Ceremony to mark debut of Marine special operations unit

Marine Times ^ | June 20, 2003 | Gidget Fuentes

[LSUfan]

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.

[VaBthang4]

I dont quite understand what their mission will be...?

[CaptainJustice]

its a secret

[LSUfan]

I am told adult supervision of the SEALs.

It has been said that the Army and the Air Force asked the Marines to get into SOCOM after being disappointed in the performance of SEALs in joint ops.

[BluH2o]

Navy SEALS ... formerly UDT ... an excellent example of mission creep!

[IGOTMINE]

I don't understand the linkage with the squeals.

[adam_az]

If it gets the blessing of the military’s top commando, Marines will rate a coveted place among the SEALs, Green Berets and Air Force Special Operations forces.

Yes, it's a secret.... and until then, they are on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION.

[in the Arena]

Any idea why the Marines need a SOCOM outfit ? I thought Force Recon would have fit this role...

[Angry_White_Man_Syndrome]

Well, as a former SBU (Special Boat Unit) Member, I can tell you it is envy from the Army and Air Force. What they do not like is the SEALs don't play be thier rules. That and the fact that SOCOM is run by the Army and Air Force makes in even harder on the SEALs. Trust me I've done training support for all three and the Seals had thier stuff in one sock 98% of the time. The Army on the other hand had guys doing water jumps when then did not even know how to swim. I had to use my boat many time to colapse a chute of some Army guy being pulled around because the did'nt know what they were doing. As for Air Force, you could'nt even get them in the water.

"God, Country, and Fast Boats"

[VOA]

bump

[VaBthang4]

The last paragraph: “They see it (as) here’s a way to get in better training for our Marines ... and it also gives them the funding,” Greer said. The SEALs-Marine linkage is a good start, he said, adding “it’s going to provide a nexus between what the SEALs do ... before they hit a target on land and what the Marines do.”

???

Is there something special about what 'SEALS' do before they hit a 'land' target?

???

[LSUfan]

You miss the point. USMC already has special ops capabilities: Force Recon, Radio Battalion, 4th Marine Brigade (AT), and MEU (SOC). The Marines didn't want SOCOM, SOCOM wanted some Marines.

[LSUfan]

But a SEAL out of water is not pretty. Some SEALs got carjacked in Afghanistan. They were armed and riding around in those armed dune buggys and they got trapped and disarmed. Also showed lack of familiarity with standard NATO Nine-line call for air support order.

[RoughDobermann]

Can we successfully integrate a Marine detachment with a SEAL team?

Probably not without some growing pains...

[RoughDobermann]

But a SEAL out of water is not pretty

Are you serious?

[tracer]

The United States Marine Raiders ride again!!

And that is what they should call this new spec-op outfit.....

[tracer]

UhOH!! Thou blasphemeth.... 8~)

[Herodotus]

You have a reference or a link to this story? (curious...want to add it to my files if true)

[in the Arena]

You miss the point. USMC already has special ops capabilities: Force Recon, Radio Battalion, 4th Marine Brigade (AT), and MEU (SOC). The Marines didn't want SOCOM, SOCOM wanted some Marines.

I didn't miss anything...including Force Recon

Since late 2001, when then-Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James L. Jones broached the idea with Air Force Gen. Charles Holland,

[xsrdx]

Any idea why the Marines need a SOCOM outfit

Politics and $$$.

Under the current SECDEF, any unit associated with Joint Special Operations will be rewarded handsomely with training and equipment dollars.

No doubt, the USMC wants a chunk of all the dough flying at USSOCOM these days.