Time to Stand Down: Justification for the Decommissioning of USMC Reserve F/A-18 Squadrons

摘要

In an uncertain world, the Marine Corps must learn to stretch every dollar available to maximize its war fighting capability. Escalating operation and maintenance costs, budgetary constraints, and increased deployment tempos all emphasize this point. Unfortunately, by continuing to cling to the excess infrastructure of reserve F/A-18 Hornet squadrons, the Marine Corps is spreading its resources too thin and risking not sufficiently equipping its active duty forces with the tools required to succeed in combat. Although maintaining reserve squadrons may have been justified in the past, the elimination of the four remaining reserve E/A-18 squadrons would greatly benefit the Marine Corps. These improvements include decreased operational costs, better personnel management, and increased aircraft availability.