Content area
Full Text
The Marine Corps has a dysfunctional method of influencing and injecting its organizational needs into the way amphibious ships are equipped prior to deployment.
How We Got Here
In June 1998 the Marine Corps Combat Development Command directed the deactivation of all Marine communications detachments (MarComDets) aboard amphibious command ships (LCCs) and Marine tactical command and control systems (MTACCS) detachments aboard LHA- and LHD-class amphibious ships. It ordered the transfer of personnel previously assigned as ship's company on LHAs and LHDs to form new amphibious squadron (PhibRon) communications detachments. The 1998 reorganization also transferred the Marines of the LCC MarComDet to the numbered fleet commander's staff and created new Marine command, control, communications, and computers (C4) liaison billets on each fleet commander in chiefs (CinC's) staff as well to round out the flag allowance C4 Marine (FACM) structure. By October 1998 the first PhibRon detachments were ready to deploy. This reorganization placed the Marines of the former MTACCS detachments in a better position to broaden their scope of responsibility from merely providing support for landing force (LF) communications and information systems (CIS) requirements aboard the amphibious ready group (ARG) flagship to providing LF CIS support across all platforms in ari entire ARG.
Unfortunately, these changes in MarComDet structure coincided almost exactly with the Navy's implementation of its Information Technology for the 21st Century (IT-21) initiative. Under IT-21 the number of communications system installations on Navy ships increased exponentially. To manage the massive influx of systems to be installed and tested before deployment, the Navy implemented a 30-month installation process called the D-30 process. Under D-30, each carrier battle group/ ARG undergoes a 30-month procedure through which all systems to be installed prior to deployment are designated, budget priorities are established, installation schedules are finalized, and systems are installed and tested and further modified as necessary prior to deployment. Ideally, this 30-month process culminates in the deployment of a battle group/ARG combination with very robust and reliable C4 capabilities across all ships.
Based on after-action reports from the first and third east coast Marine expeditionary units (MEUs) to deploy following the MTACCS reorganization, II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) released a message in March 2000 titled, "Progress Review of Flag Allowance C4 Marines ISO [International Organization...