Quote Originally Posted by COMMAR View Post
I think it may have been pushing a little too hard too fast, but I think it was more an of operational decision to shift more emphasis towards Enhancing Company level Operations.

You have to remember DO was not only designed to enhance the squad giving it Plt level influence, but to raise the Plt to Comp-BN level and the Comp to BN to Brigade level influence. But DO was designed to work chain reaction like from the Squad up.

I think the speed of that change was too fast for Old School 3-4 Stars to accept under their tenure. Which is exactly why I think the emphasis has shifted fr/ the Sqd/Plt to the Company.

I think you really understand the extent DO was pushing the USMC towards. I think many you understand the Gadgets & Techs, but I mean the Operational Level the Corps was considering was far beyond simply pushing beyond the traditional front lines.

The Extent that DO was being Developed was pushing more along the lines of self deploying Expeditionary Squads & Platoons. Reinforced Squads & Plts deploying on Navy, Coast Guard, & MPF Shipping & to foreign countries.

The experiments that were conducted showed the Marines could handle the Mission but that the Marine Corps was not Structured to handle it, and that the Generals weren't comfortable with the structural changes that would need to be made to put the emphasis that low.

One of the Experiments, that wrapped earlier this year, involved a Marine Rifle Squad Deployed on a Coast Guard Cutter that Deployed to the Caribbean. They conducted Bi-lateral training w/host nations and Maritime Security w/ the CG.

The change in structure in a short amount of time would've been radical. So I believe the emphasis on the Sqd/Plt was shifted to the Company. A more gradual and logical shift.

Keep In Mind that DO as a tactical capability has gone nowhere its being absorbed and institutionalized and all the gear is still been issued to the BN's.
All the gear that was slated for the DO Plts in a DO trained BN is still planned to be handed out to the BNs. Its part of the IBEP, Infantry Battalion Enhancement Program, at a cost of an additional $19mil per BN.

All the DO Training courses; Combat Hunter, TSULC, T3, etc. are becoming foundational training of all BNs.

Squad Leaders are still being trained to Call in everything up to & including Type II CAS. The training pipeline for JTACs is still being expanded to include Infantry Plt Commanders & Plt Sgts.

If you look at the SC MAGTF construct you'll see that Platoons are still planned on being independently deployed to various countries just under the guidance of there Companies.

Tactically DO is still alive, Operationally its dead and been replaced by a Company centric Mindset. But I believe only temporarily until the Marine Corps can structurally support the full extent Planned for DO.

When it does I believe the USMC will transist fr/ Expeditionary DO Sqd/Plt Operations to Exped. Enhanced Company Ops to Higher as fluidly as it does Comp/SPMAGTF to BN/MEU to MEB operations of today; which is using the capability that best suits the mission.

I believe the ultimate goal will be to have Infantry Squads w/a Reborn CAP, Combined Action Platoon like ability, but on an Expeditionary Scale. Giving the USMC the ability to conduct Expeditionary Operations on all levels.