Monday, April 7, 2025

This is Why I Provide References

I wouldn’t believe this stuff if I didn’t read it myself.  This is a bit of news I pulled from my own research archives and, no, it’s not an April Fool’s joke.  It’s real.
 
The Marine’s 3rd Littoral Regiment [MLR] conducted a major exercise in late 2021 and early 2022 called Spartan Trident.  Okay, that sounds mildly aggressive and slightly belligerent.  Might be interesting.  Ought to involve some combat skills.  Let’s see what they did.
 
From the official Marine website, Spartan Trident was a three part exercise.[1]
 
Part 1
 
The first part of Spartan Trident consisted of a series of interactive discussions … This portion of the exercise took place from Dec. 6 to Dec. 10, 2021[1] [emphasis added]

Yes, you read that right.  Part 1 of the exercise consisted of discussions.  That’s not really an exercise, is it?
 
 
Part 2
 
The second part of the Spartan Trident Continuum took place from Jan. 11 to Feb. 11, 2022 and consisted of one week of planning … [1] [emphasis added]

Yes, you read that right.  Part 2 of the exercise consisted of planning.  Again, that’s not really an exercise, is it?
 
 
Part 3
 
The third and final part of the Spartan Trident Continuum took place from Sept. 12 to Sept. 30, 2022. This phase was focused on refining standard operating procedures … [1] [emphasis added]
 
During the scenario, the 3rd MLR organized into three command and control elements displaced across Marine Corps Base Hawaii to rehearse sustaining expeditionary sites, enabling fires, supporting maritime domain awareness, and supporting the joint campaign across the competition continuum.[1]

Apparently, some people ‘rehearsed’ procedures that supported the “joint campaign across the competition continuum”.  Seriously?  The ‘competition continuum’?  What is this, the rhythmic gymnastics event in the Olympics?
 
Did you also note that the activities were confined to the Marine base in Hawaii as opposed to out in the field?
 
I have no further details but this sounds suspiciously like a nine to five working day with some table top work to ‘rehearse’ procedures.  Don’t you ‘rehearse’ procedures out in the field, under enemy attack, for days on end as if you were … you know … in combat?


Conclusion
 
There you have it.  A major, 3-part exercise that consisted of talking and, apparently, some paperwork about standards.  You probably thought a major exercise required some degree of field work and combat simulations but you’d be wrong.  A little talking and a little paperwork is all we need.
 
How valuable was the exercise?  Incredibly so … according to the Marines.
 
… the unit has redesignated as an MLR and has proven its value as a joint force enabler. The progress is incredible.[1]

That’s all it takes to prove a unit’s value as a ‘joint force enabler’:  some discussions, some planning, and some standard operating procedures!  Do that and you’ll be incredible!
 
If I didn’t provide references for this stuff, you wouldn’t believe me, would you?
 
 
 
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10 comments:

  1. JjabatieApril 7, 2025 at 11:07 AM

    This isn't surprising. My youngest son is approaching his first anniversary of joining the Army. He's attached to an artillery battalion, and just recently spent 45 days "out in the field" on exercises.
    The amount of equipment that went out nonfunctional, or broke while out there...is a whole other story, and not a good one. But... in 45 days, about 5 were actually spent firing weapons, and doing actual tactical maneuvers and training. Nevermind that for some reason they're using ill fitting and performing Korean ammo. And the rest of their time in the woods?? Basically, a campout, doing little or nothing!!!
    I won't pretend to understand the Army, but at face value, it sounds much like the Navy/Marines. Broken.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NickApril 9, 2025 at 10:52 AM

      Remember Ukraine burning through 155mm shells faster than US and other NATO countries could supply and originally South Korea refused to allow their 155m shells to be used in Ukraine until North Korea sent troops and material to Russia, so wonder if all US shells went to Ukraine and why US using South Korean shells? Congress/Doug Bush invested heavily in Scranton ammo plant and upped production from 15,000 to 70,000 per month.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousApril 7, 2025 at 11:09 AM

    I expected more for $53 billion per year.

    Lutefisk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chinese GordonApril 7, 2025 at 11:41 AM

      Seems like MBAs are way over represented in the Marines. Time to follow Chairman Mao and "Bombard the HR Dept"

      Delete
  3. ComNavOpsApril 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM

    The issue isn't costs, it's focus. We're doing everything but preparing for combat. If those same people knew they had to real combat as soon as they were done with their exercise, do you think they'd still be spending their time in meetings, and planning, and discussions? Of course not! They'd be desperately training for real combat and firing live weapons all day long. THAT'S how we should be training - as if our lives depended on it. But ... we're not. We've lost our focus.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 7, 2025 at 1:58 PM

    " If those same people knew they had to real combat as soon as they were done with their exercise, do you think they'd still be spending their time in meetings, and planning, and discussions?"

    word ^

    Lutefisk

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 8, 2025 at 5:04 AM

    Get a grip. really. They are just now standing up the unit. Its called planning. And no where in the article does it say "major exercise". You added that for clickbait.

    "facilitated the development and refinement of tactics, techniques, and procedures required to serve as the inaugural Marine Littoral Regiment."

    "The Spartan Trident series provided a methodical building block approach for the MLR as it continues to progress towards initial operational capability,”

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    Replies
    1. ComNavOpsApril 8, 2025 at 6:44 AM

      Get a grip, really. This is not a new unit. It's a simple administrative redesignation of an existing unit with a few different tasks thrown in.

      If an exercise has a formal name then it's a major exercise.

      Planning and discussing procedures is something that should be done every day by the headquarters staff not during a supposed exercise.

      It's the acceptance of this kind of half-assed performance from supposed combat units that has led to this state of affairs and why we can't correct it.

      Finally, if this were the only example I've ever seen of half-assed exercises I might be inclined to overlook it but I've documented many of these on this blog. In fact, every exercise I've looked into has been a huge disappointment.

      That's my grip, really.

      Delete
  6. John DallmanApril 9, 2025 at 11:33 AM

    This appears to be a command post exercise (CPX), rather than a field exercise. If a large unit is being re-organised, it needs to hold CPX, probably plenty of them, but making a big fuss about them seems counterproductive, tending to ridiculous.

    If the commander of the division wakes up the regiment's officers at 04:00, gives them a set of directives, designates a bunch of people as casualties and wants their logistic plan for movement by 05:30, *that* might be a CPX worth mentioning on the regimental website.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ComNavOpsApril 10, 2025 at 4:56 AM

      No, it does not appear to have been a small command post exercise. The list of participants, as given in the linked article, include:

      Participants included: Department of State, U.S Air Force 505th Combat Training Squadron, Carrier Strike Group 9, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, Marine Aircraft Group 24, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, Expeditionary Warfare Training Group-Pacific, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Training and Education Command, Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group, and Marine Advanced Weapons and Tactics School.

      That's a major exercise involving other services (AF and Navy, State Dept) and components across the entire breadth of the Marine Corps.

      Delete

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