Southern Border Deployments Hinder US Combat Readiness - Marine Corps Chief

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2019) The unplanned deployment of US troops to the southern border has created unacceptable risks for Marine Corps readiness, Commandant Gen. Robert Neller said in a memo to Defense Department leaders.

"While FY 19 [fiscal 2019] was supposed to be a 'good year' given an 'on time' enacted budget and a higher topline, those positive attributes are now overcome by the negative factors below, imposing unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency," Neller said in the letter posted by the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

Unplanned/unbudgeted southwest border operations are among nine negative factors listed on Neller's memorandum, which was addressed to US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

Neller said the budgetary impact had forced the Marines to drop plans to participate in planned training exercises in Indonesia, Scotland and Mongolia, and reduced Marine participation in joint exercises with Australia and South Korea.

President Donald Trump has sent about 6,000 service members from all four branches of the US military to the border in an attempt to slow the anticipated arrival of more than 1 million migrants from Central America this year.