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Det One
The Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One, also simply known as Det One, was a pilot marines special operations forces program of attaching a permanent unit of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It was commanded by Col. Robert J. Coates, former commanding officer of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company. Det One was activated on 19 June 2003 and had its headquarters at Camp Del Mar Boat Basin in Camp Pendleton, California. It was disbanded in 2006 and succeeded by the permanent United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).
The unit consisted of 81 Marines and 5 Navy Corpsmen divided among 4 sections:
The original Marines that formed the detachment were hand-picked from over 500 superior candidates. Despite common misconceptions, Det One was not a beefed-up United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) platoon. While the reconnaissance element was composed mostly of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company Marines, they made up only 24 of the 86 members of the detachment. The detachment, though lacking organic aviation, operated under the Marine air–ground task force (MAG-TAF) philosophy of leveraging integrated, complementary capabilities to be more effective than the sum of its parts.
More than half of Det One's Recon Marines were trained United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper (Scout Sniper).
Detachment One's Insignia comes from the World War II Marine Raider's patch, a blue patch with a skull and stars. The insignia was created by LtCol (then-GySgt) Anthony Siciliano, USMC. The scarlet, blue, and gold disk represents the unit's joint Navy-Marine Corps origins. The crossed stiletto/lightning bolt represents the unit's special operations mission, and its global communications reach. The parachute wings represent airborne-qualified status and the mask above it represents the combatant diver qualification.
In 1986, when the Department of Defense established the new joint United States Special Operations Command, the Marine Corps opted not to participate. Then Commandant Paul X. Kelley expressed the belief popular in the Corps that Marines should support Marines, and that the Corps should not fund a special warfare capability that would operate independently of the Fleet Marine Force. The Corps wanted to retain the Corps' United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units within the Marine air–ground task force command structure and prevent the development of an "elite" within the Marine Corps. Marine Corps leadership believed that such a development would be at the expense of the effectiveness of the Corps as a whole. However, following the 11 September attacks and the current War on terror (aka Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)), that view began to shift. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld immediately directed the Marine Corps and United States Special Operations Command to work more closely together in what would be called the global war on terror. Marine resistance to special warfare units dissipated when Marine leaders watched the Corps' "crown jewels" – the 15th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Maritime Special Purpose Forces (MSPFs) – sit on the sidelines during the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom while other special warfare units led the way. Resistance from SOF commanders already in-country and indifference from the Navy chain of command left the Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capables (SOCs) unused for over a month, relegated to supporting roles where SOF lacked manpower.
In October 2002, Commandant James L. Jones, after consultation with USSOCOM leaders, directed the establishment of a Marine unit for permanent USSOCOM employment. Out of this came the T/O for Detachment One, officially activated aboard Camp Pendleton on 19 June 2003.
After completion of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) certification and other training, Det One was deployed to Iraq in March 2004 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operating under Naval Special Warfare Group 1 (NSWG 1), Det One executed battle-space operations, clandestine operations, coalition support, controlling ground and air fire support, counterterrorism, direct action, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance. A study conducted by the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) found that
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Det One
The Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One, also simply known as Det One, was a pilot marines special operations forces program of attaching a permanent unit of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It was commanded by Col. Robert J. Coates, former commanding officer of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company. Det One was activated on 19 June 2003 and had its headquarters at Camp Del Mar Boat Basin in Camp Pendleton, California. It was disbanded in 2006 and succeeded by the permanent United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).
The unit consisted of 81 Marines and 5 Navy Corpsmen divided among 4 sections:
The original Marines that formed the detachment were hand-picked from over 500 superior candidates. Despite common misconceptions, Det One was not a beefed-up United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) platoon. While the reconnaissance element was composed mostly of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company Marines, they made up only 24 of the 86 members of the detachment. The detachment, though lacking organic aviation, operated under the Marine air–ground task force (MAG-TAF) philosophy of leveraging integrated, complementary capabilities to be more effective than the sum of its parts.
More than half of Det One's Recon Marines were trained United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper (Scout Sniper).
Detachment One's Insignia comes from the World War II Marine Raider's patch, a blue patch with a skull and stars. The insignia was created by LtCol (then-GySgt) Anthony Siciliano, USMC. The scarlet, blue, and gold disk represents the unit's joint Navy-Marine Corps origins. The crossed stiletto/lightning bolt represents the unit's special operations mission, and its global communications reach. The parachute wings represent airborne-qualified status and the mask above it represents the combatant diver qualification.
In 1986, when the Department of Defense established the new joint United States Special Operations Command, the Marine Corps opted not to participate. Then Commandant Paul X. Kelley expressed the belief popular in the Corps that Marines should support Marines, and that the Corps should not fund a special warfare capability that would operate independently of the Fleet Marine Force. The Corps wanted to retain the Corps' United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units within the Marine air–ground task force command structure and prevent the development of an "elite" within the Marine Corps. Marine Corps leadership believed that such a development would be at the expense of the effectiveness of the Corps as a whole. However, following the 11 September attacks and the current War on terror (aka Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)), that view began to shift. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld immediately directed the Marine Corps and United States Special Operations Command to work more closely together in what would be called the global war on terror. Marine resistance to special warfare units dissipated when Marine leaders watched the Corps' "crown jewels" – the 15th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Maritime Special Purpose Forces (MSPFs) – sit on the sidelines during the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom while other special warfare units led the way. Resistance from SOF commanders already in-country and indifference from the Navy chain of command left the Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capables (SOCs) unused for over a month, relegated to supporting roles where SOF lacked manpower.
In October 2002, Commandant James L. Jones, after consultation with USSOCOM leaders, directed the establishment of a Marine unit for permanent USSOCOM employment. Out of this came the T/O for Detachment One, officially activated aboard Camp Pendleton on 19 June 2003.
After completion of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) certification and other training, Det One was deployed to Iraq in March 2004 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operating under Naval Special Warfare Group 1 (NSWG 1), Det One executed battle-space operations, clandestine operations, coalition support, controlling ground and air fire support, counterterrorism, direct action, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance. A study conducted by the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) found that