Berger: Marine Corps focusing on evolving training to match Force Design efforts

By Aidan Quigley / December 14, 2021 at 3:36 PM

The Marine Corps is looking to adjust its training to ensure Marines are ready and able to operate under the new concepts established in the service's force design work, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger said Tuesday.

Berger, speaking at a Center for a New American Security event Tuesday, said the service is rapidly changing how it trains and manages its personnel.

“Otherwise, all the concepts and capabilities in the world aren’t going to work with the current systems that we have for how we manage our people, develop them, and how we train ourselves,” he said. “Now my shoulder is into those two parts, the training part and the human part, to match the velocity with how we are adjusting our organization.”

The Marine Corps is in the midst of Force Design 2030, Berger’s effort to transition the service from a ground-based Middle East focus to a more maritime focus in the Pacific. The service recently released a guidance calling for forming low-signature but lethal and mobile stand-in forces.

Berger said the Marine Corps is currently experimenting with the operating concepts laid out in the force design work and said new capabilities will start to come onboard starting in 2023.

“Beginning in 2023 really, we’ll have the capabilities in the hands of the commanders they need,” he said.

Berger said he foresees the service fielding ground-based, anti-ship missiles in 2023, with the Light Amphibious Warship joining the fleet as fast as possible. Advancements to radars are also on the horizon, he said.

“All of these things are coming pretty rapidly,” he said.

The Marine Corps wants more funding in upcoming budgets for the LAW in order to support the stand-in forces concept, Berger said earlier this month at the Reagan National Defense Forum.

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