Creating a MARSOF MOS: A Lesson in History

摘要

On 24 February 2006, 20 years after refusing a seat at the special operations table, the United States Marine Corps activated a component to the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. A small cadre of leaders spent the previous months in Quantico, VA planning and building what was to become U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). While those individuals' efforts were commendable, much work is still required before long-term manpower stability is achieved. A new special operations force (SOF) military occupational specialty (MOS) and SOF career progression model should be created for MARSOC because of its different mission sets, its need to provide a return on investment, and its responsibility to ensure an opportunity for continued service.