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The United States Marine Corps is assigned by the National Command Authority to be
primarily the Department of Defense's expeditionary force-in-readiness, and the
Department of the Navy's contingent landing force—amphibious by nature. Before 2006
(i.e., the formation of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC)), the
Marine Corps was the only branch of the Armed Forces that did not have any of its special
warfare elements participating in the United States Special Operations Command
(USSOCOM), due to confining its special operations capabilities only for the purpose to the
Fleet Marine Force.[1]

President Ronald Reagan approved the establishment of USSOCOM in April 1987; a month
later the other military branches reassigned their own respective special operations forces
(SOF) units to the USSOCOM Headquarters in Tampa, Florida at MacDill Air Force Base.
However, as the Marine Corps was reluctant to release control of Marine units, its
specialized assets assigned to the FMF's Marine Air-Ground Task Forces remained separate
and have evolved to fulfill a separate niche of tasks, specific and limited in scope, in direct
support of a Marine Expeditionary Units' commander.

This evolution occurred due to the direction of Commandant of the Marine Corps General
Alfred M. Gray, who announced on 5 February 1988, that in response to the current and
projected realities of the world, they were changing the designations of the Marine Air-
Ground Task Forces that constitute its fighting formations. The word "amphibious" was
replaced by "expeditionary". The new term signified that the Marine Corps would not be
limited to amphibious operations but rather would be capable of a wide spectrum of
operations in littoral areas around the world, in conventional and unconventional warfare.[2]

Because of its status in expeditionary warfare, the Marine Corps fundamentally bases its
combative strategy on its ground combat element—all air/ground elements are primarily
organic support to the Marine infantry—arguing that strategic bombing does not win
battles. Its assigned expeditionary roles assigned by the Unified Combatant Command
requires it to be fully trained and functional either as a quick reaction or show of force to any
place and environment around the globe within 24 hours. To become adaptive to the Fleet
Marine Force protocol, it established its own specialized assets to support the Navy/Marine
force commanders to suit its maritime (amphibious) light-infantry capabilities.

Despite the similarities in name, the label of Special Operations Capable does not refer to

the wider concept of Special Operations, such as those undertaken by the United States
Special Operations Forces. The Marine Corps' special operations force is the Marine Raider
Regiment, which was created in 2006.

Active units
Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company

The Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, or ANGLICO, are small Marine units that provide
artillery, naval gunfire, close air support for the United States Armed Forces, as well to allied
foreign armed forces worldwide. The ANGLICO teams are specialized in forward
observation, joint terminal attack controlling, and forward air controlling. They give the
Marine Air Ground Task Force commanders a liaison capability with foreign area expertise to
plan, coordinate, employ and conduct radio communications for air, sea and land support
fire for joint, allied and coalition forces. They also have parachutists used to insert into the
battlefield rapidly for observance support.

Chemical Biological Incident Response Force

Chemical Biological
Incident Response
Force
The Chemical Biological Incident Response Force is a rapid response force that is capable
of being deployed to a combatant commander or United States Department of State
legations and installations, and, when directed by the National Command Authority,
anywhere in the world that is affected by chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-
yield explosive (CBRNE) incidents. The force is completely self-contained and self-
sufficient, and may also provide coordinating initial relief efforts, security, detection,
identification, expert medical advice, and limited decontamination of personnel and
equipment.

This response force will respond to CBRNE incidents affecting to assist local civilian and
military agencies in order to assist the on-scene commander in providing initial post incident
consequence management. CBIRF consists of specially trained personnel and specialized
equipment suited for operations in a wide range of contingencies. Through search and
extraction, decontamination, and medical stabilization, CBIRF capabilities are intended to
minimize the effects of a CBRNE incident.

MAGTF Reconnaissance
 USMC Amphib Recon

Marine reconnaissance are specialized teams that are proficient in special, ground and
amphibious reconnaissance to collect intelligence for the commanders within the Marine
Air-Ground Task Force to shape the commander's battlespace. The division recon assets
conduct recon for battalions and regiments by operating ahead of the forces to scout
enemy and other pertinent information. The force recon assets are reserved for the high-
echelon of the force commander. Force recon also may be directed to perform direct action
operations or other special assignments to the Marine Expeditionary Force.

