thedrifter
09-13-07, 02:18 PM
Building MARSOC: Infrastructure for SOCOM's New Players
13-Sep-2007 18:22
Defense Industry Daily, MD
For years, Special Operations forces were the unloved stepchildren of the American military community, owned but not understood very well, or given priority. After the failed Desert One raid to free American hostages in Iran, however, the need to do better became apparent. Eventually real changes were made, and US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) stood up as its own independent command with contributions from the Army ("Green Berets", 75th Ranger battalion, civil affairs & psyops, helicopters), Navy (SEALs), and Air Force (Pararescue, specialty aircraft). As the events of September 11, 2001 made the nature of the current global war clear, SOCOM stepped into a leading role – first in Afghanistan, then in the war as a whole. Current plans call for a 33% increase in American special forces numbers by 2013, despite the limited pool of applicants who can make the grade, not to mention the continued lure of higher-paying private sector jobs as security contractors.
Who was missing from this picture? The Marines. Why? Because to the Marines, every Marine is special. After all, what higher honor could there possibly be than to say you were a US Marine? None. Which is why the USMC had Force Recon personnel, and whole Marine Expeditionary Unit – Special Operations Capable formations. They had no special forces. Until November 2005, when the US Marines agreed to stand up MARSOC with 2,500 Marine special forces – even as they managed to remain true to their credo. MARSOC was formally established on February 24/06.
Of course, a service that has never had any special forces doesn't really have any facilities for them. Then again, separate facilities pose a problem. To square this circle, the Marines are building the new facilities at Camp LeJeune, right alongside their fellow Marines.
Sept 12/07: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company in Baltimore, Md. received a $134.4 million firm-fixed price contract for design and construction of a Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Complex at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The contract involves 34 new structures comprising nearly 1 million square feet, and covers 5 FY 2007 projects (MARSOC Headquarters, MARSOC Intel Facility, Maintenance Complex, Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, and Battalion Aid Station) and 6 FY 2008 projects (Supply/Deployment/Isolation Facility, Academic Instruction Facility, Special Operations Equipment Facility, Operational Support Facilities, MARSOC Training Facilities, and Fitness Center/Training Pool). The contract contains 3 options totaling $82.8 million, which may be exercised within 365 calendar days, bringing the total contract amount to $217.2 million.
Collectively, these projects will construct the necessary administrative, headquarters, operational, maintenance, mission support, training and housing facilities to support approximately 1,950 MARSOC Marines to be stationed at Stone Bay.
Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is expected to be completed by October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 139 offers solicited, and 4 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic in Norfolk, VA (N40085-07-C-1900).
MARSOC official site
www.marsoc.usmc.mil/
Think you have what it takes to join MARSOC?
www.marsoc.usmc.mil/recruiting/default.asp
SOCOM official site
www.socom.mil/
Ellie
13-Sep-2007 18:22
Defense Industry Daily, MD
For years, Special Operations forces were the unloved stepchildren of the American military community, owned but not understood very well, or given priority. After the failed Desert One raid to free American hostages in Iran, however, the need to do better became apparent. Eventually real changes were made, and US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) stood up as its own independent command with contributions from the Army ("Green Berets", 75th Ranger battalion, civil affairs & psyops, helicopters), Navy (SEALs), and Air Force (Pararescue, specialty aircraft). As the events of September 11, 2001 made the nature of the current global war clear, SOCOM stepped into a leading role – first in Afghanistan, then in the war as a whole. Current plans call for a 33% increase in American special forces numbers by 2013, despite the limited pool of applicants who can make the grade, not to mention the continued lure of higher-paying private sector jobs as security contractors.
Who was missing from this picture? The Marines. Why? Because to the Marines, every Marine is special. After all, what higher honor could there possibly be than to say you were a US Marine? None. Which is why the USMC had Force Recon personnel, and whole Marine Expeditionary Unit – Special Operations Capable formations. They had no special forces. Until November 2005, when the US Marines agreed to stand up MARSOC with 2,500 Marine special forces – even as they managed to remain true to their credo. MARSOC was formally established on February 24/06.
Of course, a service that has never had any special forces doesn't really have any facilities for them. Then again, separate facilities pose a problem. To square this circle, the Marines are building the new facilities at Camp LeJeune, right alongside their fellow Marines.
Sept 12/07: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company in Baltimore, Md. received a $134.4 million firm-fixed price contract for design and construction of a Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Complex at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The contract involves 34 new structures comprising nearly 1 million square feet, and covers 5 FY 2007 projects (MARSOC Headquarters, MARSOC Intel Facility, Maintenance Complex, Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, and Battalion Aid Station) and 6 FY 2008 projects (Supply/Deployment/Isolation Facility, Academic Instruction Facility, Special Operations Equipment Facility, Operational Support Facilities, MARSOC Training Facilities, and Fitness Center/Training Pool). The contract contains 3 options totaling $82.8 million, which may be exercised within 365 calendar days, bringing the total contract amount to $217.2 million.
Collectively, these projects will construct the necessary administrative, headquarters, operational, maintenance, mission support, training and housing facilities to support approximately 1,950 MARSOC Marines to be stationed at Stone Bay.
Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is expected to be completed by October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 139 offers solicited, and 4 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic in Norfolk, VA (N40085-07-C-1900).
MARSOC official site
www.marsoc.usmc.mil/
Think you have what it takes to join MARSOC?
www.marsoc.usmc.mil/recruiting/default.asp
SOCOM official site
www.socom.mil/
Ellie