Raider Anonymous

About the author

Why Every Marine Can’t Be SOF or Slay a Dragon

What I am about to say is going to blow some O-rings out there. I’m hoping it will blow some minds as well. I say this from a position of love and affection for my beloved Corps. As a whole, the Marine Corps sets higher standards and embraces Mother Violence better than the other branches. […]

Today Was Not Different: Budget Woes Hit MARSOC

The criminally negligent decisions on Capitol Hill have spread into MARSOC like a virus. A typical year used to consist of schools, training and deployment. If  lucky, a real vacation with the family. It was a hectic schedule many had the constitution for it. Some enjoyed it in the way that a sadist enjoys pain. […]

Is There Room for MARSOC’s Seafaring Ambitions?

Recently, elements of MARSOC have taken to the sea, getting back to their amphibious roots, if you will. A handful of MSOTs (Marine Special Operations Team) have taken on the kind of training typical of a Force Recon Platoon, conducting a pre-deployment workup for an MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit). This development has many speculating what […]

MARSOC & The 1911: Tack Driver On the Range, Rusty Paperweight in the Field

Let me start by saying that I love the 1911. Anybody who has a healthy appreciation for firearms usually owns at least one. John Browning’s revolutionary design has seen combat from Mexico to Japan, in the Great Wars and in the Global Wars On Terror.  It’s a true American icon. Now that I’ve appeased the […]

“What’s a Mar Sock?”

Everybody wants to know what sets MARSOC apart from USASOC and NSW. It’s a complicated question to answer. What’s more revealing and easier to address is: what traits does MARSOC share with USASOC and NSW? I’d like to focus on MSOT structure, CSO skill sets and mission profiles. By analyzing these three criteria, I would […]

ANASF and Afghan Commandos: Our 3rd World SOF Experiment

As I was looking through SOFREP’s “Coalition SOF” articles, I noticed there weren’t any stories about Afghan SOF. Even if you think the phrase “Afghan SOF” is an oxymoron (which I think it is), there is still value in reporting our assessments and experiences working with them. My experience with Afghan SOF involved training and […]