Marine Special Operations Command

 MARSOC emblem

The Marine Special Operations Teams (MSOTs), are the Marine Corps's only fully
committed, unconventional special operations unit that solely operate independently from
the Fleet Marine Force. Their initial role is to provide the Marine Special Operation
Command (MARSOC) in direct action, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, and
foreign internal defense. It first began as MCSOCOM Detachment One and consequently

was reformed into a Marine Special Operations Battalion (MSOB). Most of the experienced
personnel were from the disbanded FMF's recon companies of 1st and 2nd Force Recon and
from a Naval Special Warfare Group; forming the 1st and 2nd MSOB.

Maritime Special Purpose Force

The United States Marine Corps' Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF), are specialized
sub-units of the Marine Expeditionary Units. They are deployed to give commanders low
profile, two-platoon surgical emplacement in accessible littoral regions. The MSPF provides
the MEU with rapid direct action capabilities, augmenting or replacing the unavailable Fleet
Marine Force's recon platoons. It enables the Marine Corps's only deep recon unit, Force
Recon, to continue providing FMF-level intelligence without delay. However, MSPFs can not
operate independently of their parent MEU: they rely solely on the MEU for logistics,
intelligence, communications, transportation, and fire support.

Special Reaction Teams

The Provost Marshalʼs Special Reaction Teams (SRT) are specialized military policemen that
are trained in all aspects of special weapons and tactics. They have the ability to handle
special threat situations surpassing normal law enforcement capabilities, such as: isolating a
crisis scene, providing proficient marksmanship support, tactically responding from an
assembly area to the scene, effecting an entry, and employing clearing techniques.

Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams

Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams (FAST) are independent, worldwide deployable platoons
of specially trained Marines that are prepared to defend against terrorist threats to
American interests on extremely short notice. Providing limited duration expeditionary site
security to vital national assets, these platoons work directly for the Fleet Admiral of 5th,
6th, and 7th Fleets, and receive tasking via the Department of State or the military
Geographic Combatant Commander of the respective region. These platoons are manned
by selected infantrymen, commanded by a Captain, and in addition to standard USMC
infantry tasks, they are proficient in: precision weapons employment, convoy security,
embarked and airfield security, low profile operations, population control measures and riot
disbursal, CBRN defense, non-lethal weapons employment, embarkation and self-
supporting logistics, fast roping, small arms marksmanship, machine guns and machine gun
gunnery, COC operations, satellite communications, and inter-operability with host nation
forces, local guard forces, joint, interagency, and allied partners. Their motto is "Deter,
Detect, Defend" and they are nicknamed "Gunslingers". They are employed frequently in
military operations other than war (MOOTW).

Inactivated units

Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion

FMFPAC Amphib
 Recon Battalion,
1944

The Amphibious Reconnaissance Company (and later Battalion) were a small group of men
that conducted preliminary D-Day amphibious reconnaissance of the planned littoral
beaches occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army and Special Naval Landing Forces in the
Central Pacific during World War II. They were infantry Marines highly skilled in combat
swimming, topography, and hydrographic survey that provided the V Amphibious Corps,
which subsequently was redesignated under the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, vital military
intelligence of Japanese enemy forces.[3]

Combined Action Program

Combined Action
Program

The Combined Action Program (CAP), was a unit that was assembled as a foreign internal
defense during the Vietnam War. They were jointly allied with the South Vietnamese Popular
Force, providing 'civil protection force' for local villages from the Viet Cong's influence of
terrorism, recruiting, and taxation.

Later, they were subsequently renamed the "Civil Action Platoons". The foreign relations
between the two allied forces confided the villagers of in-sourcing information. It became
one of the major sources of reliable intelligence from allies throughout the war.

Joint Assault Signals Company

The Joint Assault Signals Company (JASCO) were a tri-service of the Army and the Fleet
Marine Force (United States Navy/Marine Corps) that provided supporting arms
coordination for ground artillery, ships, and aircraft in delivering ordnance. They were highly
specialized fire support coordinators for close air and naval gunfire support.

Marine Special Operations Command Detachment One

 Marine Detachment
One, or MarDet1

The MCSOCOM Detachment One (MarDet 1) was a pilot program to assess the value of
Marine special operations forces permanently detached to the United States Special
Operations Command. It was commanded by Col. Robert J. Coates, former commanding
officer of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company along with Team leader Lt. Lawrence R.
Gentile 1st Forecon Jump Master. Det 1 was activated on 19 June 2003 and had its
headquarters at Camp Del Mar Boat Basin. It was disbanded in 2006 and succeeded by the
permanent Marine Forces Special Operations Command, which is to be a 2700-person
command.

