By ARTHUR P. BRILL JR.
Arthur P. Brill Jr. is a frequent
contributor to Sea Power.
Many of the
Marine Corps most successful acquisition programs, particularly in aviation, have resulted
from the Corps' ability to look ahead and to adapt technologies "that do not yet even
exist." The innovative MV-22B tiltorotor Osprey, for example, is a direct conceptual
descendant of the British-built AV-8 Harrier VSTOL attack aircraft that the Marine Corps
brought to the United States in the 1970s.
A sign behind a sergeant's desk at the
Marine base in Quantico, Va., sums up the Corps' acquisition program--"The world's
most sophisticated weapons system is a U.S. Marine." Few will dispute that the Marine
Corps' reputation was made by its people, not its equipment.
"Look at our budget. We spend 60
cents on the dollar buying our active manpower," said Lt. Gen. Michael J. Williams,
deputy chief of staff for programs and resources. "Another 23 to 25 cents goes into
our O&M [operations & maintenance] funds. Only about 10 cents buys our ground
procurement."
Talk to Marines about acquisition and
they emphasize the Corps' need to recruit quality people for the 21st-century fight. Next,
they mention the gear Marines need. The Corps' appetite in that area, though, is no longer
lacking. When it fought for survival off and on for three decades after World War II, the
Marine Corps was prudently lean and satisfied with Army hand-me-downs.
Today's acquisition system is tied to how
Marines will fight on the battlefield. Congress still appreciates its frugality, but the
Corps is also more practical. As it tries to spend wisely, "best value" now
takes precedence over the cheapest bidder.
"Marines come before the gear,"
said Williams. "The most important thing you can do is to equip them so that they can
win." Whether it is recruiting or buying gear, the Marine Corps benefits from being
small. While the other services manage several systems commands (the Navy has five), the
Corps has only one. The Marine Corps Systems Command (SYSCOM) in Quantico employs just
over 1,300 people, compared to the Naval Aviation Systems Command (NAVAIR), which employs
33,500. Moreover, most of the Corps' key acquisition players work in the Washington, D.C.,
area, and that simplifies coordination significantly.
Boots and Bombers
Marine acquisition is governed by the DOD
5000 instructions written to implement the Goldwater-Nichols Act. Until the Act was
passed, Marine acquisition went through several evolutions. It was not always
well-coordinated, and the Marines involved usually were not professionals in the
acquisition field. Also, too many bright ideas surfaced that were backed by high rank, and
often took precedence over mission need.
The acquisition "do's and
don'ts" introduced in 1990 were very restrictive at first. It took almost the same
effort and paperwork to buy a pair of socks as it did to purchase the B-1 bomber. Or so it
seemed. The Clinton administration helped the Marines several years ago by taking a more
flexible approach toward smaller programs. Of the Corps' 76 ground programs, 61 are in
"Acquisition Category IV," the lowest dollar level.
"We still do it by the numbers, but
we are taking advantage of the streamlining by trying better methods," said Col.
Richard W. Bates, SYSCOM's director of program analysis and evaluation. "There are
opportunities to do things smarter and quicker."
The Corps now looks at the private sector
before it buys anything. Although most weapons and ammunition require detailed performance
specifications (for safety reasons), Marines reap big benefits in buying COTS
(commercial-off-the-shelf) items in other areas. The USMC's new medium truck is mostly a
commercial vehicle and the Corps is finding quality individual Marine clothing and
equipment at reasonable prices and receiving it sooner by using COTS procurement rather
than going through military sources.
"Industry makes the best boots, not
the military," commented Brig. Gen. James M. Feigley, SYSCOM commander. "Before
buying cold-weather gloves, we asked, 'What do the people wear who climb Mt.
Everest?'"
Small Programs And the
Big Picture
For those who predict more joint
acquisition in the future, the Marines are already there. With very few USMC-unique ground
programs, the Corps saves overhead by piggybacking on the other services rather than
developing its own equipment. About 75 percent of the Corps' ground procurement money and
29 of its 31 largest ground programs are joint.
"As soon as we write a specification
and tell industry how to build something, we incur a lot of costs. That's how you end up
with a $100 hammer," said Bates. "We are largely in the small-program business.
We leverage off the big guys."
The Marines are the lead service,
however, in many of its joint ground projects with the Army, including the medium-size
truck, the lightweight 155mm howitzer (the only Corps-led "Acquisition Category
II" programs), some nonlethal weapons, some NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) gear,
and most individual clothing and equipment, including body armor.
The Corps has enjoyed some unique
successes, mostly in aviation, by developing close air support before World War II and
being the first service to use helicopters in combat in Korea. The Marines brought the
British-built VSTOL (vertical/short takeoff and landing) Harrier attack aircraft to the
United States in the 1970s. Its success is steering Marine aviation to an all-VSTOL force,
which will include the innovative MV-22 tiltrotor Osprey.
"The Corps is still the best in
thinking the big picture a long way out in terms of operational concepts and adapting
technologies that do not yet even exist," said retired Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Oster, who
preceded Williams.
On the ground side, the Corps leads in
amphibious vehicle development. In 1998, retired Marine Lt. Gen. Victor H.
