Want to go spec ops? Here’s how

By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 27, 2007 17:27:45 EDT

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command has taken some of the guesswork out of what kind of leatherneck qualifies for the job.

A Corps-wide message released Monday lists some of the criteria grunts must meet to be considered by the command. MarAdmin 221/07 directs commanders to “allow eligible and interested” volunteers to be screened and, if qualified, participate in a final assessment and selection process.

Lt. Col. Craig Stephens, a MarSOC manpower official, said the intent of the message is to identify eligible Marines and direct commanders to allow their qualified leathernecks the chance to volunteer.

The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based command has more than half — roughly 1,450 men — of its goal of 2,600, he said. Many Marines from the reconnaissance and other infantry fields have joined the command since it was created in February 2006, but this is the first time the command has published specific information on what it takes to join the ranks.

MarSOC’s focus is on recruiting, screening, assessing and selecting Marines to serve in operational billets within Foreign Military Training Unit teams and Marine special operations battalions, Stephens said.

The command is focusing on the following military occupational specialties and ranks:

*8007 unrestricted ground officer, lieutenant to major

*0302 infantry officer, lieutenant to major

*0311 rifleman, lance corporal to sergeant

*0321 reconnaissance man, lance corporal to gunnery sergeant

*0331 machine gunner, lance corporal to sergeant

*0341 mortarman, lance corporal to sergeant

*0351 infantry assaultman, lance corporal to sergeant

*0369 infantry unit leader, staff sergeant to gunnery sergeant

*0621 field radio operator, lance corporal to sergeant

Female Marines are excluded from eligibility because of these operational billets.

The message also states that interested Marines must meet the following initial screening prerequisites:

*A minimum score of 105 on the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Test. MarSOC will waive a lower score for exceptionally qualified candidates.

*No nonjudicial punishments within the last year, with no more than two NJPs during your current contract.

*Achieve a combat water survival qualification, 2nd class, which has been modified to include treading water for 30 minutes.

*Obtain and maintain a secret clearance. This automatically eliminates any Marine who is not an American citizen.

*Pass intelligence testing and psychological MarSOC evaluation.

MarSOC’s target population will be Marines nearing the end of their first term or those nearing the end of their standard 36-month tour obligation, according to the message.

Ideally, the Marine will have made two deployments within that time with his present unit and/or have spent three years on station and be eligible for permanent change-of-station or permanent change-of-assignment orders.

MarSOC is the Marine Corps’ contribution to U.S. Special Operations Command, the joint command that oversees Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs and Army Rangers.

MarSOC letter


Posted : Tuesday Mar 27, 2007 16:20:31 EDT

Date signed: 03/23/2007

MARADMIN Number: 221/07

U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (MARSOC), RECRUIT, SCREEN, ASSESS AND SELECT (RSAS) PROCESS

Subject:

UNCLAS 231721Z MAR 07

CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)

AL MARADMIN(UC)

MARADMIN

MARADMIN 221/07

MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM// SUBJ/U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (MARSOC), /RECRUIT, SCREEN, ASSESS AND SELECT (RSAS) PROCESS// POC/J. J. HAMM/LTCOL/MMEA-13/-/TEL SN 278-9222/TEL 703)784-9222// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. MARSOC COMPLETES ITS FIRST YEAR HAVING LAID THE FOUNDATION TO BECOME AN IMPORTANT MARINE CORPS COMPONENT OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND. OUR MARINE CORPS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT MARSOC_S STANDUP WITH HIGHLY CAPABLE MARINES TO SUPPORT THE LONG WAR.

2. MARSOC IS REQUIRED BY COMMANDER USSOCOM TO RECRUIT, SCREEN, ASSESS, AND SELECT (RSAS) MARINES FOR SERVICE WITHIN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES. MARINES IN SELECT MOS_S THROUGHOUT THE MARINE CORPS WILL BE RECRUITED, SCREENED, ASSESSED, AND SELECTED FOR DUTY WITH MARSOC TO PROVIDE QUALIFIED MARINES TO SUPPORT MARSOC_S MISSION.

3. COMMANDERS ARE DIRECTED TO ALLOW ELIGIBLE AND INTERESTED VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THEIR COMMAND TO ATTEND SCREENING AND PARTICIPATE, IF QUALIFIED, IN THE FINAL ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION (A&S) IN A TAD STATUS TO MARSOC. RSAS WILL IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS WITH THE ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE REQUIRED BY MARSOC SO THAT SELECTED MARINES CAN UNDERGO THE REQUISITE TRAINING IN COMPLEX SPECIAL OPERATIONS SKILLS, SKILLS UNIQUE TO SPECIAL OPERATIONS CONDITIONS AND STANDARDS, IOT OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OR IN SMALL GROUPS.