Marine Corps Test Unit #1

The Marine Corps Test Unit (MCTU #1) was a battalion-sized unit that was designed to be
outside the political and command boundaries of the Fleet Marine Force to test and evaluate
innovative methods in maneuvering ground forces that were prone to operating in areas
subject to nuclear attacks. They initially developed the techniques for the heliborne assaults
that are used in the Army and Navy today.

The Test Unit's infantry battalion participated in Desert Rock IV during shot 'Bee'. The
reconnaissance platoon in MCTU #1 revolutionized the modern methods of parachute
insertions and extractions. The Recon Platoon subsequently became the beginning of Force
Reconnaissance.

Observer Group

The Observer Group (precursor to Amphibious Reconnaissance Company) was a joint

Army–Marine Corps unit that was the first in the United States and the Fleet Marine Force to
be organized and trained specifically for amphibious reconnaissance.[4][5] The Observer
group experimented in the methodology and equipment in projecting "ship-to-shore"
reconnaissance from the sea[6] before the establishment of the Office of Strategic Services
(the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency), the Underwater Demolition Teams, and
before the United States Army Special Forces and Air Commandos.[7] It was also the birth of
naval amphibious intelligence.[8]
Parachute battalions

Patch of 1st
Parachute Battalion,
1940–1944
The Paramarines (also known as Marine paratroopers) were specialized units that were
trained to parachute into combat. The first Paramarines were trained in October 1940. The
Parachute battalions have jumped into hostile territory. They lacked heavy mortar and
machine gun support due to the amount of equipment they were able to carry into combat
in addition to having limited manpower. They were lightly equipped for many of the missions
in the Pacific campaigns during World War II.

By 1944, the Parachute Battalions was disbanded, becoming another special operations unit
deactivated under the Fleet Marine Force just like the Marine Raiders.
Raider battalions

Insignia of Edson's
Raiders, the 1st
Raider Battalion,
1942–1944

The Marine Raiders were elite units established in 1942 by the Marine Corps during World
War II to conduct amphibious, light-infantry raiding missions, particularly in landing in
rubber boats and operating behind the lines. "Edson's Raiders of 1st Marine Raiders
Battalion and "Carlson's" Raiders of 2nd Marine Raiders Battalion are said to be the first
United States Special Operations Forces to form and see combat.[4]

Many modern raiding methods in the Marine Corps were derived and adopted by both
Carlson's and Edson's Raiders, which subsequently the division-level recon scouts
continued its long use after they were disbanded in 1944. It became known as direct action
(DA) mission of today. Most of the experienced Raiders, along with the Paramarines, soon
filled the ranks of division recon companies.

Anti-Terrorism Battalion

The Anti-Terrorism Battalion was a specialized anti-terrorist task unit that possessed
organic and supplemental capabilities in military intelligence and counter-intelligence,
combat engineers, nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) teams, and advanced riflemen.
On short notice, they would have deployed in response to crises during terrorist attacks.
They would have also supplemented other NBC agencies as human intelligence exploitation
teams (HET).

References

k. Lieutenant Colonel Giles Kyser, USMC, History as to Why The Marine Corps Did Not
Participate in the Standup of SOCOM; Information Paper, (Arlington: HQMC [Code
POE-30]): Rev. 5 March 2003), 2.

n. United States Marine Corps and Special Operations: A Nineteen Year Convergence
Toward a Marine Component [1]
p. Ray W. Stubbe, AARUGHA!: History of Specialized and Force-level Reconnaissance
Activities and Units of the United States Marine Corps, 1900–1974; Fleet Marine
Reference Publication 12–21 (MCB Quantico, HQMC: Historical Division, 1981)

q. Bruce F. Meyers, Swift, Silent, and Deadly: Marine Amphibious Reconnaissance in the
Pacific, 1942–1945, (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2004).

r. Shinn, lstLt Leo B. (April 1945). "Amphibious Reconnaissance". Marine Corps Gazette.
29 (4).

s. Rottman, Gordon; Michael Chappell (1998). U.S. Marine Corps 1941–45. Military Book
Club edition. London: Osprey. ISBN 1855324970. OCLC 32925885 .

t. Gordon Rottman, Amphibious Operation's Intelligence, (Quantico, VA: 1948)

u. Naval Intelligence. NavPers 16047. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

1948. p. 148.

Last edited 11 months ago by an anonymous user