"Brute" Krulak, the father of today's commandant, Gen. Charles C. Krulak, was
named to the Department of the Navy's Acquisition Hall of Fame for his work in pioneering
the amphibious assault craft in the period from 1937 to 1941. "Today, we develop
amphibious vehicles for the rest of the western world," said Feigley.
The Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle
(AAAV) is the largest and the Corps' only unilateral "Acquisition Category I"
program. Because of the high cost involved and the fact that DOD rules discourage command
meddling in such programs, the Corps' AAAV program manager reports directly to the
assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition (ASNRD&A).
The 85-person AAAV program office is located in a modern complex in Woodbridge, Va. Its
first AAAV prototype vehicle is scheduled to roll out in June.
The Corps also has used R&D funding
to successfully influence the action in such ground combat areas as mine warfare, small
arms, and ammunition. When the M60 machine gun started to show its age a few years ago,
Marines built a kit to convert the M240 machine gun that the Army uses on armored
vehicles. "We took excess Army guns and converted them for the infantry," said
Lawrence P. Kreitzer, SYSCOM's deputy commander. "For very little money we outfitted
our entire Corps with more robust machine guns."
Marine Green, Navy Blue
The Corps' overall acquisition system is
not much different from those of the other services, but it is unique from a structural
standpoint. On the ground side, USMC combat needs are turned into requirements. If the
programs are funded, SYSCOM will shepherd them from cradle to grave. These ground programs
are paid for in "green dollars"--i.e., money appropriated for the Marine Corps.
Marine Corps aviation programs go through
an entirely separate acquisition process. For efficiency reasons, they are paid for in
"blue in support of green dollars"--i.e., money appropriated for the Navy. The
same holds true in a more indirect way in the acquisition of amphibious ships, which the
Corps watches closely. In the "blue-green" arena, the Marine Corps must argue
for its share of the pie against other competing needs of the Navy.
"The CNO [chief of naval operations]
has stewardship over the commandant's resources, and that is guaranteed to create
friction," said Williams.
Marine Commandant Krulak sets the Corps'
acquisition priorities and allocates the resources. His philosophy in this area is simple,
and succinctly stated: "We support quality of life by buying good equipment. The
Marine who comes home from the war has the best quality of life."
Krulak delegates the requirements part of
his responsibilities and the initial ranking of both air and ground programs to Lt. Gen.
John E. Rhodes, commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC),
headquartered in Quantico. Rhodes supervises an elaborate "concept-based development
process," which started after the Gulf War. MCCDC determines how the Corps will
fight, evaluates current capabilities, and decides what Marines need in order to do the
job better. "Combat development is the heart and soul of this command," said
Rhodes. "While we cannot forecast the future, we look for certain indicators."
The needs can come from anywhere: an
emerging enemy threat, new guidance provided by Krulak or the Joint Chiefs, or a field
commander noticing a problem. Rhodes searches for new ideas and trends from many sources.
He also supervises the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, whose experiments with innovative
equipment and fighting methods demonstrate their future military worth.
If the Corps' combat needs can be solved
in ways other than buying new hardware, MCCDC writes new doctrine, organizes units
differently, and/or makes changes in training, education, or unit equipment allowances.
"I determine the requirements and we
have a branch that writes mission needs statements," said Rhodes. "If we need an
equipment solution, I pass it to SYSCOM. It is a separation-of-powers type of thing."
Establishing Priorities
The SYSCOM headquarters is located in
Hochmuth Hall, an historic building in the "mainside" area of Quantico named
after Maj. Gen. Bruno A. Hoch-muth, who was killed in 1967 while commanding the 3rd Marine
Division in Vietnam. Hochmuth headed research and development at Headquarters Ma-rine
Corps (HQMC) in the early 1960s.
The SYSCOM commander is the Corps'
unofficial "acquisition czar." Today's Marine Corps has hundreds of acquisition
requirements, but not all of them can be funded. The requirements, prioritized at MCCDC,
go through a series of high-level reviews until validated by a committee headed by Gen.
Terrence R. Dake, the assistant commandant. Once a validated ground requirement is funded,
Feigley evaluates all the alternatives available to buy the best gear at the lowest cost
and ultimately decides if a test product is worthy of final production.
"Although SYSCOM is only 12 years
old, we have the potential to be the most nimble [acquisition command] of all the
services," said Feigley. "We can react to the changing marketplace of reform
initiatives because of our size and the way we do business."
SYSCOM has a 5050 military-to-civilian
personnel ratio compared to about a 9010 ratio in the acquisition commands of the other
services. To improve continuity, Feigley wants to establish more civilian billets and
change the ratio to about 65-to-35. He also is proposing, though, to create a cadre of
professional acquisition Ma-rine officers from various combat specialties who will serve
in the field on alternate tours of duty.
"Marine aviation has a more
organized process and we are trying to extend that idea to the ground com-munity,"
said Feigley, who previously served as AAAV program manager and was the first
ground-acquisition professional to be selected for promotion to general-officer rank.
"If you don't like the rifle or bulldozer you are using, help us design, develop, and
field better ones."
