Semper Fi
Posted on 06/05/2002 4:52:02 AM PDT by gunnyg
USA Today June 5, 2002
Marines May Add Special Ops Force By Dave Moniz, USA Today WASHINGTON -
The Marine Corps, which has resisted creating a permanent unit of commandos throughout its 227-year history, has been spurred by the war on terrorism to move in that direction this fall.
The Marines will assign several dozen troops to a Tampa headquarters that oversees all U.S. commandos. That could prompt it to establish a special operations force, Marine officials say. The move highlights how the war on terrorism has elevated the importance of commando units.
Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Air Force rescue teams have played key roles in the hunt for al-Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan. The U.S. Special Operations Command will help integrate the Marines with the 46,000 Army, Navy and Air Force commandos it now oversees.
Although no final decision has been made on creating a separate commando unit, Marine Corps officials say the reassignments increase the odds that it will happen. David Segal, a military sociologist at the University of Maryland, says the Afghanistan experience makes it clear "that our special operations capabilities have to grow." "If you don't get into the game, the extra numbers of people will go to the other services," he says.
The Marine Corps had a small number of "raider" commandos during World War II, but it has opposed a permanent force because it believes every Marine is an elite fighter. A Marine creed is "Every Marine a rifleman."
Even so, the Marines have about 800 troops who are not considered commandos but receive special training in reconnaissance techniques similar to those used by Army Special Forces soldiers. Lt. Col. Giles Kyser, a Marine officer familiar with the decision to assign Marine forces to Tampa headquarters, says the move will create a delicate balancing act.
"We need to change our training and procedures," Kyser says, "while at the same time holding onto things that make us Marines."
I'm an old USAF weenie so forgive my ignorance. Is this what I have heard referred to as "Force Recon" (or words to that effect)? I've had the opportunity to talk with a few marines (they were no longer active but I know there is no such thing as an EX-marine) who were associated with RECON including a conversation with a guy who was a trainer. They didn't talk much about what they did but it was obvious these guys were some bad@ss dudes. I would expect they will fit well with, and even improve, Special Ops--even if they don't call themselves that. I see no reason why they shouldn't be able to be a part of the force and still maintain their unique identity as well.
Special operations are more focused on unconventional warfare--counterterrorism and guerilla warfare.
My recollection may be faulty; this was 10-15 years ago, (might also be colored by my affection for this particular relative!) but I was thinking they knew what the other units knew and then some.
A false impression. Their main gig is finding the enemy. Most of their training is (a) staying hidden, and (b) being able to report accurately on what's going on. Airborne and SCUBA training are merely for the insertion phase.
They don't do "direct action" commando ops, and they don't do unconventional warfare. They do have a challenging and stressful mission, but that mission is not a spec-ops one.
The perfect Marine Recon mission is one where they insert, gather information, and extract, all without firing a shot at the enemy, and the enemy never having even a hint that they were there.
While many of us have always regarded our jarhead friends as "special", they have been a conventional force.
I stand corrected on my understanding of Recon.
Semper Fi
I sometimes feel like the Corps gets the short end of the stick, if you will. By that I mean that many people would agree that the Corps has the best man for man training there is when you look at the Corps vs. other branches. BUT, they have no true special ops units. They have RECON, and other "special ops capable" units. But when the special ops missions get awarded, the Corps gets passed over in the initial phases many times. This breeds a lot of inter-service rivalries with the Army, I know. It doesn't mean that Marines are not good enough to undergo the training for special ops, by any means. It just mean they are not organized in such a way as to accept those type missions (TO&E). It looks like they now want to remedy that problem.
I can tell you this, if the Corps would have had a true "Special Ops" unit when I decided to serve, I would have chosen the Corps instead of the Rangers. The pride and discipline that is instilled in Marines are key traits that attract the type of soldiers that accel in special ops. This move will definitely help their recruitment (not that they need the help). Also, I'd be interested if finding out just what "niche" this new unit is going to have. They will need a niche mission. Otherwise, they will just be another unit in direct competition with a special ops unit that already has a monopoly on that type mission, and it will breed a rivalry that is unhealthy, IMHO.
Department of Defence
Delta Force (hostage rescue / commando unit)
Army
Special Forces (unconventional warfare) and Rangers (commando unit)
Navy
SEALs (commando unit)
Air Force
????? (not sure of the proper name - downed pilot rescue)
Add to this the special units from CIA and others not to be named, and you already have on the order of 30,000+ combat troops with over 150,000 support troops. I believe the problem of execution lies with the command structure. Most conventional officers do not know how to utilize or even command unconventional forces.
I would like to see all commando units organized out of the conventional forces as their own department. So along with the Dept of Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, you would add Dept of XXXX (commando, special forces, raiders, whatever).
I believe these units should be deployable at the discression of the President (like the Marines). Then, backed up by heavy units from the conventional forces if they need large force deployment.
An example would be deploying a commando unit to take out a target. CIA and Recon would conduct the initial target assessment. The commando units (SEAL & Ranger) would execute the attack. If the unit encounters heavy resistance and gets pinned down, the President could, then authorizes a Marine unit to hit the area. Air Rescue would then extract any pilots and Delta would try and recover any prisoners taken by the hostiles.
Just my .02
You make some excellent points, and I thank you both for your comments and your service!
I LOVE the Corps! Every day a holiday, every formation a parade, every meal a banquet, every paycheck a fortune!
There, does it sound like I've OD'd on the Lifer Kool-Aid?
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