Marine Special Operations Command

FutureDevilDog

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2,600 US Marines to join SOCOM

Marine Corps to Join U.S. Special Operations Command
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2005 – The Marine Corps will soon officially join the special operations community with a new Marine Special Operations Command to become a component of U.S. Special Operations Command, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced here today.
Rumsfeld announced his approval of the plan, part of a sweeping range of transformations under way to strengthen the U.S. military and its special operations forces, during a Pentagon news briefing.

The new command "will increase the number of special operations forces available for missions worldwide while expanding their capabilities in some key areas," Rumsfeld told reporters.

The new command will formalize a longstanding relationship between the Marine Corps and Special Operations Command, Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Douglas Powell told the American Forces Press Service.

It will increase Special Operations Command's ability to field highly skilled special operators in the numbers required to support of the war on terror and other missions, he said.

The command's members will train foreign military units and carry out other Marine Corps missions traditionally associated with special operations work: intelligence, logistics, fire-support coordination, direct action and special reconnaissance, among them, Powell said.

The 2,600-member command will have three subordinate elements: a special operations regiment, foreign military training unit and special operations support group.

A portion of the command will train and deploy with Marine expeditionary units, enhancing those units' special operations capability, officials said.

The command headquarters and nearly all its elements will be based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. One element of the Marine Special Operations Regiment will be stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The activation date for the new command has not been set, and its elements are expected to phase in their operations. Some elements, including the Foreign Military Training Unit, are expected to assume missions almost immediately, officials said.

Marine Brig. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik will be the MARSOC's first commander, officials said. Hejlik previously served as deputy commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

http://www.dod.gov/news/Nov2005/20051101_3208.html

I think this is a good decision. Now Marines have a chance to show that they are more than just special operations capable. Thats all I reall have to say I Guess
 
No they didn't try it before AFAIK, the Marines have fought this concept from day one. They have this "no Marine is more elite than the others, one Corps" culture that they would have rather retain.
The Army Special Forces and Navy SEALS have been doing it for years now so I suspect the Marines will make the adjustment too and it'll be fine.
 
DTop said:
No they didn't try it before AFAIK, the Marines have fought this concept from day one. They have this "no Marine is more elite than the others, one Corps" culture that they would have rather retain.
The Army Special Forces and Navy SEALS have been doing it for years now so I suspect the Marines will make the adjustment too and it'll be fine.

Is it really a question of being 'elite'? Special Forces are a select group to be sure, but I always thought of OPFOR as just doing a different job (granted much more risky job) compared to their infantry and marine brethern.
 
mmarsh said:
DTop said:
No they didn't try it before AFAIK, the Marines have fought this concept from day one. They have this "no Marine is more elite than the others, one Corps" culture that they would have rather retain.
The Army Special Forces and Navy SEALS have been doing it for years now so I suspect the Marines will make the adjustment too and it'll be fine.

Is it really a question of being 'elite'? Special Forces are a select group to be sure, but I always thought of OPFOR as just doing a different job (granted much more risky job) compared to their infantry and marine brethern.

I am assuming that you were never in the military, right? Special Forces and SEALS are generally considered to be an eilite component of their respective branches. Not everyone in the Army or Navy can pass the training or posess the physical traits required for these functions. That alone makes them elite. They are small units with a large impact. They have functions and skills that no other units can perform. Yes, I'd say the term elite is quite appropriate.
OPFOR is a term that means "OPposing FORce". During training some soldiers(usually very experienced) are designated as OPFOR for the purpose of providing some opposition for the unit undergoing the training (I have done this many times)providing them with a more realistic scenario.
On second thought, I have seen the term (OPFOR)used in documents to describe the enemy forces. But in general conversation the enemy is more likely to be called the bad guys (among other things) than OPFOR. At least that's my opinion.
 
FutureDevilDog said:
I think this is a good decision. Now Marines have a chance to show that they are more than just special operations capable. Thats all I reall have to say I Guess

Marines have shown that for years, the Recon community has long earned and proven its worth in the SOF world.

The regular infantry that will conduct the FID mission will only be an available asset to SOCOM, and will not be comprised of SOF Marines.

The Marine Corps is losing its best operators for this unit, they will no longer be a Marine only asset. This has caused quite a few feathers to be ruffled from my bosses (fellas that wear a lot of shiney stars) and down.

There are many in the Corps that are not happy with this, whether or not we will remain in SOCOM has yet to be seen.

As with everything, is has its positives and negatives.
 
RndrSafe.

