Wednesday, November 02, 2005

USMC to join USSOCOM

Today is a bright day for the Corps. Donald Rumsfeld announced yesterday that the United States Marine Corps will create an element to officially join the United States Special Operations Command for the first time.

For as long as I remember the Marine hierarchy standpoint on Special Operators has been that they consider the most basic Marine a special operator, the Marines were elite already, so why join SOCOM? So in 1986, the Army, Navy and Air Force went off pooled their resources and integrated their spec. ops. forces like Delta Force, Rangers, SEALS and Combat Controllers into the newly established SOCOM, while the USMC created their own independent Force Recon elements and trained some of their MEU's to be Special Operations Capable. The Corps didn't want to turn control of Force Recon over to SOCOM because it was felt that their skill was required to fulfil the fundamental mission of the USMC.

This arrangement worked for about 15 years until some bastards hijacked planes and flew them into the WTC and the Pentagon. The SOCOM operators went off to Afghanistan ahead of the main of the main force and had some fun. While a handful of Marines have been working with Special Operations in a Joint capacity, the then-Commandant General James Jones had an idea then and decided he'd have a little 'conversation' with the USSOCOM Commander, Air Force General Charles Holland and decided it was time to close ranks.

It was 2003 however before Marine Detachment One (MAR-DET-1) joined NAVSPECWAR (Navy SEALS) on training exercises to deploy as part of SOCOM. The 83-Marine strong (with 4 Navy corpsmen) was the first unit to integrate with SOCOM. I noticed also that in October of the previous year, a Marine General was appointed as Chief of Staff and Director of the Center for Command Support, U.S. Special Operations Command! I didn't think this was coincidental then as I remembered it as I read the news today and I see what was going on now. The aforementioned Marine General was one Brigadier General Denis Hejlik, the same general whom has just been appointed as head of the new MARSOC (Marine Special Operations Command).

I said a few weeks ago that there would be big things in store for the Corps when Pete took the big chair, I didn't think it would be only 30 days later though. Hmmm MARSOC will have about 2600 men and hefty slice of the lovely SOCOM budget- I wonder if they'll need a Colonel?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh that's rich Sir. "I wonder if they need a Colonel". I saw from your earlier portrait, that you had a staff position in SOCOM already. A cushy little number no doubt in return for cleaning up some general's mess or somesuch.

Anonymous said...

Well you served with SOCOM before reassignment to Joint Task Force (JTF) Noble Anvil, in Naples, Italy? As you were a Lt.Col whilst with SOCOM, and promoted a whole month after reassignment, it seems clear that whilst they (SOMCOM) may want a Colonel, its not the Whopper they want?!

Major General Creedon said...

I'm so glad I have you to remind me of these things Apologist! You are correct. I'm often attached to JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) which is a component of USSOCOM, especially if there suspected Extra-Terrestrial involvement.

Anonymous said...

So do you have a career move in mind? ... or should I dream one up for you ...

Anonymous said...

Don't bother. He'll be moving into a grave soon enough.

Major General Creedon said...

You'll need some army!