Shadow Spy

Chapter 439: Attacking the treatment issue

Starting from September 9st, Li Junhao began to devote himself wholeheartedly to the work of the sea and land - for him, the Marine Corps was already his unit. How could he lag behind others in terms of equipment, training, and actual combat!
  Of course, if you want to do a good job, you must first understand the situation. Without investigation, you have no right to speak! Therefore, his first important task is to explore the land and sea.

At present, the size of the army at sea and land has expanded to 25, but there is still a huge gap in weapons and equipment. The light weapons are actually the standard stocks of World War I, and there is a serious lack of heavy equipment!

The command system of the sea and land is also very confusing. The nearly [-] troops currently on the front line have been arranged in various landing groups of the navy. In fact, they are completely separated from the command of the sea and land headquarters and have become ship-borne infantry of the navy. As for the navy, , on the one hand, these naval and land forces are tasked with seizing islands in the Pacific Theater, on the other hand, they treat these troops as "stepmothers", and do everything from weapons and equipment to supply support in an extremely perfunctory manner...

Even after joining the army, the salary of the officers and soldiers of the sea and land is nearly half that of the navy and army. Coupled with the backward weapons and equipment and logistics support, the officers and soldiers of the sea and land train and fight completely with the support of honor!
  Of course, Li Junhao was very dissatisfied with the current situation on land and sea. The only thing he recognized more was that Holcomb had trained many officers during his nine years in office, laying a good talent foundation for the expansion of the army.

It is precisely for this reason that the old commander Holcomb dared to propose a plan to expand the army by another 25 when the sea and land forces had already expanded to 30. However, various difficulties could not be solved, so he tried his best. There is a way to bring Li Junhao in. For this reason, the old general is even willing to change his position as commander!
  Li Junhao admires Holcomb's feelings for Hailu! Although he thinks he does not have such a high level of consciousness, now that he is here, he will do it well, and he is confident that he can do it!
  However, in the current recruitment work, the sea and land have no advantages. They can only passively accept the deployment of the Mobilization Bureau. The outstanding soldiers have all gone to the navy and army. There are many reasons for this, but the most important ones are treatment and equipment issues. He plans to start from these two aspects.

He remembered that during World War II, the US military finally expanded to a huge scale of more than [-] million, but he could not remember how many of them were on land and sea! But according to normal proportions, the land and sea account for at least one-twentieth of the total U.S. military, which shows that the plan made by the old commander still has a certain basis.
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  At the joint meeting of the White House Counsel and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on September 9, Li Junhao, who attended the meeting as Director of National Intelligence, was wearing a Marine Corps uniform!

Before the meeting started, seeing the two stars on his uniform, White House Chief of Staff General Leahy smiled and said: "Oger, who demoted you?"

"It's not you big shots!" Li Junhao said with resentment, "I am an army lieutenant general and did a good job as the commander in the India-Burma theater, but you teamed up to get me into the Marine Corps. Of course I can only wear this. After being uniformed, the military rank will naturally become major general!"

Hahaha... everyone laughed when they heard what he said!

Army Chief of Staff General Marshall said: "Oger, you are too serious, but there is no rule that you cannot wear the uniform of an army lieutenant general to be the deputy commander of the navy and land..."

As soon as he said this, some people were unwilling to do so. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark said: "Chief of Staff Marshall, what you said is wrong. Each service has its own tradition... Ogg took office as Deputy Chief of Navy and Land. Commander, the correct thing to do is to wear navy and army uniforms and wear navy and army titles!"

"OK, you're right." Marshall could only nod. The other party was already on the line, so there was no point in arguing anymore.
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  After the previous agenda of the meeting ended, Li Junhao spoke: "Dear advisors and generals, I have a very serious question that I must raise - that is the treatment of the Marine Corps!

"First of all, we have to make it clear that the Marine Corps is also part of the U.S. military! But since they are also officers and soldiers of the U.S. military, why are the salaries of sea and army officers and soldiers at the same level less than half of the navy and less than two-thirds of the army? ?

"I personally think that this is not even a simple issue of unequal pay for equal work, but a serious discrimination and unfairness! To use the popular language of the people: we are also working as soldiers to sacrifice our lives, how can the lives of Marines be so different? Worthless?" His last words were so harsh that no one dared to answer them at this moment. Once word got out, the storm of public opinion would directly drown him!

There was silence for a while before National Security Advisor Ayers asked: "Oger, what do you want?"

"It's very simple!" Li Junhao said, "Since the Marine Corps is now under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy, the salary and benefits of the officers and soldiers should be in accordance with the standards of the Navy!"

Upon hearing this, Chief of Naval Operations Stark immediately said: "This is impossible! There is no salary item for the Marine Corps in the military expenditures approved by Congress..."

As soon as he said this, Army Chief of Staff Marshall, who had also raised objections, immediately changed his mind and said: "I think Ogg is right. The troops are also under the Department of the Navy, but they should be divided into three, six, and nine." Wait, this really violates the principle of fairness stipulated in the Constitution!"

"Wait a minute!" Stark immediately stopped. "First of all, it must be stated that the Marine Corps is an independent branch that is directly responsible to the President. Its real command power belongs to the President. Our Department of the Navy is only responsible for its daily operations. It’s for management and administrative matters—that is to say, I’m just helping, and I have no obligation to deal with other issues at all! You must understand this.”

At this time, Li Junhao interjected: "Admiral Stark, do you mean that the Marine Corps is actually managed by the Navy for administrative and daily work, but it itself is a completely independent and self-contained military unit?"

"Yes!" Stark said immediately, but as soon as he finished speaking, he felt something was wrong, but he couldn't figure it out!

"Recorder, the meeting minutes must be complete. I will check your work." Li Junhao looked back at the recording table next to him. Several White House staff and military officers sitting behind him nodded hurriedly.

Looking back, Li Junhao said: "If this is the case, then I understand that the Marine Corps is an independent armed force and should have its own system... I will respond to the president and Congress accordingly. The previous Some wrongdoings must be corrected!”

No one at the meeting could say that his point of view was wrong, which allowed him to complete the first step of his plan.

(End of this chapter)