US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

Note: This material pertains to a fictional version of the USMC unit and is not to be confused with its real-life counterpart.

Background

United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is a component command of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) that comprises the Marine Corps' contribution to SOCOM. Its core capabilities are direct action, special reconnaissance and foreign internal defense. MARSOC has also been directed to conduct counter-terrorism, information operations, and unconventional warfare. MARSOC was officially activated on February 24, 2006 with ceremonies at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. MARSOC is currently commanded by Brigadier General R.J McKenna.

Organization

At Camp Lejeune, the Marine Special Operations Advisor Group (MSOAG) contains 24 Marine Special Operations Teams (MSOTs) made up of infantrymen. These units specialize in peacetime foreign internal defense and are developing unconventional warfare by working with friendly military forces. The base unit of MARSOC is the fourteen-man Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT), which is commanded by a Captain (O-3).

Marine Raiders

The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines. However, most combat operations saw the Raiders employed as regular infantry, and combined with the resentment within the rest of the Marines that the Raiders were an "elite force within an elite force", led to the eventual abandonment of the experiment as their casualties couldn't be replaced by similarly trained personnel. In early 2009 USMC announced the revival of the Marine Raiders designation. On 31 October 2009, MARSOC MSOT-23, commanded by Captain Jack Whiteside, was the first unit to receive the Marine Raiders designation. The unit is now known as the 23rd Marine Raiders.