Special Operations Research Paper

After the Vietnam War ended, the Marine Corps’ main focus changed from broad scale operations, to being an Expeditionary Force in Readiness. Although this was no new role for the United States Marine Corps (USMC), there have been many changes in society, technology and tactics that affect how the Corps operates. However, over the last 36 years one thing has remained the same, and that is the role of the Marine Non Commissioned Officer (NCO). With the world changing ever so rapidly, the strong values and responsibilities of the Marine NCO are now, more than ever, necessary to carry out the operations being assigned to United States Marines. The role of the NCO is characterized by their

The purpose of this paper is to address how I, SSG Schumacher, have identified Major Robert Rogers as a legacy leader and a leader of influence in my military career as a non-commissioned officer and member of the military intelligence community. This paper will cover three main topics in which I will first discuss a brief history of the life of Major Rogers. Then, his impact on the evolution of warfare and leadership attributes on the United States Army. Finally, I will discuss how his leadership attributes led to him making an impact on the military today and Soldiers such as myself.

To answer this gap, the Office of Special Warfare (OSW) was developed to be the focal point for USASOC’s UW capability. With this change, each 4th Battalion across the regiment was redesigned to build a build a full spectrum UW capability in support of the Theatre Special Operations Command (TSOC) and Joint Force Commanders. It was during this re-design that the modern Jedburgh was re-born. Much like the World War II era Jedburghs, many skilled operators across the regiment jumped at the opportunity to enter a new phase of conflict and increase their skills in the application of unconventional warfare. With this personal commitment came the understanding that time would be allotted to build a small cohesive team with training and education needed to succeed in complex environment. This theory would soon be diminished because many of the newly selected Jedburghs, riding on the success of Jedburghs some seventy-two years ago, would be thrown straight into complex environment without the needed education and training. Premature operationalization of the Jedburghs has effected training, education, and organizational design needed to build a long lasting unconventional warfare

Special Forces soldiers work in foreign lands with situations which are not always completely clear from its beginning. The Special Operation Imperatives serve as the base for success by providing the framework to develop and assist the host nation in achieving their desired goals. Through this essay I will use the novel “The Ugly American” (William J. Lederer & Eugene Burdick) to provide context to the benefits of applying such imperatives and the consequences of improper application. I will bring to light the actions of the characters and depict the reasons why the application of the imperative made the character succeed or fail in his desired goal.

The formidable force known throughout the world today for their courageous acts of bravery, started out from two battalions raised with the early continental navy on November 10th 1775. These battalions were started for amphibious landings with the naval fleets, the first of which was conducted by Captain Samuel Nicolas who later on became the Marines first Commandant. After the Revolutionary War though, the Marines were disbanded as the naval war ships were sold to deal with the crippling debt the new nation had gained fueling its Armies and Navies during the 8 years of fighting for independence from the British Empire. Almost 20 years afterwards the USMC (United States Marine Corps) was reinstated and have seen almost every major and minor engagement that has involved the United States of America’s assets and people (USMC History Division Web).

Just before World War 2 the Marines and in general the United States armed forces saw a revamping of its war machine. After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Marine Corps was sent with the Navy to capture key points in the Japanese Imperial Empire also known as the “Island Hopping campaign.” The Marines saw extensive combat during its amphibious landings throughout the Pacific on many islands such as Guadalcanal, Pelelui, Tarawa, Okinawa and numerous others. On some of the landings, no other than the Lewis B “Chesty Puller” commanded these brave men to victory, he would later lead countless men during the Korean war six years later (USMC History Division Web).

Marching approximately 600 miles across the hot Libyan Desert O'Bannon and his Marines would storm past the fortifications and enter the city of Dema and the crew of the USS Philadelphia Born November 10, 1775, the United States Marine Corps are split into two main forces one part land one part Navy fleet. This unique capability would allow the Marines to operate in multiple situations. The following paper has highlighted what the author considered cynosure moments in the Marines history that has allowed the corps to signify its place in U.S. history.

