Gen. David H. Berger addresses the Marines and sailors of 23rd Marine Regiment at Fort Pickett, Virginia, on Jan. 27, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Intriago)
MODERN DAY MARINE 2023 — With just days until he retires, Gen. David Berger, the Marine Corps commandant, has spent part of this week giving some of his last addresses to the public, industry and the Marines he has led for the past four years.
“I am expecting big things out of this group in front of me in the years ahead,” Berger told a crowd here on Tuesday, many in the audience active duty Marines. “And I will be your biggest, loudest fan from the sideline.”
Then, in a discussion with a small number of reporters today, Berger fielded questions on just about every relevant topic imaginable: What are his final thoughts on the criticisms from retired officers about Force Design 2030? What lessons did the Marine Corps learn from Afghanistan? What will he be doing on July 11, the first day in a long time that he’ll be a civilian again?
Gen. Robert Neller’s Assessment That Helped Prompt Force Design
Whenever Berger has been asked about the impetus for Force Design 2030, the overarching vision he pioneered aimed at revamping multiple aspects of the Marine Corps, the current commandant has frequently referenced the words of his predecessor.
Specifically, when Gen. Robert Neller was asked by lawmakers for his views on the 2018 National Defense Strategy, Neller said the Marine Corps wasn’t “organized, trained and equipped” for what the strategy needed the Marines to do in the future.
“That was misread by some people like the Marine Corps was not prepared, not ready right now,” Berger said.
But the Marine Corps has always been ready to “fight tonight.” The problem is whether they are ready for the fight tomorrow night.
The Marine Corps remains in the same “spot right now,” Berger said.
“We’re very prepared right now this afternoon for all the tasks the secretary of defense has for us,” he said. “But we are not a match for where we’ll need to be six, seven, eight years into the future.”
“If you just stay stasis, don’t change. Your organization is frozen in time, you will clearly not be in a good place if the rest of the world changes,” he said.
Addressing The Criticisms
Force Design 2030 has had its fair share of critics, and some of the loudest have come from previous commandants.
For his part, Berger has repeatedly said the information available to a sitting service chief is unmatched and has driven the choices he made. He reiterated that point today, but he also insisted that as soon as he leaves his post, he will trust the next commandant, and the Marines advising them, to continue making the best decisions.
“I wish they would have the trust in all Marines,” Berger said of the critics, listing off the numerous military agencies and offices that contributed to developing Force Design. “I will have that degree of trust the day after I leave because the person after me will be fully informed and I’ll be one day out of date.”
“That was kind of the surprising thing,” Berger added. “Why did they doubt? Why did they lose trust in all the Marines they served alongside?”
Afghanistan And A Long Road Ahead On Looking Back
The Marine Corps were piloting some of the first American fighter aircraft that engaged in combat in Afghanistan back in 2001, and the service lost 11 of its own during the final evacuation in August 2021.
Asked whether the Marine Corps has had time to reflect, given the Pentagon’s rapid pivot to the Indo-Pacific, the commandant responded “yes and no.”
On one hand, many of the tactical lessons from the conflict have been compiled and are being used to improve training and tactics moving forward.
But some lessons “are really difficult to take apart and put in context until there’s a little bit of time,” he added. “Some things are too close, too personal, too near-term to really be objective about.”
What’s Next? Nothing. That’s The Point.
By law, Berger must step down as commandant after four years of service — regardless of whether the next chief is nominated and confirmed yet. On July 10, he’ll pass the flag to Gen. Eric Smith, who will become the service’s first acting commandant in more than 100 years, until he, or someone else, is confirmed by the Senate.
Asked what’s next, Berger said he plans to do nothing. And that’s intentional.
The commandant recalled discussions with other senior officers who retired and were too quick to accept offers that are often made to any service chief when they exit the Pentagon. Berger said he intends to take some time off for himself and his family before he considers any new jobs post-Marine Corps.
“My approach is going to be don’t say ‘yes’ to anything. Say ‘thank you very much. What’s your name? What’s your number? I’ll call you in December,’” he said.
