Special Operations Technology
Volume 4, Issue 2
March 2006

The Marine Corps Joins Special Operations Command

Representative Walter R. Jones (R-NC) discusses the newly established Marine Corps Special Operations Command. Joining USSOCOM in 2006 has great merit and benefits both for USSOCOM and the Corps and the initial 2,600 Marines will greatly enhance operational capabilities.

Representative Walter R. Jones (R-NC)

“Earned, Never Given.”… “The Few, the Proud, the Marines.” … “First-to-Fight.” These are just three well-known mottos used to illustrate our country’s most lethal fighting force—the Marine Corps. Soon they will be adding yet another: “Tip of the Spear.”

Army General John “Black Jack” Pershing, commander of American forces in World War I, once said, “The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.” As the United States congressman for eastern North Carolina’s third district, I am proud to represent the brave men and women of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C., and I am grateful to have the honor of serving on the House Armed Services Committee.

On November 1, 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced a landmark decision—the United States Marine Corps would formally join Special Operations Command.

Why has it taken so long for the Marines to join this command? It is without question that special operation forces are some of the most highly regarded warriors—required to pass the most rigorous physical and psychological tests in order to join, only to subject themselves to some of the most difficult training regimens known. But since its founding, the Marine Corps has held the belief that “Every Marine a Rifleman.” Simply put, there is no elite corps within the Corps because they are all elite. Regardless of their military occupational specialty (MOS), Marines are expected to shoot and kill the enemy without fail.

This year, on February 24, Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) was activated at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Starting with 2,600 Marines, MARSOC will join the ranks of special operators who provide combatant commanders with an adaptable fighting force, prepared to act in support of both conventional and special operations to help wage the global war on terrorism.

The primary mission of the MARSOC headquarters will be to train and provide fully capable Marine special operations forces to USSOCOM for worldwide deployments to execute assigned missions. The MARSOC subordinate elements will provide training to the militaries of our allies, conduct special operations missions like special reconnaissance and direct action, provide intelligence support, coordinate supporting fire and provide logistical support to special operations task forces.

Although the influx of an additional 2,600 Marines is not expected to meet the total requirements of USSOCOM’s needs in terms of its growing end strength, this addition will greatly reinforce the military’s ability to prosecute the war on terror in the various fields of battle. In this year’s Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), the Marines were identified as an asset on the battlefield that will be employed to provide direct action and special reconnaissance. Marines with the MOS of reconnaissance will enhance the military’s special operations capabilities. The purpose of a Marine recon team is to carry out pre-assault and distant post-assault recon in support of landing forces. Marine recon teams achieve their missions through various types of reconnaissance: zone recon; obtaining information on all routes, obstacles, terrain and enemy forces within certain boundaries; providing real-time information through surveillance of areas of interest; and producing photographs and sketches to provide accurate visual aids describing areas and enemies. Marine recon teams also have the means to engage the enemy by supporting arms, implanting sensors, capturing selected prisoners, conducting initial terminal guidance operations and conducting specialized terrain reconnaissance.

The QDR offers a very encouraging outlook for the future of special operations, in budgetary commitments as well as increased capabilities and function. It has been recommended that a one-third increase in active duty Special Forces battalions be put into service to fill the ranks. Additionally, enhanced capabilities will be introduced to support SOF extraction and insertion into denied areas from strategic distances. Between 2002 and 2006, nearly $5.5 billion has been appropriated in supplemental funding to improve SOF intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), organic human intelligence and technical capabilities. The President’s projected budget through fiscal year 2011 calls for nearly $30 billion in funding to increase the size and capabilities of special operations forces. In this era of increased emphasis on jointness, I’m confident that Marine Corps special operators will play a big role in the improved USSOCOM.

The introduction to Special Operations Command is not new territory for the Marines. From the streets of Ramadi to the mountains of Afghanistan, Marines have already supported SOF units before joining USSOCOM. The MEU(SOC) or Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) is the smallest of the Marine Air Ground Task Forces that deploy worldwide. The MEU brings what it needs to sustain itself from the sea for the rapid accomplishment of the mission or to pave the way for follow-on forces. The size and composition of the MEU make it well-suited for amphibious operations, security operations, noncombatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance operations and special operations.

During a fast-paced six-month work-up cycle that includes three to five at-sea training periods, the MEU undergoes training in the following areas: urban sniper, mechanized and motorized raids, noncombatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance, mass casualty, scout swimmer and mountain warfare.

Exercises conducted during the work-up period include: amphibious squadron-MEU integration training, training in an urban environment exercise, expeditionary strike group exercise and the special operations capable certification exercise. Following the successful completion of these exercises, the MEU is officially considered special-operations capable.

While on forward deployment, each MEU is prepared to support the regional combatant commanders in 23 unique capabilities, including: seizure and recovery of offshore energy facilities, amphibious assault and withdrawal, fire support planning, coordination and control in a joint or combined environment and airfield security. It is this unit that has served, and will continue to serve, as the world’s rescue 911 force.

In 2004 alone, East and West Coast MEUs were forward deployed not only to provide combat support in Operation Iraqi Freedom, but to be at the ready to answer the call of commanders in the western Pacific, Australia and the Philippines, providing force protection and a forward presence with the naval fleet in the dangerous littorals. They’ve provided humanitarian relief abroad to the victims of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, and here at home they’ve provided relief to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is home to three MEUs: the 22nd, the 24th and the 26th. Three more MEUs train on the West Coast and yet another is located in Japan. As a vital supplement to American forces worldwide, the Marines also stand ready to reinforce and one day take the lead with their brothers in arms at the Special Operations Command. We’ve entered a new era in war fighting—one that requires execution by a more mobile yet equally lethal joint task force, rather than a division of 30,000 to 45,000 troops.

The addition of the Marine Corps to Special Operations Command will be welcomed not only by me and my fellow policymakers in Congress but also by our allies across the globe. Just as the Marine Corps is an extension of our force and strength; it is one of America’s most distinguished ambassadors of peace and democratic values.

As our military transforms from a monolithic force that waged conventional wars with other nation-states to one that fights in urban or mountainous terrain against multi-nation terrorist organizations, USSOCOM will continue to serve at the Tip of the Spear, now with yet another ace up their sleeve—the United States Marine.

Congressman Walter B. Jones represents the Third District of North Carolina. He is in his sixth term and represents Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, as well as parts of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. He has been a member of the House Armed Services Committee since 1995 and serves on the House Special Operations Forces Caucus.