MARSOC 101 Brief: All you need to know about Marine Corps Special Operations

Tasking Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) train, organize, equip and deploy task organized, scalable and responsive Marine Corps special operations forces worldwide in support of combatant commanders and other agencies. History & Heritage Its creation was announced on 23 November 2005 by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, following a meeting between him, the USSOCOM […]

MARSOC motorcycle gangs in Afghanistan

SOF Operators take to two-wheels in the hunt for Taliban in remote regions of Afghanistan. If you are the Taliban, this is your worst nightmare come true. A ten-man element of U.S. Spec Ops shooters armed with precision fire weapons and night vision optics, weaving through rolling hills along goat trails on blacked-out motorcycles in the […]

What a Marine Recon Team looks like

Dirty, tired, camouflage-painted, trousers ripped, armed to the teeth, and overloaded. Okay, so that’s what the guys on the Recon team look like most of the time. The team itself has evolved a bit due to operational requirements, equipment limitations, and force protection requirements established by higher. Over the years since Vietnam, the Recon team […]

The story of the Marine Recon Paddle

You may have seen a paddle displayed proudly in the home or office of a former Recon Marine. So, what’s the deal with these paddles? Every Recon Marine is presented with a paddle from his peers when he leaves the unit or the Marine Corps. The history of this tradition stems from the days of […]

Humility: Mindset of the professional warrior

A popular image of the warrior emphasizes his confidence.  While confidence is important, however, humility keeps confidence from becoming bravado, and ultimately keeps the warrior alive. In mid-2004, I was a “roper,” one of the young Marines running (don’t get caught walking) around 1st Recon Bn with a sling rope and carabiner around their shoulders.  […]

A brief, recent history of MARSOC and Force Recon

There have been some questions lately as to what exactly the difference is between Force Recon and MARSOC.  Aside from the fact that Special Operations Marines now have their own MOS, a lot of it comes down to recent history. In 2003, MCSOCOM Detachment One was stood up, commanded by a former commanding officer of […]

‘Quoi?’ A Recon Marine does the French Amphibious Commando Course

When I was at 2d Recon Bn, I had the opportunity to attend the French Amphibious Commando Course in Martinique. The course is only three weeks long, but let me tell you … it’s a ball busting three weeks. You train on a little bit of everything jammed into that short course – hand-to-hand, rope […]

Exercise Bold Alligator – MARSOC is game on

USSOCOM – SOF Truth #5 “Most Special Operations require non-SOF assistance” Bold Alligator 2012 involved more than 25 naval vesicles, 14,000 personnel from 5 different countries. This was the largest Joint/Combined exercise in 10 years and reinforced more of a traditional large scale amphibious landing and assault operation. MARSOC was set center stage for the […]

Happy 240th Birthday US Marine Corps

As I sat down to write this year’s Marine Corps Birthday post, I was struggling. I realized that what I wrote last year is exactly how I feel every time November 10th roles around – overwhelming pride and overwhelming sadness. Here’s my post – Happy Birthday Marines – Semper Fi!