Our

pursue ensure a combat capable force upon mobilization. success during Operation Desert Shield/Storm demonstrates the validity of these programs.

A policy fundamental to our program is the requirement that our non-prior service enlisted Marine reservists participate in the same Marine battle skills training as the regular component. This training involves both Basic Warrior training conducted during recruit training and follow-on Marine combat training conducted at the School of Infantry.

Another basic policy is the requirement that all Marine recruits, regular and reserve, attend the same full length formal schools to obtain their military occupational specialty qualification. This training is conducted after the Marine completes Marine combat training.

For our prior service Marines, we strive to align specific unit openings with the individual's military occupational specialty. since many prior service Marines may have a military occupational specialty incompatible with the reserve unit in their locale, we provide opportunities to obtain the necessary military Occupational specialty qualification through formal school, vocational/technical training, or on-the-job training. During FY92 we expect about 260 Marines of the 4th Division-Wing Team will attend vocational and technical training focused on military Occupational specialty shortages such as language, ammunition control, flight line security, and heavy equipment repair.

A strength of the Selected Marine Corps Reserve is that nearly all of the officers have at least three years of active duty. Most have this experience as officers. Our enlisted prior service Marines bring with them current active duty experience, further enhancing our readiness.

One

We intend to continue these policies while building on the combat experience we gained during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Each year we participate in multi-unit joint combined exercises with the regular component to ensure the objectives of interoperability, integration, and aggregate combat power of the total force are met. These exercises provide opportunities to further enhance our warfighting skills in command and control, night fighting, and fire support planning and coordination. example of this not highlighted earlier concerned the creation of IV Marine Expeditionary Force from the 4th Marine Division Headquarters and deploying this Marine Air-Ground Task Force Command Element to Honduras. Upon arriving in Honduras, IV Marine Expeditionary Force became the principal player in Exercise Ahuas Tara 1991--a major joint combined exercise conducted by the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command. significance, the IV Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element was dual-tasked as Joint Task Force, South Headquarters for this...

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exercise--representing the first time a reserve organization has functioned as such a high level staff. The success realized by the IV Marine Expeditionary Force in this exercise demonstrated the abilities of our reserves to function on high level staffs in simulated combat scenarios. During FY92, a reserve infantry battalion, Marine aircraft group command element with associated composite squadrons, and an air command and control system will participate with active component units in Exercise Ocean Venture. An infantry battalion will also participate in Exercise Teamwork in Norway.

Two combined arms exercises involving 6,340 Marines are also scheduled, as is a tactical exercise without troops involving the 4th Division headquarters, three artillery battalions, two infantry battalions, a combat service support detachment, and twelve aviation squadrons. Approximately 1,000 Marines will attend this latter exercise. All three exercises are slated for our Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California. It is important to point out that during June of 1991, the 4th Marine Division command element and the 4th Force Service Support Group command element deployed to Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California for a full month. These two command elements orchestrated back-to-back two week active duty training sessions for all Marine reservists who were not activated for Operation Desert Shield/Storm. These intense training sessions proved to be resounding successes in terms of enhanced individual and unit training proficiency as well as command and control proficiency of higher headquarters elements.

In addition, detachments from various units will participate in Exercise Valiant Blitz (Korea), Cobra Gold (Thailand), Display Determination (Turkey), Dragon Hammer (Mediterranean), Joint Overseas Training (Grenada), Keen Edge (Japan), and Ulchi Focus Lens (Korea). We hope to maintain or increase the number of similar training opportunities during FY93 as an aid in recruiting and retaining Marine Corps reservists.

Other training which may be of interest to the Committee includes the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer, the Marine Corps Tank Full-Crew Interactive Simulated Trainer, the Infantry Squad Trainer, the Precision Gunnery Training System, the Indoor Live Fire Marksmanship Training System, the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV-25) Training System, the Remote Engagement Target System, and the Combined Arms Staff Trainer. We have, or expect to have, 99 Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainers, 2 Marine Corps Tank Full-Crew Interactive Simulated Trainer Systems, 15 Infantry Squad Trainers, 16 Precision Gunnery Training Systems, 1 Indoor Simulated Live Fire Marksmanship Training System, 3 Light Armored Vehicle-25 systems, and 1 Combined Arms Staff Trainer in reserve centers or available sites by the end of FY92. We are also funding F/A-18 and AH-1W simulators.

The use of this equipment

provides the opportunity for realistic training at a substantially reduced cost.

We will continue our professional military education opportunities for officers and staff noncommissioned officers, the reserve counterpart training program, and the exercise support program. We have budgeted 1,003 officer and over 300 staff noncommissioned officers professional military education slots; 620 officer and 800 enlisted reserve counterpart training opportunities; and 150 officer and 50 enlisted exercise support assignments for FY92. Funds to maintain these programs are included in the FY93 budget request.

The programs we use to measure our readiness are integral parts of our training management. These programs have achieved a priority status in the 4th Division-Wing Team. All of our units look forward to excelling on these evaluations. The programs are important because they provide information on what we are doing right as well as identify areas for improvement.

