thedrifter
02-24-06, 07:54 AM
The few are becoming prouder today
February 24,2006
CHRIS MAZZOLINI
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The Marine Corps will officially join the special ops world today in a Camp Lejeune ceremony that will feature some of the nation’s top defense and military leaders.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee are expected be on hand to welcome the Marines into the Special Operations Command or SOCOM, a joint military command that includes elite troops such as Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces.
The ceremony — slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. — will be the official beginning for the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), which will be headquartered at Camp Lejeune. Also scheduled to speak during today’s invitation-only ceremony are SOCOM commander Army Gen. Bryan D. Brown and Brig. Gen. Dennis Heljik, MARSOC’s first commander.
The defense and military leaders scheduled to attend show the buzz that has been gathering around the creation of this command — the first time U.S. Marines will officially fall under SOCOM’s fold.
Lejeune was chosen as the MARSOC headquarters in part because of its close proximity to Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base, SOCOM’s headquarters.
The 2,600-member command will include nine Marine special operations companies. The first of these will assemble at Lejeune in May, then train and deploy with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to a Marine Corps Times Article.
The command also includes a two-company foreign military training unit, which has already begun training, and a soon-to-be created special ops support group, which will include various mission support, logistics and intelligence units.
Contact staff writer Chris Mazzolini at cmazzolini@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, ext. 229.
February 24,2006
CHRIS MAZZOLINI
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The Marine Corps will officially join the special ops world today in a Camp Lejeune ceremony that will feature some of the nation’s top defense and military leaders.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee are expected be on hand to welcome the Marines into the Special Operations Command or SOCOM, a joint military command that includes elite troops such as Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces.
The ceremony — slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. — will be the official beginning for the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), which will be headquartered at Camp Lejeune. Also scheduled to speak during today’s invitation-only ceremony are SOCOM commander Army Gen. Bryan D. Brown and Brig. Gen. Dennis Heljik, MARSOC’s first commander.
The defense and military leaders scheduled to attend show the buzz that has been gathering around the creation of this command — the first time U.S. Marines will officially fall under SOCOM’s fold.
Lejeune was chosen as the MARSOC headquarters in part because of its close proximity to Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base, SOCOM’s headquarters.
The 2,600-member command will include nine Marine special operations companies. The first of these will assemble at Lejeune in May, then train and deploy with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to a Marine Corps Times Article.
The command also includes a two-company foreign military training unit, which has already begun training, and a soon-to-be created special ops support group, which will include various mission support, logistics and intelligence units.
Contact staff writer Chris Mazzolini at cmazzolini@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, ext. 229.