Now that the deadline has passed, sequestration is set to take effect and Marine Commandant General Jim Amos said today that those cuts will put severe strain on the Marine Corps, including tens of thousands of Marines still serving in Afghanistan.

Amos: With sequester, USMC will ‘cut into bone’              By Andrew deGrandpré              March 3, 2013                           Severe budget cuts are coming and will require the Marine Corps to “cut into bone” as officials are forced to make painful decisions in the months and years ahead, the service’s top general warned troops and their families in a letter distributed throughout the force this weekend.                           With sequestration in effect, the Marine Corps faces a shortfall of about $1.4 billion through the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, and approximately $2 billion annually through 2022, according to Gen. Jim Amos, the commandant.                           Though thin on specifics, his letter indicates deep concern about the effect these cutbacks will have on the Corps’ active-duty and Reserve personnel, their families and the 20,000 civilians whom the service employs throughout the U.S. and around the world.                           “We are already a lean and frugal service,” Amos wrote, “thus every reduction that we make from this point forward will cut into bone – we are beyond muscle.”

We can’t let the politics back home effect our troops on the front lines! These Marines are sacrificing 9-12 months of their lives, fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan, to protect their country from the Taliban and Al Qaeda. During that time they cannot see their families or friends back home, putting themselves in harm’s way to fight a war we asked them to fight. We can’t just send troops off to a foreign war and not support them! Send support to the Marines of the 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment now!

Move America Forward is proud to continue supporting the 1st Marine Division, the oldest, largest, and most decorated division in the United States Marine Corps. There are currently 800 of our adopted Marines in Afghanistan who need our help! By sending support to the Marines in a critical area, we can make a huge difference! We’ve been collecting donations for several days now, with the goal of reaching all 800 Marines deployed with the 1/5th. We’re proud to report that with your generosity, we’ve raised enough to help 301 of those troops, but we need more in order to reach our goal! 

OUR MARINES NEED YOUR HELP! We’ve raised enough to send care packages to 301 of our adopted Marines of the 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment but that still leaves 499 Marines who won’t get support UNLESS more donations come in today!                           Please help us reach our goal and ensure that all of our adopted Marines get some support from home!                                        Make a donation now!