Thursday, March 02, 2006

MARSOC opens for business.

As I've been reporting now for the past few months- The United States Marine Corps has formed their own Special Operations unit and on Friday it oficially established the separate command devoted to small-unit tactics and stealthy reconnaissance.

It's work the USMC has done since World War II, but never before as part of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). This revolutionary change means that battalions of Marines will be focused on special ops work just as Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets and Rangers are.

The Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made the change official after arriving at Camp Lejeune aboard an Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. He said special ops Marines will help "seek new and innovative ways to take the fight to the enemy."

The demand for highly trained special operations forces has increased as the U.S. war against terrorists continues. "We face a ruthless enemy that lurks in shadows," Rumsfeld said. "It has become vital the Department of Defense and armed forces arrange ourselves in new and unconventional ways to succeed in meeting the peril of our age."

As part of the change, the Marine anti-terrorism brigade (4th MEB) headquartered at Lejeune will go out of business and shift some of its troops to the special operations command. The command will have combat battalions on both U.S. coasts, along with support units and schools to teach special operations skills to U.S. and foreign troops.

Special operations will give the Marines "a role they otherwise would not be able to get, to do counterterrorism," said military analyst John Pike of Washington-based Globalsecurity.org.

"The struggle against evil doers is a growth industry and the Marines want a piece of that," Pike said. "The special operations community is getting a lot larger and they need more people."

Not long after he was tapped to lead the first leatherneck contingent into the nation's Special Operations Command, Brigadier Geneal Dennis J. Hejlik was asked if he had settled on a catchy nickname for his troops, like S.E.A.L.s or Rangers; General Hejlik nodded.

"Marines," he replied.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I see you'ree still plugging that bloody Osprey!

Major General Creedon said...

Me? Oh no- if Rummy wants to use a V-22 to be ferried around in that's his own business. It sends the message out that the Osprey is a safe way to fly.

Anonymous said...

Its good that he should put out such an image saying that the Osprey is safe.

Anonymous said...

will we be able to get that marsoc symbol as a cool wallpaper for our desktops? (HUGE HINT)

Anonymous said...

I want one too!

Anonymous said...

He Colonel, I hear the "Thunder Chickens" have their Ospreys now. Blog it!

Major General Creedon said...

Done!