Walters: Marines aim to increase force structure by 100, not 1,100 billets

The Marine Corps is looking to grow its force by 100 Marines in fiscal year 2019, not the 1,100 figure that was mentioned during the budget rollout.

Assistant Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Glenn Walters told Inside Defense today after a Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee hearing the service will use the additional 100 Marines to "flesh and fill out holes" in United States Marine Corps Forces and Special Operations Command.

"We're not going to ask for people that we know we can't get through the training pipeline," he added. "MARSOC is a very stringent requirement."

During the Pentagon's Feb. 12 budget rollout, Rear Adm. Brian Luther, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget, said the Marine Corps was looking to increase its force structure by an additional 1,100 billets.

"The increased number of Marines is informed by the Marine Operating Concept, and is balanced across the pillars to provide a more experienced, better-trained and more capable force with the special skills required for special operations, intelligence operations, electronic, information and cyber warfare," Luther said at the time.