15 years of MARSOC: Special forces of the US Marine Corps

Each branch of the US military has its own special forces command, including the US Marine Corps (USMC). The Marine Special Operations Command (Marsoc) is smaller than the comparable commands of the other branches of the armed forces. With around 3,200 members, Marsoc accounts for only five per cent of the special forces personnel in the US armed forces. The budget is even more modest; only two per cent of the money that the Pentagon spends on Special Operations Forces (SOF) goes to Marsoc. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps conducts ten per cent of SOF missions. Command teams are constantly active on three continents, sometimes also in Europe.

Set-up against your will

Marsoc was only established 15 years ago. The official birthday is 24 February 2006. The USMC already had its own special forces (see "Force Recon" box), but unlike the special forces of the other branches of the armed forces, these were neither combined in a separate TSK-specific command nor attached to the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).