Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Marine Commandant Gen. James L. Jones wants to redesign his force's camouflage fatigues to enhance the Corps' reputation worldwide, making them the meanest warriors in the world. Top Marine says
Corps doing OKBy Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin"The subliminal message is very important," the 32nd commandant of the nation's nearly 200,000-member force added, "when Marines come into a theater -- whether it's peacekeeping, peacemaking, peace enforcement or major regional conflict -- I want would-be opponents to look at that uniform and say they know what that means.
"When we go off into the world I want people to be able to see this force and the reputation it brings and not have to guess about whether they are Coast Guardsmen or airmen."
After nearly 14 months as head of the Marine Corps, Jones made his first visit to Kaneohe Bay talking to many of the nearly 9,000 sailors and Marines stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
His message was to ensure them that the Marine Corps was working on the issues most dear to them -- pay, good housing, health care, and a better education system for their children.
Jones said the Marine Corps realizes that 68 percent of its force is on its first enlistment and that 70 percent of the Marine Corps is 23 years old and younger.
"We need to recruit 39,000 Marines every year," Jones told his audience of more than 300 Marines and sailors at one stop.
Later, speaking with reporters, Jones said, "The general status of the Marine Corps is good."A recent Petangon report sent to Congress earlier this month noted that the Marines are meeting their recruiting goals. Its land warfare equipment is ready for operation, but there are questions about its ability to sustain that equipment in the longer term because of aging and corrosion.
"Our recruiting and retention goals have been exceeded in terms of quality and quantity," Jones said. "I think that's a good news story."
Jones said over the past four years many of "the problems affecting the health and vitality of our armed forces have been corrected, but we know we need to do more to correct ourselves and get on a more positive glide slope for the future."
That means looking at the number of ships the Navy is producing annually, the strategic lift capabilities of the Air Force and the transformation of the Army to be a leaner fighting force.
Despite several Marine Corps aviation mishaps, including the mid-air collision between two F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters on Monday near Yuma, Jones told reporters "the overall status of our aviation is pretty good."
The Marine Corps earlier this month cleared to fly the V-22 Ospreys -- which take off and land like helicopters but fly like airplanes -- after they were grounded in April when one crashed in a n Arizona training flight, killing 19 Marines.
"We know exactly what happened with the Osprey," Jones said. "This is not a technical problem. It's a training problem ... The Osprey is very sound and it is the future for Marine Corps aviation."
The cause of Monday's "tragic mid-air (collision) is still being evaluated," Jones said.
"This is a difficult business. These were highly skilled pilots who were doing what the nation expects. We will have to wait to see what the investigation says what caused it."