4. MARSOC WILL FOCUS ON RECRUITING, SCREENING, ASSESSING, AND SELECTING MARINES THAT WILL SERVE IN OPERATIONAL BILLETS WITHIN THE FOREIGN MILITARY TRAINING UNIT (FMTU) TEAMS AND THE MARINE SPECIAL OPERATIONS BATTALIONS.

PMOS BILLETS THAT ARE THE FOCUS OF RSAS EFFORTS:

8007 (UNRESTRICTED GROUND OFFICER) LT — MAJ

0302 (INFANTRY OFFICER) LT — MAJ

0311 (RIFLEMAN) LCPL-SGT

0321 (RECONNAISSANCE MAN) LCPL-GYSGT

0331 (MACHINE GUNNER) LCPL-SGT

0341 (MORTARMAN) LCPL-SGT

0351 (INFANTRY ASSAULTMAN) LCPL-SGT

0369 (INFANTRY UNIT LEADER) SSGT-GYSGT

0621 (FIELD RADIO OPERATOR) LCPL-SGT

5. MARSOC WILL RECRUIT THESE MARINES THROUGH THE NORMAL ASSIGNMENT PROCESS, IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH MMEA/MMOA, AND THROUGH VOLUNTEERS/RSAS SCREENING. THE TARGET POPULATION WILL BE MARINES WHO ARE NEARING THE END OF THEIR FIRST TERM OR WHO ARE NEARING THE END OF THEIR STANDARD 36 MONTH TOUR OBLIGATION (TWO DEPLOYMENTS, PREFERRED, WITH THEIR PRESENT UNIT AND/OR THREE YEARS ON STATION AND ELIGIBLE FOR PCS/PCA ORDERS). TIME ON STATION WAIVERS WILL BE CONSIDERED AND APPROVED ONLY BY MMEA/MMOA.

6. PRIOR TO THE CONDUCT OF RSAS VISITS, THE MARSOC G-1 WILL COORDINATE WITH THE APPROPRIATE MARFOR G-1 (MARFORPAC/MARFORCOM) AND CG TECOM G-1 TO SYNCHRONIZE AND MAXIMIZE EACH RSAS VISIT. MARSOC IS DIRECTED TO KEEP HQMC, M&RA APPRISED OF ALL RSAS VISITS AND SCREENING EFFORTS.

7. MARINES INTERESTED IN MARSOC ARE REQUIRED TO MEET THE FOLLOWING INITIAL SCREENING PREREQUISITES: A. MINIMUM GT: 105 (WAIVERABLE BY MARSOC FOR EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES).

B. NO NJP’S WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, WITH NO MORE THAN TWO NJP’S DURING CURRENT CONTRACT (ENLISTED).

C. 1ST CLASS PFT FOR THE MARINE_S AGE GROUP.

D. ABILITY TO ACHIEVE COMBAT WATER SURVIVAL, 2D CLASS (MODIFIED TO INCLUDE TREADING WATER FOR 30 MINUTES).

E. ABLE TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN A SECRET CLEARANCE.

F. PASS INTELLIGENCE TESTING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION BY MARSOC.

G. MALE FOR OPERATIONAL BILLETS ONLY, AS CONTAINED IN PARA 4 ABOVE.

8. MARINES WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE SCREENING WILL BE INVITED TO ATTEND A&S, WHICH IS AN APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEK EVALUATION PERIOD.

A. A&S IS THE FINAL DETERMINATION OF WHETHER A CANDIDATE HAS THE ATTRIBUTES REQUIRED TO COMPLETE TRAINING AND CONDUCT SPECIAL OPERATIONS MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF MARSOC_S MISSION. THE ASSESSMENT INCLUDES VARIOUS PHYSICAL, TEAM, AND MENTAL EVENTS THAT ARE CONDUCTED AT AN OFF-SITE LOCATION.

B. THIS ASSESSMENT PROVIDES AN OVERALL PATTERN OF PERFORMANCE WHICH, COMBINED WITH SCREENING DATA AND EMPIRICAL DATA FROM THE CANDIDATE_S CAREER, IS USED TO DETERMINE IF HE HAS THE REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES TO PERFORM MARSOC_S CORE MISSION TASKS.

9. FUNDING FOR ALL REQUIRED TAD WILL BE PROVIDED BY MARSOC VIA SEPCOR.

10. QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO MSOS A&S BRANCH AT 910-450-2763/DSN 750-2763, THE POC, OR THE MARSOC WEBSITE AT WWW.MARSOC.USMC.MIL.//

Ellie