Filenews 16 October 2023 - by James Stavridis
Days after a U.S. armada arrived off the coast of Israel, another three warships and a group of Marines urgently set off in the same direction from Kuwait on Thursday and could be there by the middle of this week.
As there is already a massive concentration of firepower centered around the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, the additional forces are raising questions about what capabilities will be available and how they could be used in the Gaza war.
Focus on American citizens
The main reason for considering speeding up their arrival in the theater of crisis is the presence of so many U.S. citizens in a war zone. There are about 200,000 Americans, mostly dual citizens, in Israel. Apart from the possibility of being caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hamas in the south, there is an extremely real risk of a wider conflict if Hezbollah – with the most likely green light from Iran – decides to join the battle from the north.
The U.S. government will surely want more than the direct combat power of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group. That may explain why warships and Marines were ordered to halt a training exercise scheduled to last until Oct. 22 because of what the Pentagon called "emerging events."
The 40,000-ton USS Bataan, 244 meters long, is a smaller version of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. With conventional propulsion, it has a powerful air wing, which typically includes six F-35 strike fighters (with vertical takeoff capability), along with a dozen MV-22 Ospreys attack support aircraft to get the Marines quickly ashore in the event of a crisis.
The ship also has highly capable missile defense systems, surveillance radars and a crew of more than 1,200 sailors. There is a complete medical and surgical facility, along with space to embark nearly 2,000 Marines. I have commanded these ships both as a NATO commander and earlier in the Southern Command of the US armed forces, where we had used them for "medical diplomacy" throughout Latin America and the Caribbean – their real purpose, however, is to support the Marines in battle.
The USS Carter Hall, also a member of the amphibious group, is somewhat smaller, 16,000 tons and 183 meters in length, however, it carries a powerful beam of amphibious assault vehicles and landing craft. The team's third ship, the USS Mesa Verde, is a newer and larger version of Carter Hall, measuring about 25,000 tons.
In addition to attack aircraft on ships, the force's actual offensive strength is the 26th Marine Unit (MEU) with more than 2,000 Marines. The MEU is configured for special operations, including a major combat component of the famous Marine Special Operators, whose training resembles that of Navy SEALs or the Army's Green Berets.
In total, the MEU has over 2,000 trained marines organized into an infantry battalion, an air wing to transport them, and a built-in logistics department — everything from water purification systems to large tactical trucks and fast Humvees.
Options
With a couple thousand Marines near sea, the U.S. president's options would include securing airfields to evacuate Americans with military and chartered civilian aircraft. They will also include guarding assembly points to gather citizens preparing to evacuate; securing coastal bases if air evacuation becomes too dangerous; and, finally, the provision of emergency medical support.
Above all, the special operations elements of the 26th MEU could be part of finding, repairing and rescuing American hostages. This would obviously be done in full coordination with Israeli special forces and with the recognition that such operations are inherently dangerous and very often end with tragic results for innocent hostages. It will likely include U.S. first-tier special forces, elite SEALs and Green Berets operating globally with their operational center at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
All of this sounds like the culmination of a Tom Clancy novel — and will be controversial over the possible existence of real American boots on the ground and fighter jets and helicopters in the skies above the battle in Gaza.
However, the primary obligation of a U.S. president is to protect the lives of Americans, and if events develop into an even higher level of violence in Israel, the presence of U.S. Marines gives the government more and better options to respond to developments. Send the Marines.
BloombergOpinion
