USMC expansion ahead of schedule

San Diego Union-Tribune:

Despite a protracted and unpopular war in Iraq, the Marine Corps is on pace to reach its ambitious troop-expansion goal two years ahead of schedule. That means at least 4,300 more Marines for local bases and possibly more time home between combat deployments.

The Corps' total strength would rise from 175,000 early last year to 202,000. As of last month, it had about 198,000 troops.

The service is expected to achieve the milestone next September – if not before – as long as recruiters are able to ship enough new recruits to boot camps in San Diego and Parris Island, S.C., by then.

A leading defense expert suggested the Marines might have doubled-timed their expansion efforts to beat a review by President-elect Barack Obama, who campaigned on the need to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

“The Marine Corps was worried about an Obama presidency,” said Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a national-security think tank based in Arlington, Va.

“The 202,000 number was contingent upon Marines staying in Iraq,” he said. “If they don't stay in Iraq, then the 202,000 number is not defensible.”

Marine officials, though, chalked up their figures to other reasons: strong retention among combat veterans, better-than-expected enlistment results and the addition of 500 recruiters in the past two years.

“First-termers are re-enlisting at the highest rate ever, and that's taken a great deal of pressure off our recruiters,” said Maj. Christian Devine, a Marine Corps spokesman. “No one expected the numbers we've seen in re-enlistment.”

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“Our image of a smart, tough, elite warrior continues to resonate with the young people seeking to join the Corps,” he said.

They choose the Marines because they want to challenge themselves, said Gunnery Sgt. David Griffin, who became a recruiter one week after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and now heads the Marine Corps recruiting station in National City.

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The Army must boost its force to 547,000 by 2011. Like the Marine Corps, it's ahead of schedule. In October, the Army reached 541,000, said a spokesman, Lt. Col. Lee Packnett.

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The Marines do have the best ads and they have a good story to go with a great tradition. The military needs to grow regardless of whether we are drawing down in Iraq. We need more troops in Afghanistan and we need to be able to train troops for both counterinsurgency warfare and combat persisting warfare. By having more down times the troops can hone their skills in both.