Many leathernecks might argue there’s no such thing as a bad day inside the United States Marine Corps — but even they might also admit there have been better times than this.
Marine Gen. Joe Dunford, nominated to become the 36th commandant of the Marines, is set to inherit the smallest of the Defense Department’s military services at a time when it’s getting even smaller. It’s trapped in a budgetary straitjacket imposed by Congress. And it’s struggling with goals as different as getting more women into frontline units and determining how to build a new amphibious vehicle.
“We’re in a transition period,” said retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, the former boss of the U.S. Central Command. “It’s going to take someone with intellectual acuity to guide the Marine Corps.”
But insiders and outsiders alike say Dunford, who is likely to enjoy a warm reception at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee this week, is prepared for the challenge. He’s coming off a more than 16-month tour as the top commander in Afghanistan, where he’s credited with helping preserve the gains of the Afghan National Security Forces.
“He’s an outstanding officer, one of the finest I’ve ever served with,” Mattis said. “He’s calm under fire; he’s tough; he’s resolute — he’s unintimidated by any complex problem.”
Dunford’s history in Washington and his performance in Afghanistan have made him very popular with defense advocates in Congress. He also enjoys near-universal acclaim from his fellow Marines and the wider national security world in Washington.
Hailed for his sharp intellect, his wealth of experience and his deft personal touch, Dunford is already among the few whose names are being tossed around to potentially replace Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, another Iraq War veteran who ascended swiftly after doing a toe-touch as the chief of his service.
But before he moves on, Dunford must get through the next few months closing out his tenure as the head of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. He must oversee the continued withdrawal of about 20,000 more American troops — assuming the government of Afghanistan signs the bilateral security agreement that will permit the remaining force of fewer than 10,000 to stay there beyond Dec. 31.
Army vice chief of staff Gen. John Campbell has been nominated to take Dunford’s place in Kabul.
When the dust settles, Dunford will have gone from being the boss of the guys who kick in doors downrange, to the man responsible for organizing, training and equipping them at home. Put another way, he’s trading his hooch in Kabul for an office in the E-Ring, and that could cause something of a culture shock.
“There’s a learning curve in every job,” Mattis said.
But Dunford has an advantage, said retired Marine Gen. John Allen, the former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. He has done Washington tours before, including as assistant commandant of the Marines.
“I think, while certainly living in Washington again will be a different experience for someone who’s spent the last year plus in command, of all the people who could have been unsettled, Joe Dunford will have the least amount of requirement to adjust,” Allen said. “Every day, he was dealing with the challenges that the Marine Corps faced as a service.”
Even so, there will be plenty waiting for him in his new role.
“He’ll be looking to reset the Corps after 13 years of war — he’ll have a lot of challenges,” Allen added. “These are challenges that come naturally from a service at this point in history. When I say challenges, though, I mean that in the context of them also being opportunities. Joe Dunford is the guy who can seize those opportunities.”
The Marines have spent the Iraq and Afghanistan era fighting as a second land army but now must switch back to their classic role as a light, nimble amphibious force, ready to project power ashore from Navy warships at sea.
“I’d imagine that a lot of time and effort will be spent on rebuilding expeditionary expertise through training and recapitalizing equipment needed to conduct expeditionary operations,” said Chris Dougherty, a research fellow with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
All the military services are also under intense pressure from the White House and Congress to crack down on sexual assault. Dunford’s tenure as commandant will see the expiration of a one-year timeline set by President Barack Obama to get control of the problem. If he and the other Joint Chiefs can’t show enough progress to satisfy the White House, that could bring another showdown over sexual assault between the commander in chief and his top brass/.../