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Corps cancels plans to deactivate artillery unit

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The Marine Corps has decided to retain an artillery unit it had planned to deactivate as officials develop plans to grow the size of the force, according to a Corps-wide message released Wednesday.

Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 10th Marines, at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was among a short list of units identified in a Dec. 7 MarAdmin to be deactivated this year.

“As a result of plans to develop force structure that facilitates a 1:2 dwell time for deploying units, the deactivation of [the battery] … is rescinded,” MarAdmin 044/07 states. The message also states that the next update to the 2007 through 2013 Tables of Organization and Equipment will be delayed, “pending a thorough review and subsequent approval of force structure changes that improve 1:2 dwell time.”

“Dwell time” refers to the amount of time Marines are home between deployments. Currently, Marines typically spend seven months at home between seven-month deployments. Commandant Gen. James Conway has said he wants to “right-size” the Corps in order to double the time at home to 14 months.

The December message’s list of units to be deactivated also included 1st Stinger Battery at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa, Japan, and the Corps’ Anti-Terrorism Battalion, once part of Camp Lejeune’s 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

The message also said 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, and 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, will be reactivated.

Officials at Quantico, Va., are not commenting on the deactivations or activations.

The Bush administration has said it wants to increase the Corps’ end strength from its current total of 180,000 Marines to 202,000 Marines in five years. Officials plan to add 5,000 Marines to the Corps every year.