Posted on 09/30/2001 2:28:55 PM PDT by 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 nations most elite special operations team, but its position as a member of the the Armys 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 services 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. MEUs, 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. Its been in place so long now that a lot of the flag officers grew up with this-theyre Al Grays boys, said one Marine special operations veteran. Thats 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 dont 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.
Then I apologize for misunderstanding you.
Semper Fi, Marine.
During our training, we had to go through "Bouyant Ascent - Blow and Go" training in New London, CT. Submarine base.
The tank was over 100' deep. They put us in a pressurized chamber at 50'. We'd put one puff of air in our Mae West life jacket, take a deep breath, lock out, look up, cross our ankles, let go and blow out - we would reach the surface with plenty of air left. Same deal @ the 100' mark.
That night, we went to the bar for a few cold ones where we ran across the Seals who were our trainers. Only three fights broke out that night.
The next day was "free dive" day with mask and fins. We free dove down to 50' - no problem. When it was my turn for the 100' free dive, at about the 75' mark, my mask fogged up and I could find the opening for the 100' chamber. IMMEDIATELY, a Seal grabbed my arm and pulled me into the chamber suspended in the middle of the tank...you got it...a Navy Seal saved my life! He was one of the ones we fought the night before. When I pulled off my mask he said..."Hey Recon, you guys gave us some competition last night." I said, "Yea, that was a good one, wasn't it?"
That night we met the same Seals at the same bar, and we got into arguments as to who was gonna buy who the next round of beers. Everyone had to chug their mug at the same time, and no one was supposed to go the head. After 12 mugs, the first one went, then the second and so on. It seemed like one Seal and one Recon gave in at the same time....when they returned from the head, they bragged about who would piss the longest.
Yep, a fight, turned into a drinking contest that turned into a pissing contest . . . thus the origin of the first pissing contest!
Force Recon Marines have the utmost repect for the Navy Seals, versa visa and visa versa.
A Squid.
Again...you never cease to amaze and amuse. I notice you declined to answer my repeated question about your military service. Then you state:
"I'm much more interested in instilling death in the ranks of our enemies."
I suspect if you were that interested, you'd be in uniform right now, instead of sitting in your cubicle stinking-up this thread with your juvenile attention-getting antics. I think LadyX said it best when she told you:
"You really should withdraw quietly from something you never will understand."
Somehow....I doubt that you will heed her sage advice.
When warriors play, we break things. So stay behind your monitor as you are not sure when we are playing or not. This generations warriors will take up the baton and make us proud and make it safe for guys like you. Bet the farm on it. When all hell breaks loose, change your shorts, and remember who the memorials are for. I'll give you a clue, the dead can't read.
LOL!
Okay, Bubba!
It's been a long time ago!
LOL!!!
I am not speaking from experience, but from what I have seen it has nearly destroyed shipboard morale in the Navy, and "Army of One" was quickly becoming a caricature of itself by the time Togo West left.
Any opinions?
Enlisted Marines did not wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor on their lapels of the service uniform (Alpha's) until after the battle of Belleau Woods.
The Asst Sec of the Navy, Franklin D Roosevelt (yes the same one) was so impressed with the Marines performance he petioned the Sec of the Navy to decree that from that day forth enlisted Marines would also wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor on the lapels of the service uniform.
That is all fact. The rest of the story I've heard, and it has been pass on but I have been unable to confirm it.
Supposely, the Marine Corps was immediately faced with a dilema. It needed a boat load of Eagle, Globe and Anchor devices and did not have them on stock. It (the Corps) sent out a contract and had a boat load made. However, the Eagle, Globe and Anchors were slightly different than the ones on stock (no Cuba, rope wasn't detached, slightly smaller). Again in a dilema, the powers that be fixed the problem the only way they knew how.
The Eagle, Globe and Anchors on hand were now officer's devices and the new ones were enlisted devices.
And in my best Paul Harvey voice...
"Now you know the rest of the story."
Semper Fi and "Let's roll!"
We Looked Younger!
You betcha! Being elected president or Pope might be ok too,but NOT better. Not even as impressive in MY book.Neither one takes as much "heart". Then again,I don't think like most people.
I think the Army refers to the infantry as 'the backbone of the Army',
Actually it's "The Queen of Battle",but it's probably fairly safe to say that calling a bunch of infantrymen "Queens" isn't a real clever idea.
but I prefer the analogy that we are the cutting edge of the sword that is the Marine Corps.
Same thing with the army infantry. In fact,without the army and marine infrantry,the other branches have no reason to exist. Hard as this may be for some people to believe,it is true,none the less
. Recon is the tip of the sword, and all the components made up the heft of the weapon, but, in a fight, its the cutting edge that takes the worst damage.
Yup,it takes nothing less than total committment to excellence and duty to be recon. Not to mention a fair amount of self-confidence.(G)
Best regards and Semper Fi
Right back at ya.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.