Marines do it their own way

MSNBC ^ | 9/30/01 | Sue Lackey

[kattracks]

A different approach to special forces
A Marine awaits orders during urban war training exercises last week at Camp Pendleton, California.
By Sue Lackey MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR

Sept. 30 —  For the average Marine, it is both amusing and a bit galling to hear all the talk about “special forces” and their capabilities. For while the Army, Navy and Air Force have created Special Operations Commands with a unique structure, the Marine Corps has taken its basic forward deployed unit — the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) — and trained every one in special operations tactics.

THE FAMED Delta Force is often celebrated as the nation’s most elite special operations team, but its position as a member of the the Army’s Joint Special Operations Command gives it a narrow focus restricted to counterterrorism and hostage rescue. In contrast, each MEU must be qualified in 18 separate mission areas, including counter terrorism. This broad focus in training and qualifications makes the Marine unit more versatile than any other service’s special operations forces.
       Gen. Alfred M. Gray, who served as Commandant of the Marine Corps in the early 1980s, helped create the Joint Special Operations Command. But while the command often requests Marines to flesh out its capability, the Corps is the only service which has refused to join the command at an organizational level. “It goes against the reason the Marine Corps was developed,” says a Marine officer who is a special operations specialist. “It would have forced the Corps to focus on one mission, when the nation needed an amphibious force for forcible entry, with much broader capabilities.”
       Under a recent reform of the system, traditional special operations forces forces are assigned to specific theater Commanders in Chief — for instance, the Commander in Chief, Europe or the Commander in Chief, Southern Command, which handles Latin America. East of these commands have units with specific specialties, and depend on that regional commander for support. MEU’s, however, an amphibious force that can be deployed at will to any theater. Their floating base of operations gives them the ability to sustain a mission longer than other special operations forces, which are traditionally used for short term insertions, or in the case of the Green Berets, specific insurgency training missions.
 

      The true strength of the MEUs lie in their ability to augment their forces with air and ground combat elements and combat service support. This means any given unit can call in tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, and fixed wing aircraft — all of which are part of standard MEU order of battle. Other special operations forces must rely on conventional service support when additional forces are needed.
       A perfect example of this versatility was in the 1983 Grenada invasion, where Army special forces were inserted to extract U.S. Embassy staff. The team was able to reach their target, but were then bottled up inside the embassy and unable to get out through enemy troops. The JSOC team then called for Marine support. An MEU which had been diverted to Grenada broke through with tanks and armored vehicles to extract their colleagues and the embassy personnel they had rescued.
       The way in which special operations training has been integrated into the basic structure of the Corps has changed the capabilities of the Corps as a whole. The other military services are large enough to allow their SF units to function in some degree of separation. Because the Marine Corps is so small in numbers, its SOC qualified personnel rotate on duty throughout the Corps, which has enhanced the overall quality of training and identification with special operations forces. Most of these men have now percolated to the top of the command structure. “It’s been in place so long now that a lot of the flag officers grew up with this-they’re Al Gray’s boys,” said one Marine special operations veteran. “That’s what you do not get in the other special forces, because they tend to stay in their own areas. When they do go into other units to further their careers, they have problems integrating within the conventional forces and its military bureaucracy. They don’t do well as staff officers; they want to go back to their unit.”
       That lack of experienced special forces officers at high levels to give special forces a voice allows other branches of the conventional forces to marginalize the effectiveness of special operations in budget battles and mission planning — a situation the Marine Corps has managed to avoid.

       

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

God bless the United States Marines.

Here's my contribution to the rivalry : ) (the last half of the third verse to a very cool song - name that tune!):

If the Army and the Navy/Ever look on Heaven's scenes/They will find the streets are guarded/by United States Marines

(P.S. God bless every man and woman in every branch of our military, past and present - you have paid for our freedom, and it is appreciated.)

[A Navy Vet]

"Nope,the NAVY has SOLDIERS,and they call them "Marines". Marines are "Naval Infantry"."

Actually, The Marines have *bellhops* - the Navy.

[Iris7]

I hadn't realized you were involved in that stuff. Please accept my respects.

