An ineffective military is always fighting the last war. But in the case of the Pentagon under Biden, the United States is apparently not fighting any war at all.
Even as global rivals such as China continue their fast-paced militarization, the U.S. is gutting the very programs it needs to remain competitive — not just against China, but in any conflict.
One of the most devastating recent self-inflicted blows to America’s military might is the decision to kill the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School, which has long been heralded for producing warriors acknowledged by allies and enemies alike as among the best trained.
A memo from Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policy, and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps Lieutenant General David J. Furness announced the “immediate transition of Scout Sniper Platoons to Scout Platoons.”
That means that instead of snipers, infantry battalions will have scouts who will “provide the commander with relevant, reliable, accurate and prompt information.”
The USMC Scout Sniper Association lamented the decision, writing on Facebook that “We’re shocked and saddened that our Marine Corps leadership seems to have forgotten the lessons learned in combat, paid for with the blood of our members.”
Even William S. Lind, the paleoconservative author whose writings have popularized the concepts of cultural Marxism and fourth-generation warfare, blasted the elimination of the Marine Corps Sniper school, noting that, being run entirely by staff NCOs, it trained marines to an exceptionally high standard, to the point that even the Taliban called Marine Scouts/Snipers “The Marines who are well trained.”
Noting that the “‘scouts’ will mostly be drone operators, Lind states:
Once again, the Corps is being led into quicksand by the foxfire of “hi-tech,” copying our other armed services instead of offering an alternative to them.
This decision is bad on several levels. First, while drones offer the great advantage of being able to see over the next hill, they do not replace human eyes on the situation at eye level.
…The immediate driver here, I suspect, is that DOD has drone fever, which means money for any new program that features drones. Again, drones offer some important advantages. … Drones currently have the important advantage of being cheaper, but just as with manned aircraft, their price and complexity will increase because that will justify higher budgets.
Lind also suspects that there is a woke component at play, that the Marine Corps is doing this to become more inclusive to women, writing: “The only type of war women can fight is hi-tech, push-button war. While the number of women who could graduate from the Scout/Sniper School would have been small, women can operate drones as well as men. Is the womanizing of the Marine Corps bringing yet another distortion?”
The New American has previously covered the way in which the Biden administration is making budget cuts resulting in the premature retirement of nearly a dozen ships, while also removing missile systems that currently deter Chinese aggression at sea.
Biden’s actions would result in the loss of 600 vertical missile systems and retire at least 11 ships, while only ordering the building of nine new ones.
To compare America and China: the United States has 294 battle force ships, which is lower than the 355 the country is supposed to have by law. Meanwhile, China has a fleet of 340 ships and is expected to have more than 400 by 2025 — part of a plan for fast growth that also includes supplying its military with a fresh stock of surface combat missiles and guided-missile destroyers.
In addition, Biden’s budget tosses aside the Marine Corps’ request for at least 31 more amphibious warships — three of which are being retired — which would play an important role in a potential war with China. The Pentagon has reportedly balked at the idea of shifting focus away from the Middle East and toward the Pacific.
Recently, China expert Nikolai Vavilov said on Russian state TV that “Since coming to power, comrade Xi has been getting ready for war.”
The Biden administration is destroying the capabilities of the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps, unwilling to acknowledge the reality that China is on the ascendant. Not only is Beijing rapidly strengthening its own capabilities, it is winning the diplomatic war, winning over key allies.
For example, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has now signed documents making his country a “dialog partner” in China and Russia’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which emphasizes defense and economic collaboration between its members.
And China has also been strengthening its relationships in Latin America, pulling Honduras away from Taiwan and selling fighter jets to Argentina, even preparing a deal by which Buenos Aires and Beijing will engage in military personnel exchanges.
It seems Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley’s preference for centering our military around combating “white rage” instead of actual combat readiness is finally bearing fruit. And the nation will pay the price for this administration’s incompetence.
