Vieques: Do the Marines need it?

• Position: Washington Pulse - Brief Article

The Navy has maintained that it needs to be able to train in the range at Vieques Island, off the coast of Puerto Rico, because it's the only range that offers a real-world environment for naval operations. One major reason the Navy has fought the local government and environmental activists to keep Vieques open is because the Marines need it to practice amphibious landings.

Meanwhile, a senior Marine official noted that the Corps is not as interested in training for amphibious landings. Lt. Gen. Emil Bedard, deputy commandant for plans and policy, told reporters: "We do not plan to come across the beach at the high water mark--rather we plan to come across and go deep to the objective area, and not just operationally pause in the...