One program is the assessment we conduct using the Marine Corps Combat Readiness and Evaluation System. Initiated in 1978, this program assesses how well our units perform against defined mission performance standards and elements. Evaluation criteria includes standards common for all units; e.g., continuing actions expected of all Marines, such as camouflage and concealment, and common standards applicable to the type of unit being measured; e.g., artillery, infantry, fixed wing, and rotary wing aviation units. The evaluations are conducted using realistic scenarios and the grading criteria is the same as for the active component. During FY91, we reduced the number of Marine Corps Combat Readiness and Evaluation System evaluations because of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. The four units we evaluated were found ready. During FY92, we have scheduled four ground and seven aviation Marine Corps Combat Readiness and Evaluation System evaluations. A similar number of units will be measured during

FY93.

Another program is our Mobilization Operational Readiness Deployment Test. The test measures the administrative and logistical readiness of our units for mobilization. During FY91, we curtailed our Mobilization Operational Readiness Deployment Test schedule as a result of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Fifty out of 51 units were evaluated as mobilization ready. other unit was subsequently retested and found mobilization ready. During FY92 we have scheduled Mobilization Operational Readiness Deployment Tests involving well over 100 units, a pace we expect to replicate in FY93.

The

Finally, the 4th Division-Wing Team is also assessed using the same criteria as the regular component regarding compliance with accounting and equipment maintenance procedures. The results of

these assistance visits are that our reserve units are exercising the same level of sound supply accounting practices and maintenance procedures as the active component.

During FY92 and FY93 we will continue our aggressive policies and programs to ensure that the Marine Corps Reserve can mobilize and deploy as part of the total force Marine Corps with minimal predeployment training. Our experience last year in Operation Desert Shield/Storm_proved the worth of our training management in achieving a level of readiness from which all assigned missions were successfully completed. Our objective this year is to maintain our momentum and build on the combat experience we gained during Operation Desert Shield/Storm to enhance our capabilities and readiness even further.

WAR ON ILLEGAL DRUGS

Under authority of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1989, the 4th Division-Wing Team is contributing to the war on illegal drugs. Working in support of Joint Task Force-6, we have successfully supported Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies in counternarcotic operations along the southwest U.S. border. Our support includes listening post/observation post operations, sensor operations, ground reconnaissance, engineer support, and aerial observation. This support included 10,904 man days of voluntary active duty by reserve ground units and 251.5 flight hours flown by 4th Marine Aircraft Wing units during 1991. We will continue this support as long as this mission is assigned to the Marine Corps Reserve.

We are also active in the Demand Reduction Task Force. The Demand Reduction Task Force is a newly-established joint NavyMarine Corps program that is organized to reduce drug demand through education awareness and youth programs. The program will include the use of Navy and Marine Corps personnel as Drug Abuse Resistance Education equivalent instructors. Our outreach efforts are designed to impact on over thousands of young Americans.

EQUIPMENT

Our policy guiding the acquisition of equipment for the Marine Corps Reserve is to achieve benefits resulting from single source procurement and horizontal integration of commodities with the active component. We believe following this policy provides the best opportunity for maintaining the ongoing modernization of the total force. Our primary goal this year is to refurbish the equipment and material assets returning from Operation Desert Shield/Storm to obtain optimum combat readiness.

Aviation

Modernization and integration remain the key factors in aviation equipment planning as we restructure a declining force. The transition from the CH-53A to the CH-53D will be completed by the end of FY92. We expect to continue the transition of the F-4s to the F/A-18 this year. Current aviation plans include transitioning the remaining two A-4 squadrons to F/A-18s in FY94. During FY92, two KC-130T aircraft were received. The number of KC-130Ts in service by December 1992 will number 22. The KC130T program is targeted for a total of 28 aircraft.

We are also in the process of procuring the AH-1W attack helicopter. Appropriations have been approved for 14 AH-1WS. Delivery of these helicopters is scheduled to begin during the 3d quarter, FY92. The AH-1W provides versatility and additional combat power to our combined arms capability.

The FY93 Operation and Maintenance, Naval Reserve (O&M, NR) budget funds the flight hour program which provides for the minimum number of hours required to maintain pilot proficiency. of the O&M, NR budget is critical for our reserve pilots to remain tactically proficient to meet total force requirements.

Funding

Finally, a medium lift replacement remains our top aviation priority. The CH-46 has served us well since initial procurement over 20 years ago. Block obsolescence of this helicopter will confront us later this decade. Modern combat environments push the CH-46 to its operating limits. The need for a medium lift assault capability to replace the CH-46 is essential for the total force Marine Corps.

Ground

Our FY92 Procurement, Marine Corps budget in support of the reserve will allow us to continue the modernization of our vehicle mounted radios and equipment, to purchase the logistics vehicle system, and to complete the purchase of the shelters started in FY90. This budget will also permit the purchase of environmental control equipment and the unit level circuit switch.

Our procurement program for FY93 includes ammunition, the assault amphibious vehicle product improvement program, topographic/ survey equipment, and the AN/GRC-171B(V)4 shelterized radio set.

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