually seek new refinement, both in concepts and techniques. Seabasing, with its associated Seaborne Mobile Logistic System, is such a refinement currently under study by the Navy and Marine Corps. Its aim is to minimize landing force dependence upon command-and-control and support facilities based ashore. This will further enhance control of the level and duration of amphibious force involvement in crisis situations, and minimize the need for offensive combat power to be fragmented to defend shore facilities.

The potential returns of investment in an amphibious ready force are many and varied. But this force must be truly ready, if it is to influence fast-breaking crisis situations.

That is why readiness is our raison d'etre. It has become a way of life for the Marine Corps. America cannot afford to be without an amphibious force-inreadiness, and we are dedicated to provide that force.

Against this background, I shall discuss our active and reserve forces in terms of our commitments and our readiness to meet them, touching, as well, upon our initiatives in force modernization to meet the challenges of the approaching years. I shall go into our manpower situation in some detail, for this will become an increasingly critical focus of interest as we approach an All Volunteer environment.

Let us begin with the "muscle" of the Marine Corps-our Fleet Marine Forces.

THE FLEET MARINE FORCES

As operating components of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, the Fleet Marine Forces include a total of three active duty Marine Divisions and Aircraft Wings, together with the combat and combat service support units required to support them. There is an additional Division/Wing Team, and supporting units, in the Marine Corps Reserve which can be deployed to combat 60 days after mobilization.

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