thedrifter
10-24-08, 02:37 PM
Marine's top commando: Corps good at small wars
By KEVIN MAURER
The Associated Press
Friday, October 24, 2008
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The Marines may have the newest special operations branch in the U.S. military, but a long history of fighting small wars and insurgencies makes them a natural fit for the world of commandos, the unit's commander told The Associated Press on Thursday.
"We as Marines grow up doing small wars. We are very comfortable in the third world, in poorly governed or ungoverned parts of the globe," said Maj. Gen. Mastin M. Robeson, commanding general of Marines Corps Special Operations Command.
MARSOC, numbering 2,100 Marines, was established in February 2006 as the service's counterpart to the Navy SEALS and Army Green Berets that provides a "a sea-based special operations force" to commanders.
Since then, MARSOC Marines have continuously deployed to Afghanistan, Latin America and Africa. Robeson said the Marines have performed well. MARSOC Marines been awarded one Bronze Star with valor device, at least 34 Purple Hearts and more than 137 combat action ribbons.
But being new to special operations, Marine special operators are still earning their stripes.
"The new guy on the block doesn't always step in and receive the credibility and recognition regardless of how talented they are," Robeson said. "It takes time to build relationship bridges and to demonstrate your capability is indeed your credibility."
Robeson, a native of Rosman, N.C., is the second commander of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Robeson was commissioned in 1975. He has been a rifle and weapons platoon leader, commanded the Fleet AntiTerrorism Security Team and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. His combat experience includes service in Liberia, Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, the Horn of Africa, the southern Philippines, and Iraq.
He spoke for about 30 minutes in his office at Camp Lejeune. It was his first interview since taking the reins from Maj. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik, the command's first commander, in July.
"Gen. Hejlik built the sports car and I get to drive it," Robeson said. "It is an incredible organization that has been put together here."
MARSOC includes the Marine Special Operations Advisor Group, two Marine Special Operations Battalions, the Marine Special Operations Support Group and the Marine Special Operations School.
In other services, the special operations units embrace a drastically different mindset and culture than conventional forces. No one would mistake a Green Beret for a conventional soldier or a SEAL for a sailor because the units often wear different uniforms and are segregated from conventional units. But Robeson, said Marine culture is a major asset his unit brings to the special operations community of highly trained, often secretive forces.
"We don't want to look like, smell like, taste like, Special Forces or SEALs," Robeson said. "We want to be Marines. When you talk to a Marine special operator and say who are you, I want the first words out of his mouth to be 'I'm a Marine.'"
Robeson pointed to Presley O'Bannon — a Marine officer who led 300 irregulars and seven Marines against the Barbary pirates in 1805 — as an example. Robeson said what O'Bannon did wasn't much different than what Special Forces did with the Northern Alliance at the start of the war in Afghanistan.
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Oct 24, 2008 - 2:31 p.m. EDT
Ellie
By KEVIN MAURER
The Associated Press
Friday, October 24, 2008
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The Marines may have the newest special operations branch in the U.S. military, but a long history of fighting small wars and insurgencies makes them a natural fit for the world of commandos, the unit's commander told The Associated Press on Thursday.
"We as Marines grow up doing small wars. We are very comfortable in the third world, in poorly governed or ungoverned parts of the globe," said Maj. Gen. Mastin M. Robeson, commanding general of Marines Corps Special Operations Command.
MARSOC, numbering 2,100 Marines, was established in February 2006 as the service's counterpart to the Navy SEALS and Army Green Berets that provides a "a sea-based special operations force" to commanders.
Since then, MARSOC Marines have continuously deployed to Afghanistan, Latin America and Africa. Robeson said the Marines have performed well. MARSOC Marines been awarded one Bronze Star with valor device, at least 34 Purple Hearts and more than 137 combat action ribbons.
But being new to special operations, Marine special operators are still earning their stripes.
"The new guy on the block doesn't always step in and receive the credibility and recognition regardless of how talented they are," Robeson said. "It takes time to build relationship bridges and to demonstrate your capability is indeed your credibility."
Robeson, a native of Rosman, N.C., is the second commander of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Robeson was commissioned in 1975. He has been a rifle and weapons platoon leader, commanded the Fleet AntiTerrorism Security Team and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. His combat experience includes service in Liberia, Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, the Horn of Africa, the southern Philippines, and Iraq.
He spoke for about 30 minutes in his office at Camp Lejeune. It was his first interview since taking the reins from Maj. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik, the command's first commander, in July.
"Gen. Hejlik built the sports car and I get to drive it," Robeson said. "It is an incredible organization that has been put together here."
MARSOC includes the Marine Special Operations Advisor Group, two Marine Special Operations Battalions, the Marine Special Operations Support Group and the Marine Special Operations School.
In other services, the special operations units embrace a drastically different mindset and culture than conventional forces. No one would mistake a Green Beret for a conventional soldier or a SEAL for a sailor because the units often wear different uniforms and are segregated from conventional units. But Robeson, said Marine culture is a major asset his unit brings to the special operations community of highly trained, often secretive forces.
"We don't want to look like, smell like, taste like, Special Forces or SEALs," Robeson said. "We want to be Marines. When you talk to a Marine special operator and say who are you, I want the first words out of his mouth to be 'I'm a Marine.'"
Robeson pointed to Presley O'Bannon — a Marine officer who led 300 irregulars and seven Marines against the Barbary pirates in 1805 — as an example. Robeson said what O'Bannon did wasn't much different than what Special Forces did with the Northern Alliance at the start of the war in Afghanistan.
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Oct 24, 2008 - 2:31 p.m. EDT
Ellie