[arimus]

Stand down citizen micromanager.
Interservice bickering is not a peace time only event. It's a source of pride even in the zones.
The enemy will not suffer one bit less because of it.
You've expressed your desire but you speak as one who does not know. You surely insult many to defend an ignorant position.
Ari- USMC 90'-94' Gulf war Vet. Al Mashab ammo dump (and I mean dump!)

Semper Fi bump

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"If the Army and the Navy/Ever look on Heaven's scenes/They will find the streets are guarded/by United States Marines"

And there is an old Navy Seal verse that says after United States Marines
We got here first to scout the streets for you.
Actually the Navy Seals "usually" are always first in an area before the Marines land from ships.
But as I stated in an earlier post when the fighting starts, all military service unite as one against the enemy.

Support Our Soldiers, E-mail a service person.

Support our Troops NOW!

USO (website) Mission: Delivering America to our Armed Forces

[Iris7]

Thanks, Guns. I'm thinking about it very hard. I'll know tomorrow.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Please don't hold it against me. I was a innocent young soldier,and didn't know any better."

ROFLMAO
yeah I used to be an innocent young sailor
I knew better but I swear it was the old salty dogs who corrupted me,lol

[FormerLurker]

Semper Fi Marines!

[FormerLurker]

Did you show up here to piss on Marines? That's all I've seen you do on this thread, I'd like to know what your problem is.

Here on this forum, you try to come across as some bad a** who likes to call Marines little pissants. Why don't you step into a bar in Jacksonville, NC, and try that there.

[FormerLurker]

I don't know if any of you have looked at a map, lately, but Afganistan is completely land-locked, and quite a ways inland. It would be a foolish waste of their specialized training, equipment, and organization to employ a MEU in Afganistan.

Ever hear of a little place in France called Beleau Wood? I don't believe there was any ocean nearby, but that didn't stop the Marines who were sent there to stop the enemy advance during WWI. In fact, that's where they earned the name "Devil Dogs", as that is what the German high command called them, as well as "American shock troops". Needless to say, we won the battle...

[Slipjack]

Kowdawg - Was that the same old two striper journalist that was always on 100p alley buying favors and dope outside of gate 1, drinking beer daily at the open Air Tudo Bar, and getting ripped to his gills on top level of BOQ 2 Nightly in Down Town Saigon as the rest of us were in the bush killing the Husbands and Boyfriends of the Girls he was playing Grab Ass with and telling Secrets to with his Body Guards?

[FormerLurker]

Just a little something on Belleau Wood..

THE BATTLE FOR BELLEAU WOOD

[Slipjack]

FormerLurker - I don't think that the Sand Pit Queen would have the gut's to remove his Jello Backside away from the Net, and see how we all stand out and up for one another with always our backs to the other to protect our brother Marine!!!!

S.F.

[dpa5923]

Wrong!!
The Russians have a Naval Infantry. The Marine Corps is a seperate branch of the military. The Navy and the Marine Corps fall under the department of the Navy, but are seperate branches. Marines aren't soliders, unless you refer to us as soliders of the sea. Please get it right

[Godebert]

"I understand inter-service rivalry perfectly well. Go back and read my post (let me know if you need help with the long words). "

Oh excuse me, I didn't realize you were such an expert on instilling espirit-de-corps in young soldiers. We are all awaiting with baited breath for a summary of your military service to our country. I have a feeling it will be a long wait.

[Scuttlebutt]

"There has always been a rivalry between the services and there always will be. It's part of the life of being military"

I guess this would be an inappropriate time to bring up the old jarhead and "shoe polish/gun oil" sea story, wouldn't it?

[Illbay]

The Marines will take care of the real thing.

Glad to hear they will be doing their part.

[Illbay]

Not to take away from any of the other services but Marines are different,...

I'm sure that's so. But above all, is it not true they are professional, and that they are patriots?

And do you not think that, with all their justified pride, they would put all such considerations SECOND to the welfare of the nation, as part of the TEAM that will get this job done?

[Illbay]

For those that cannot understand the psyche of the Marine....

Can you understand the psyche of the average citizen who is expecting every uniform to do its duty?

[Illbay]

Ever time some one says we don't need Marines...

Who would ever say such a thing (besides those who are marching in Berkeley and Cambridge and Ithaca, who think we don't need ANY military whatsoever)?