So the FMTU concept is a go now? As far as FID are they going to be used like the 75th is tasked?
 
03USMC said:
RndrSafe.

So the FMTU concept is a go now? As far as FID are they going to be used like the 75th is tasked?

FMTU is a go. They officially stood up this month, in fact.

There is a loose similarity in organisation to SF, they are running 11 to 12 man teams with end goal of having 24 teams. All of the support for the moment is coming out of 4thMEB.

They won't have as specific AOs as SF groups do...right now the big focus is the Middle East and Latin America.

Obviously, they will not be as area oriented, culturally prepared or language qualified to the same degree as SF units are for their target countries, but they will provide good augmentation for already bogged down SF units who are being tasked with more DA than FID missions.

While I am not sure this is the best mission for the Corps to be committed to, everyone involved is eager and despite the hurtles there will be, ready to get the job done.
 
I'm English, so forgive my dumb questions.

Our Royal marines come under navy command, is this the same with us marine corp?

Would the usmc like operating under the same overall command structure as army units?
 
The USMC is Dept. of the Navy. Marines assigned to USSOCOM would report to them SOCOM is a Joint Forces Command.
 
I'm probably alot less qualified to comment on this issue than others here but heck, when's a Marine ever been known to keep his yap shut when it's opinion time?

There's been some reports on this unit from the SEAL side and the reports were rather glowing. Seems there's lots of folks really truely impressed. Not just by the usual USMC tactical aggressivness but also the fact that this is a "complete package" and not just more trigger pullers.

This unit comes (according to what I've read) with its own logistics organization, intel support and air. I've even read that the SEAL observer was truely impressed by how the "logistics" folk could mount out and serve as good functional battlefield force when extra bodies were required.

So, in short, again according to what I've been able to find on this, it's the "total package" aspect (you know, that total force thing that the USMC is so dang good at) of this that's got SOCOM so excited.
 
MarSOC: Just Call Them Marines

Fred L. Schultz

Proceedings, January 2006

The commanding general of the controversial new Marine Corps Special Operations Command--seen here in Iraq, greeting Marines of Gun 6, Battery M, 4th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment last year—talks to Proceedings.

Not long after he was tapped to lead the first leatherneck contingent into the nation's Special Operations Command, Brigadier Geneal Dennis J. Hejlik was asked by Marine Commandant Michael Hagee if he had settled on a catchy nickname for his troops. General Hejlik nodded.

"Marines," he replied.

Later that day, General Hejlik (pronounced Hey-lik), in an exclusive interview with Proceedings, outlined his plans for the new unit, known as the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MarSOC).

He also expressed support for the decision to finally make the Marines part of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCom), a move long opposed by the Corps. From time to time, he revealed bits and pieces about himself. One thing was evident. He travels light. He showed up with a staff of none.

Over lunch at an Irish restaurant here in Annapolis, the 58-year-old career infantryman laughingly recalled how he found out about the new job. Transferred from California to Quantico, he and his wife, Sandy, were having dinner at a restaurant the night before they were to move into new quarters at the northern Virginia Marine base. His cell phone rang. He took it outside, returned an hour later.

"Where are we going now?" his wife asked. Her husband had been a Marine for 35 years. They had been married for all of those years. She knew something was up.

So long, Quantico. Hello, Camp Lejeune.


http://www.usni.org/proceedings/Articles06/Pro01Schultz.html

Mod Edit: When posting an article always supply the link. Also, do a search prior to starting new topics.
 
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Grimmy said:
This unit comes (according to what I've read) with its own logistics organization, intel support and air. I've even read that the SEAL observer was truely impressed by how the "logistics" folk could mount out and serve as good functional battlefield force when extra bodies were required.

So, in short, again according to what I've been able to find on this, it's the "total package" aspect (you know, that total force thing that the USMC is so dang good at) of this that's got SOCOM so excited.

Yeah, i think MarSOC is going to still operate under the MAGTF structure (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) like other Marines, but is assign missions that catagorize it as a Spec Ops.

And well, i guess its true that "Every Marine is a Rifleman"
 
JMac said:
Yeah, i think MarSOC is going to still operate under the MAGTF structure (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) like other Marines, but is assign missions that catagorize it as a Spec Ops.

And well, i guess its true that "Every Marine is a Rifleman"

Incorrect. MARSOC belongs to SOCOM.
 
You are correct sir, we are under SOCOM for now. We were under II MEF previously but I have heard talk of MARSOC establishing its own command after we are moved to stone bay. What are your thoughts on that?
 
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