Dual identity: marine special operators set out to prove themselves.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: Special Operations - Marine Corps Special Operations Command

Maj. Gen. Mastin M. Robeson, head of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command, knows his relatively new force inhabits two communities steeped in tradition.

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The Marine Corps "should never question that being a Marine is first and foremost who we are," he said. "But the special operations community out there ... should never question that special operations is absolutely what we do and we want to be world class at it."

MARSOC, headquartered at Camp LeJeune, N.C., was established in February 2006 in response to then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's desire that U.S. Special Operations Command take the lead role in worldwide anti-terrorism efforts.

Until that time, the Air Force, Army and Navy all had their own special operations forces, but not the Marines. Pentagon leaders wanted the service to make a contribution to SOCOM, which was asked to expand its ranks.

The decision to stand up the new command was not without controversy since many Marines believed that the Corps already was an elite force.

Three years after MARSOC's establishment, Robeson believes that controversy should now be put to rest.

When he said "special operations are absolutely what we do," he is referring to the Marine Corps' tradition of operating in countries that are considered "backwaters." For him, the mission is a natural fit for a service that has always worked in tough conditions.

"We've been doing operations in small wars--the armpits of the world--ever since our [creation]. It's where we made our reputation," Robeson said.

"We believe our Marine culture significantly gives us a leg up on the other people that come to SOCOM," he added.

Along with boosting the number of personnel available to Special Operations Command in a time of need, Adm. Eric T. Olson, SOCOM commander, has asked MARSOC to deploy companies for special operations missions.

"We train to do company level operations as one of our primary contributions to SOCOM but with the ability to decentralize ... any time we need to," Robeson said.

Teams have gone on 31 different deployments in South America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia, he said.

The new force has not achieved the "fully mission capable" designation yet. Although it is "operationally capable," meaning it can carry out small missions, and has been doing so for the past two years. Robeson expects MARSOC to reach its full complement of personnel, numbering about 2,500, in...