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.

       

[JoeSixPack1]

GOOD NIGHT CHESTY,
Wherever you are

And Good Night warriors all

[LadyX]

"Parris Island, SC. Platoon 3026, 3rd Batallion, (lovingly called Disneyland - 3 story brick building)"

Ha, CHIEF...I'll have you know that when I was at Parris Island, 3rd Marine Training Battalion was for us Women Marines!
Somewhere down the line the numbers were reassigned.

Furthermore, we did NOT have sissy brick buildings...just the old two-story wooden monstrosities with windows flung open in the hope of catching a breeze, or closed against the seeping in cold.

I also had to instruct my classes of between 60-120 women recruits under those conditions, with planes noisily taking off from what was the then nearby airfield, taking male graduates to Korea; and I had to project my voice over the noise of two HUGE exhaust fans.

We then had only familiarization with weapons and the gas chamber, not actual firing, although I did have an offer for 'personal instruction' I declined!
It wasn't fear of the weapons since I already was an excellent shot, but the rather unnerving ROAR that went up when I would ride the bus just PAST the range to get to the indoor swimming pool...there were thousands of men-away-from-wimmin out there and they were very vocal with their appreciation!
I had visions of a stampede had I appeared on the firing line.

My main experience with weapons came later in Alaska, hunting license and all, outshooting my husband and most men with every one I handled.

I am, however, in absolute awe over a genuine RECON MAN...:)))

[VietVet]

The VC used all kinds of captured or stolen American ordinace. I've heard that when they captured some of the weapons caches in Cambodia during the Spring 1970 incursions, they even recovered Spencer carbines from the Indian Wars period. Certainly, in our area (the Mekong Delta) they were using Mauser rifles lost by the Germans in Russia during WWII, Browning Hi-Power pistols stolen from the Canadian members of the force that was supposed to supervise the 1954 armistice, and M-1 carbines which were traced back to the Korean War. Also, we tended to refer to the Russian/Chinese 12.5 mm HBG's they used as ".50's", since they were about the same size and used for the same purposes.

[GunnySpook]

BTW: Did you do that at Camp Mathews? Did y'all stay in tents, or did they have dorms built at that time?

Hey, COBI, just so you don't feel 'generationally isolated'....

Yes, and in January, the tent sides had frozen dew when we scrambled out of our cots to roll up the tent sides in our skivvies (which had snaps and ties on the sides - NO elastic!).

Did Matthews with my (love of my life) M-1 - saw my first selector switch for an M-14 when we went to Da Nang as part of 9th MEB in '65. Still preferred my M3A1 grease gun, but no .45 tracer rounds for the mags....

Thanks - 'old and cold' enough?

Semper Fi!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

*SALUTE*
and Welcome to Free Republic

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

ping

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"It wasn't fear of the weapons since I already was an excellent shot,
but the rather unnerving ROAR that went up when I would ride the bus
just PAST the range to get to the indoor swimming pool..."

See how those Marines are,lol
Now us swabbies would have been sooooo polite, LOL
And to this day I have an excellent resume
former sailor, former cab driver, former salesman (oops still a salesman, I forgot)
Just wondering what time your bus comes up the Oregon Coast.
I will be sooooo polite and even salute a Lady Marine!
before I go wwwwwooooo hooooooo

[Illbay]

What, you've never read Kipling?

[N.B.: I've always wondered: WhyisaTexasgirlinPA?]

[Illbay]

As bad as I hate to admit it,the USMC ARE the only branch that had the balls to stand up to Bubba bin Bombing,...

Last night, Hannity and Colmes had as a guest John Lehman, former SecNavy who pointed out something very interesting. He said that although it is true that our forces, Naval and otherwise, have been drawn down drastically since his time (He was under Reagan, I think), and that the doves have managed to get the Defense budget drastically slashed so that "Midnight Basketball" and other wondrous relics of the Clinton years could come to be, the fact is that the USMC, Army Rangers and Special Forces, Delta Force, SEALs et al, did a MARVELOUS job in fighting against and successfully resisting attempts to cut their budgets to any significant degree.

The result is that we find ourselves with fully-capable SpecOps forces RIGHT AT THE TIME WE NEED THEM.

[COB1]

"Thanks - 'old and cold' enough?"

Thanks, Gunny.
I knew I didn't dream all of that!
Remember that stupid ice plant that grew outside the tents we had to keep watered out of buckets?
Someone told me they have air conditioned and heated dorms there now.
The wusses don't know what they missed!

[COB1]

"Now us swabbies would have been sooooo polite, LOL"

And that's the reason the Jarheads walked out of the bars with all the wimmen!
While the swabs were being polite, the Marines were taking charge!

[COB1]

"Did Matthews with my (love of my life) M-1"

Ditto on both of those, Gunny!
Welcome to FR!
I need you around to help me keep all these young whipper snappers squared away!

[JoeSixPack1]

Mornin' Gunny, Welcome Aboard.

[oldngray]

Someone told me they have air conditioned and heated dorms there now. The wusses don't know what they missed!

I had the distinct privilege of sitting with the Commanding General, Commanding Officer of Recruit Training Regiment and their respective Sergeants Major at a parade just about 30 days ago. Attended a recruit graduation at PI. The barracks are nice, though except for the A/C, not much different than those of the "old corps". Still wash racks outside, laundry lines, bunks and foot lockers, etc.

The just graduated Marines talked of "locker box drill" at 3am, double timing to and from the old Elliott's Beach area, etc. Some things have changed but not the basics.

The most impressive aspect to me was the absolute perfect physical condition of every Marine. Even the CG and CO RTR were hard with muscle, each wearing "white side wall" hair cuts. In two days on the island I did not see one single Marine (note: recruits don't count, they're still not Marines until graduation) with the slightest indication of a gut. Impressive. They still don't get their eagle, globe and anchor until after they have successfully completed the crucible.

I am more than ever confident that the Corps will do itself proud wherever they are told to go.

[GunnySpook]

I need you around to help me keep all these young whipper snappers squared away!

I'm right here beside you, COBI!

We'll keep some, uh, 'perspective' alive!

[COB1]

"I am more than ever confident that the Corps will do itself proud wherever they are told to go."

Thanks, old timer.
I am very happy to hear from someone who knows that our beloved Corps is not going down the tubes.
I hear so much about the changes which have been made since my time and none of them good for the Corps.
It's good to know that P.I. and MCRD are still turning out the finest fighting force ever known to man.
May God bless 'em all.

[JoeSixPack1]

[Illbay]

What did you think of "A Midnight Clear"?

[JoeSixPack1]

Thanks for the update on PI. Good to know the rawcruits still have to earn the insignia.

Also, thanks for making me feel young, I got out 26 years ago, but you guys.. well, in two words.....Fred Flintstone......

Semper Fi

[COB1]

"not much different than those of the "old corps"."

A friend of mine came into my office the other day wearing a "T"-shirt that had our globe and anchor on it and the words: "OLD CORPS".
He was in recon in VietNam.
He said, "You should be wearing this shirt, not me."
I said, "No, the D.I.'s in boot when I went through and a lot in Pendleton were Korean vets.
They were the 'Old Corps'". But they told stories about their D.I.'s who were WWII vets, so those were really the "Old Corps".
No doubt they had stories of their own about the Marines they knew who were really the "Old Corps."
We have a long and proud heritage, and may we never forget it.