Corps Set to Join Special Operations Community

US Marine Corps, MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO: The Corps finally has a reserved seat at the joint special operations table. 
 
Marine Corps Special Oper-ations Command, which is slated for activation later this month at Camp Lejeune, N.C., will be first commanded by Brig. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik. 
 
In a long awaited move, MARSOC will unfurl its guidon Feb. 24, formally putting leathernecks under U.S. Special Operations Com-mand for the first time. 
 
With the global war on terrorism creating more tasks best suited for the special operations community, Hejlik is set to guide MARCSOC toward history. 
 
MARSOC Marines will, of course, be prepared to fight when needed, but that will not be their primary function. MARSOC forces will focus early on “phase zero” operations, helping other countries develop their own militaries so that they can defend themselves from terrorism and other threats, Hejlik told the Quantico Sentry Tuesday. 
 
By 2010, Hejlik projects MARSOC will have some 2,600 Marines, a fully operational, autonomous headquarters at Camp Lejeune, nine Marine special operations companies and 24 foreign military training units, all of which will be integrated into the joint special force. 
 
The first company is scheduled to stand up in May. It, along with a second company to be activated later, will work closely with the Marine expeditionary units based stateside. 
 
The Corps' end goal is to turn MARSOC into a sea-based platform for special operations with worldwide deployablity in support of America's geographic combatant commanders, Hejlik said. 
 
The Corps will benefit through MARSOC, he said. The new command will all Marines to take part in more mission than before, which will in turn provide Marines with more experience and more specialized warfighting training. 
 
MARSOC will takes young Marines from across the military occupation specialty spectrum, train them to special operations standards and then returns them to the Marine Corps' operational forces after three to five years. Much like members of the Marine Marksmanship Team return to the rest of the Corps, sharing the specialized training completed during their tour on the team, the MARSOC Marines will be able to pass along the knowledge picked up in the special operations world. 
 
“The overall reception has been really, really good,” Hejlik said. “I could say it's been a pleasant surprise, but in my own mind, I always though it would go this way. I think everyone understands this is the right way to go for the Marine Corps and for SOCOM as we continue to fight the global war on terrorism.” 
 
The Marines being recruited to be part of the Marine special operations companies are mainly noncommissioned officers and top-level officers from the 0321 military occupation specialty, reconnaissance Marine. 
 
“The 0321 Marine is generally a little bit older, a little bit more experienced,” Hejlik said. “He's usually the corporal, sergeant or staff sergeant rank. The recon Marine will be the core of the MSOCs.” 
 
Junior Marines looking to become part of a company in the future may want to get into a foreign military training unit, Hejlik said. The skills obtained in a FMTU would help in the transition into a MSOC for a junior Marine. 
 
MARSOC will be looking for those with multi-language abilities, especially when filling the FMTUs. 
 
“We are hoping to have a spattering of language capabilities,” Hejlik said. “Arabic, obviously, some of the European languages, French and Spanish.” 
 
Hejlik, who is now working out of Quantico, will transfer from his current to Camp Lejeune once the headquarters there. Hejlik already envisions his typical day once the command is up and running. He plans to start and end each week with a full staff meeting. He will spend a lot of time with the FMTUs, which just completed one of their operation readiness evaluations, and Hejlik plans to take a hard look at the next one. 
 
He will spend a considerable amount of time with the MEUs at Camp Lejeune and at Camp Pendleton, Calif. The rest of his time will consist of being involved in the education process for the theater special operation companies for SOCOM and the Marine Corps. 
 
Other services with special operations units separate their special forces teams with different nicknames. The Navy has SEALS, and the Army has the Rangers. Hejlik said the MARSOC Marines will hold true to the cut above name they all were given when they earned their eagle, globe and anchor they will simply be called Marines. 
 
“The name will not be different, what will be different from this command from staying in a standard force reconnaissance or reconnaissance battalion is they will continue their training to a special operations standard, which is a standard slightly different from the usual Marine Corps training,” Hejlik said. “For example, they will be trained to have increased shooting skills. 
 
“There's no such thing as an average Marine,” Hejlik said. MARSOC will further show that to be true.