A high percentage of Marine gear reaches
"retirement age" (20 years or older) before it is phased out. The Corps recently
established a Material Command (MATCOM) in Albany, Ga., merging SYSCOM and the Marine
logistics bases--which also carry out heavy-duty maintenance. MATCOM, headed by a two-star
general, oversees the entire life cycle of Marine equipment.
Intelligent Frugality
SYSCOM's program managers now follow
their programs, officials say, "from lust to dust"--i.e., from the conceptual
stage through obsolescence and scrapping. In addition to managing project changes or
extensions, the program managers also coordinate all necessary maintenance. The creation
of MATCOM "is a big step and will change the way we do business," said Williams.
"It has great potential to save money and lead us to make smarter decisions about our
gear."
Program managers will no longer shift to
a new program when their projects are finally fielded. When they buy items they will be
more concerned about their life-cycle costs, and about maintainability, and will ensure
that the right features are imbedded in the equipment to facilitate future upgradings.
SYSCOM will remain at Quantico. Although
Feigley works for MATCOM in life-cycle matters, he also reports to ASNRD&A on
acquisition policy and on certain specific programs. (This is another example of
insulation from command pressure, because SYSCOM does most of the buying for the entire
Marine Corps.)
Marine program managers and their
hard-charging project officers have an enormous impact on the Corps. Maj. Mark E. Yapp,
for example, has the authority to make critical decisions involving the $1.3 billion
medium-size truck program that will buy 7,300 new seven-ton vehicles by 2005. When a
project starts, program managers sign a baseline agreement. "The key is not to exceed
cost and schedule and to make sure ... [the equipment] performs," said Yapp.
"The average program manager affects
the Marine Corps more than a division commander [does]," said Williams, who commanded
SYSCOM before assuming his present job. "Twenty years from now, somebody is going to
be riding on, shooting with, or wearing what they are working on today."
Maj. Sherman L. Bierly, the project
director for individual combat clothing and equipment, runs 40 "small" programs
that total no less than $50 million per year. He interacts with the MCCDC requirements
people, who ensure that the original combat need is being met.
"Everything a Marine carries or
wears into combat falls into my world," said Bierly. "We also work closely with
MCOTEA [Marine Corps Operational Test & Evaluation Activity, an independent 34-person
unit under Dake's jurisdiction]."
MCOTEA puts weapons, vehicles, and Marine
gear through a rigorous operational field test to ensure that all of it performs in combat
as it should. The activity is the "crucible" of the Corps' acquisition program.
Feigley will not send an item to final production without a passing grade from MCOTEA.
Friends in the Pipeline
Marine aircraft go through the same
general testing process--conducted by the Naval Air Systems Command. "Marine aviation
has long understood that fellow pilots look out best for their interests in the cockpit.
If you want a good airplane, get involved in its development," said Feigley.
Resplendent with colorful squadron
plaques, in the Pentagon conference room of the HQMC air division (DivAir) features
photographs of every Marine aviator ever selected to general-officer rank. Many of
them--including Dake, Williams, and the present head of DivAir, Lt. Gen. Frederick
McCorkle--served several tours in acquisition jobs. McCorkle carefully shepherds the
Corps' aviation programs through the "blue-green" world. (The Navy buys
everything related to Marine air: aircraft, spare parts, fuel, weapons, missiles,
ammunition, etc.)
Marine air requirements are validated at
HQMC and sent to N88, the Air Warfare Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval
Operations (OPNAV). McCorkle ensures that Marine aviation gets its fair share when N88
puts together its sponsored-program proposal for aviation. With no clear mechanical
formula for how many Marine aircraft the DON (Department of the Navy) aircraft budget
should buy, the precise numbers are always the subject of a prolonged debate.
"Generally, we will agree on some percentage, but there are always some big
[unresolved] issues," said Williams.
Most such issues are aircraft-related,
and are worked out between DivAir and the N88 staff. Those not solved come to Williams,
who tries to resolve them with Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., the deputy chief of
naval operations for resources, warfare requirements, and assessments (N8).
Ultimately, if the Corps desires a
program that the Navy says is unaffordable, the commandant presents the issue to the DON
Program Strategy Board, and the Secretary of the Navy makes the final decision. Both sides
try hard to prevent that from happening.
When funded, Marine air programs are
executed by NAVAIR. Marine program managers at NAVAIR supervise most Marine aircraft
projects. The Corps also assigns Marine aviators to N88 and other "blue-green"
billets.
Meanwhile, "the best and the
brightest" who walk the hall at DivAir monitor current Marine aviation programs
closely and plan new ones. The layout of their conference room is strong evidence that
DivAir assignments do not happen by accident. With aircraft getting more expensive, that
policy will not change anytime soon.
Feigley is hoping that that attitude
spills over to the "ground" side, where the stakes are equally important. He
clearly believes that, except for the Marines serving in air and ground tactical units,
those assigned to acquisition billets have the best jobs in the Corps.
"When we go back to the fleet we
have to live with what we do here," said Maj. Damien X. Lott, the HQMC expert in
unmanned aerial vehicles. "We have to be able to look our friends in the eye and say,
'This is what I got [for] you.'" |