In 1942, World War II had been raging for three years. The United States of America have declared war upon the Axis powers following the devastating Japanese attack upon Pearl Harbor. At this point in the war the Allies are in a grave situation. German forces have pushed the British off mainland Europe, and the Japanese have conquered much of the Pacific region, coming increasingly nearer to the American mainland. In order to combat this rising threat, the American military headship began to search for viable alternatives to replace widely used established tactics. The motive for this search for irregular methods the fact that the Allied forces were not strong enough to meet the Axis powers on a conventional battlefield. In December of 1941 Colonel William J. Donovan, a World War I Army hero and presidential confidant, made a formal proposal to President Roosevelt to create a U.S. military unit that “would infiltrate occupied territory and assist resistance groups.”(Major John T. Hoffman USMCR, 3) In January of 1942, the president’s son, Captain James Roosevelt USMC wrote a letter to Major General Thomas Holcomb, 17th Commandant of the Marine Corps, suggesting the formation of “a unit for purposes similar to those of the British Commandos and the Chinese Guerillas.”(Hoffman, 3) Encouraged by the success of the British commando units, such as the SAS, LRDG, Royal Marine Commandos, and the enthusiastic endorsement of such units by the

Using the damage and wreckage behind, they bolstered together a propaganda campaign to prove their cause to the world. In light of the tragic events, good came about. The failure of Operation Eagle Claw led to the creation of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). A review committee known as the Holloway Commission convened to improve U.S. special operations. (The Origins of Air Force Special Operations 2009) provided us with two major changes that came about to pave the road for future special operations. First, the DoD would establish a Counter Terrorism Joint Task Force. The CTJTF would consist of special operations members from all services. Here, they are to plan, train, and conduct operations together under joint doctrine. This change brought about the symmetry and cohesion between the services needed to conduct future high risk operations in denied territories. Secondly, a Special Operations Advisory Panel (SOAP) was established. This panel consists of high ranking officers and retired personnel well versed in special operations. They review and evaluate high risk missions and provide an independent assessment. If created, SOAP could’ve identified that the wrong helicopters were being used for the mission and chose the correct iron for the mission. To date, several operations have been successfully completed under extreme odds due to the lessons learned from Operation Eagle

Marines will always be known as “America's 911.” Since the birth of 1775, Marines always separated themselves

First to Fight by Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak is where the history, reputation, and truth about the United States Marine Corps meet. Within this 252-page book you will find a combination of historical fact, interesting background, and personal recollection from one of the men who helped shape what the Marines are today. The book is organized in seven different sections, each explaining a different facet of the Marine Corps. The first section explains in detail the struggle of the Marine Corps to survive as an entity over its long history. General Krulak explains how the Marine Corps had to fight for its current status as an equal organization with the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Even a series of Presidents were among those who tried

In early 1981 a special branch of the El Salvadoran army entitled the “Atlacatl Battalio” was created utilizing soldiers from the current military. These elite units were specifically trained for counter-insurgency (guerilla) warfare, and were directed to seek out and destroy any guerilla activity. Due to methods used in guerilla-type warfare, this division was established as the first unit of this nature in the Salvadoran armed forces and was specifically trained by United States military advisors brought in to oversee preparation (266). This specialized unit was created for a specific mission, Operación Rescate ("Operation Rescue"), in which the primary aim was to “prevent the establishment of an insurgent zone in Morazan, which could lead to international recognition of the insurgents as a belligerent force” and thus possible receive military aid from sympathetic nations(32). Prior to entering El Mozote, this military group been conducting interrogations (few with executions coinciding) in nearby villages in order

In February 2002, Special Forces intelligence agents along with Advanced Force Operations (AFO), and the Central Intelligence

The United States Marine Corps is a frequently misunderstood, occasionally maligned but more frequently mythologized division of the U.S. Armed Forces. Sometimes its role is perceived as overlapping the roles and responsibilities of its military counterparts such as the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. However, as the exhaustive text by Victor Krulak shows, it is far more often seen as enhancing, focusing and insuring the roles and responsibilities. As the original pressing of Krulak's text was completed in 1984, a great many of the sentiments that permeate First in Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps carry pointedly Cold War-related messages and imperatives. However, an open-minded consideration of the text demonstrates a particular relevance for the servicemen and women of today's U.S. Marine Corps.

The first military establishment was formed before the United States was officially declared a country for the purpose of meeting the needs of the colonists during the American Revolution. The Army’s mission is to fight and win the Nation’s wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across a full range of military operations. Although the history of the United States Army is deeply rooted in the country’s history, the implementation of the United States Special Forces Operations Unit is fairly young having been established in May 1952 yet unannounced to the public until 1954. In an effort to uphold the Army’s mission, the Special Forces Operations Unit was initially formed to assist with