MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Warriors, warfighters, hard-chargers: all terms used to describe U.S. Marines. There are those who go above the high expectations of the Marine Corps though, Marines who take physical fitness, combat readiness and war-fighting tactics to an unparalleled level.
Those are the Marines who have earned the right and privilege to be a part of the Marine Corps’ elite combat unit, the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, more commonly known as MARSOC.
MARSOC recruiters visited the air station and hosted multiple briefs inside the Building One auditorium here June 25 and 26, 2012, to inform station Marines about the opportunity of joining the elite ranks of Marine Corps Special Forces.
“The really neat thing about this is that every time we’re talking to young Marines, not only are we telling them what they need to know in preparation for going MARSOC, but we’re also giving them good information on how to be more productive and more competitive within their current military occupational specialty and operation field. It’s a win-win for anybody who sits down in front of us, all they have to do is ask the right questions and we can take them from their first enlistment, all the way through to a successful career by telling them what it took for us to do this, so here are some of the things they might want to consider in the future as well,” said Jeff Price, East Coast and Okinawa recruiting manager and retired Marine.
MARSOC is the Marine Corps’ component of the United States Special Operations Command, which also houses the Army Rangers, Navy Seals, Air Force Special Tactics Squadron and several other elite units.
MARSOC focuses on six core activities which shape the goal of its missions: foreign internal defense, direct action, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency and security forces assistance, all of which the MARSOC recruiters covered in detail and even gave some personal examples of their experiences.
Along with information about the steps leading up to joining MARSOC, advice was provided to Marines who may be wary of joining MARSOC based on their family condition.
“One of the main questions I get, specifically from the younger married Marines, is how is the family life,” said Price. “What I tell all of them is, your experiences are going to be as good or bad as your relationship with your wife.”
Price also said MARSOC is supported by a family readiness program which is geared toward supporting families of special operations Marines.
The training process of joining MARSOC was also explained; going from the assessment and selection process, to the individual training course and ending with the advanced skill courses.
“As a Marine, with the Marine ethos, being a critical skills operator is probably one of the most rewarding things a Marine could do because it is the epitome of Marine Ethos and the warrior skills,” said Price "I couldn’t imagine why a Marine wouldn’t want to join.”