Marines cite mounting equipment needs

The Marine Corps' top officer on Thursday said that his service is falling further behind in the process of repairing or replacing equipment worn out or lost in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We're in trouble today," Gen. James Conway, the Marine Corps commandant, told the Surface Navy Association forum in Arlington, Va. Conway said he has become "increasingly concerned" and has talked to Defense Secretary Robert Gates about the need to "reset" Marine forces.

Two years ago, the Marines were meeting about 75 percent of their reset requirements, he said. Now, the gap between what they need fixed or replaced and what has been done "has increased to about 50 percent."

Although he has a "promissory note" promising to fix things after the wars, Conway said, "we need to start doing something about it now... to get back to where we need to be."

The commandant did not provide a cost for his reset needs, but data provided to Congress in the past put the requirement in the billions of dollars.

So far, Congress has approved about $16 billion to repair and replace Marine Corps equipment lost or damaged in combat. Last month, Marine Corps Gen. James Amos told House lawmakers that the latest reset bill, which was estimated in July to be about $20 billion to replace damaged and unusable equipment, had jumped to $30 billion.

Although he could not give details because it has not been released, Conway also expressed concern about directions coming out of the Quadrennial Defense Review to focus on the current irregular or hybrid conflicts against terrorism.

Those directions ran counter to the Marines' plea for more amphibious ships to meet the requests of regional commanders and the service's desire to regain its expeditionary capabilities.