Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Det One
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox military unit | unit_name = Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One | image = MCSOCOM Detachment One insignia.svg | image_size = 200px | caption = Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One insignia | dates = 20 June 2003–2006 | country = | allegiance = {{Flag|United States of America}} | branch = {{Flag|United States Marine Corps}} | type = [[Special forces|Special operations forces]] | role = [[Air assault]]<br>[[Amphibious reconnaissance]]<br>[[Amphibious warfare]]<br>[[Anti-tank warfare]]<br>[[Artillery observer]]<br>[[Battlespace]]<br>[[Bomb disposal]]<br>[[CBRN defense]]<br>[[Clandestine operation]]<br>[[Close-quarters battle]]<br>[[Counter-sniper tactics]]<br>[[Counterterrorism]]<br>[[Desert warfare]]<br>[[Direct action (military)|Direct action]]<br>[[Forward air control]]<br>Hostage rescue<br>[[HUMINT]]<br>[[Intelligence assessment]]<br>[[Irregular warfare]]<br>[[Jungle warfare]]<br>[[Long-range penetration]]<br>[[Military intelligence]]<br>[[Mountain warfare]]<br>[[Naval boarding]]<br>[[Parachuting]]<br>[[Patrolling]]<br>[[Raid (military)|Raiding]]<br>[[Reconnaissance]]<br>[[SIGINT]]<br>[[Special operations]]<br>[[Special reconnaissance]]<br>[[Tactical communications]]<br>[[Tracking (hunting)|Tracking]]<br>[[Urban warfare]] | size = 86 | command_structure = [[US Special Operations Command]] | garrison = [[Camp Pendleton]], [[California]], US | ceremonial_chief = | colonel_of_the_regiment = Robert J. Coates | nickname = | patron = | motto = | colors = | march = | mascot = | battles = [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] *[[Second Battle of Fallujah]] | notable_commanders = | anniversaries = | decorations = | battle_honours = }} The '''Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One''', also simply known as '''Det One''', was a pilot marines special operations forces program of attaching a permanent unit of the [[United States Marine Corps]] (USMC) to the [[United States Special Operations Command]] (USSOCOM). It was commanded by Col. Robert J. Coates, former commanding officer of [[1st Force Reconnaissance Company]]. Det One was activated on 19 June 2003 and had its headquarters at Camp Del Mar Boat Basin in [[Camp Pendleton, California]]. It was disbanded in 2006 and succeeded by the permanent [[United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command]] (MARSOC). ==Personnel== The unit consisted of 81 Marines and 5 Navy [[Corpsman|Corpsmen]] divided among 4 sections: *reconnaissance element (30 men) *[[Marine Corps Intelligence]] element (29 men), containing a headquarters element and :*a [[Radio Reconnaissance Team]] (RRT), (9 men) :*a SIGINT support team (3 men) :*a human intelligence (HUMINT) exploitation team (HET), (6 men) :*an all-source fusion team (12 men) *[[Fires (military)|fires]] element (7 men) *headquarters element The original Marines that formed the detachment were hand-picked from over 500 superior candidates. Despite common misconceptions, Det One was not a beefed-up [[United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance]] (FORECON) platoon. While the reconnaissance element was composed mostly of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company Marines, they made up only 24 of the 86 members of the detachment. The detachment, though lacking organic aviation, operated under the [[Marine air–ground task force]] (MAG-TAF) philosophy of leveraging integrated, complementary capabilities to be more effective than the sum of its parts.<ref name="Priddy">{{cite journal | last = Priddy | first = Maj. Wade | title = Marine Detachment 1: Opening the door for a Marine force contribution to USSOCom | journal=Marine Corps Gazette | volume = 90|issue=6| pages = 58–59 | publisher=Marine Corps Association | year = 2006 }}</ref> More than half of Det One's Recon Marines were trained [[United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper]] (Scout Sniper).<ref name=CM1>Martin, Chris, ''Modern American Snipers: From The Legend to The Reaper---on the Battlefield with Special Operations Snipers'', St. Martin's Press, 2014 {{ISBN|1250076455}} {{ISBN|978-1250067173}}</ref> ==Insignia== Detachment One's Insignia comes from the World War II Marine Raider's patch, a blue patch with a skull and stars. The insignia was created by LtCol (then-[[Gunnery Sergeant|GySgt]]) Anthony Siciliano, USMC. The scarlet, blue, and gold disk represents the unit's joint Navy-Marine Corps origins. The crossed stiletto/lightning bolt represents the unit's special operations mission, and its global communications reach. The parachute wings represent [[Parachutist Badge (United States)|airborne]]-qualified status and the mask above it represents the [[Frogman|combatant diver]] qualification.<ref name="Siciliano">{{cite interview |last=Siciliano |first=Anthony | interviewer=History Division, HQMC | title=History of Det One | location=Honolulu, HI |date= 2015}}</ref> ==History== In 1986, when the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] established the new joint United States Special Operations Command, the Marine Corps opted not to participate. Then Commandant [[Paul X. Kelley]] expressed the belief popular in the Corps that Marines should support Marines, and that the Corps should not fund a special warfare capability that would operate independently of the Fleet Marine Force.<ref name="WThomasSmith">{{cite web| last = Smith Jr.| first = W Thomas| title = Marines, Navy SEALs Forge New Special Operations Team; An exclusive interview with U.S. Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine| publisher=Military.com| year = 2005| url = http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,082205_Marines,00.htm?ESRC=marine.nl| accessdate =31 July 2006}}</ref> The Corps wanted to retain the Corps' United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units within the Marine air–ground task force command structure and prevent the development of an "elite" within the Marine Corps. Marine Corps leadership believed that such a development would be at the expense of the effectiveness of the Corps as a whole. However, following the [[11 September attacks]] and the current [[War on terror]] (aka Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)), that view began to shift. Defense Secretary [[Donald Rumsfeld|Rumsfeld]] immediately directed the Marine Corps and United States Special Operations Command to work more closely together in what would be called the global war on terror. Marine resistance to special warfare units dissipated when Marine leaders watched the Corps' "crown jewels" – the 15th and 26th [[Marine Expeditionary Unit]] (MEU) [[Maritime Special Purpose Force]]s (MSPFs) – sit on the sidelines during the early stages of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] while other special warfare units led the way. Resistance from SOF commanders already in-country and indifference from the Navy chain of command left the Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capables (SOCs) unused for over a month, relegated to supporting roles where SOF lacked manpower.<ref name="Priddy" /> In October 2002, Commandant [[James L. Jones]], after consultation with USSOCOM leaders, directed the establishment of a Marine unit for permanent USSOCOM employment. Out of this came the T/O for Detachment One, officially activated aboard Camp Pendleton on 19 June 2003. After completion of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) certification and other training, Det One was deployed to Iraq in March 2004 for [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. Operating under Naval Special Warfare Group 1 (NSWG 1), Det One executed battle-space operations, clandestine operations, coalition support, controlling ground and air fire support, counterterrorism, direct action, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance. A study conducted by the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) found that <blockquote> The trial deployment demonstrated the Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One could effectively conduct direct action, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance. It is reasonable to suggest that the Detachment could also conduct or support clandestine operations, counterterrorism, foreign internal defense, hostage rescue, and other special operations selected theater security cooperation plans (TSCP), and other tasks as required.<ref name="Priddy" /> </blockquote> Det One was dubbed as "Task Unit Raider" and deployed alongside US Navy SEALs task units contained within Naval Special Warfare Task Group - Arabian Peninsula, which was part of CJSOTF-AP (Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula). As the deployment took shape, the operators of the Task Unit Raider and Task Unit Thunder (built around [[GROM Military Unit|Jednostka Wojskowa GROM]]) (JW GROM) would become the task force's primary battle-space, clandestine operations, direct action, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance assets operating in conjunction on multiple occasions.<ref name=CM1 /> Det One's first "real" mission - a close target reconnaissance operation - was aided by a GROM sniper, in which the target (a suspected insurgent sniper) was apprehended by the GROM sniper. Task Unit Raider first operated in and around Baghdad before being ordered by CJSOTF-AP to send its snipers to [[al-Najaf]] (a stronghold for the [[Mahdi Army]]) to relieve pressure on the [[11th Marine Expeditionary Unit|11th MEU]]. Det One proceeded to demoralize the militiaman by "wiping out" dozens of enemy combatants, confusing them as to the point of origin of the unrelenting lethal fire. In addition, Det One kept their marksman on their [[Knight's Armament Company SR-25|SR-25]]s around the clock-providing no respite for the militia. Det One's Scout snipers also carried out two successful counter-sniper operations, obliterating Shia insurgent positions and the snipers themselves with [[Barrett M82|.50-caliber Barret M82]] fire.<ref name=CM1 /> In preparation for the [[Second Battle of Fallujah]], Marines from the Det One, along with Green Berets from the 5th SFG, SEALs, and Marine Force Recon, were heavily involved in shaping operations prior to the 7 November D-DAY when coalition forces entered the city.<ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-4728-0790-8}}, p. 178</ref> However, the deployment also revealed interservice tensions. The Navy commander of [[United States Naval Special Warfare Command]] (USNSWC) Squadron One did not utilize Det One as a cohesive unit but parceled its capabilities as needed. In particular, the military intelligence section was parceled out to other Navy units, instead of supporting Det One operations, as the Navy lacked military intelligence personnel who understood ground combat.<ref name="WThomasSmith" /> Following the conclusion of the deployment in September 2004, the Marine Corps and USSOCOM continued to negotiate details of the long-term relationship through 2005, while Det One trained for a possible second deployment. Though deployment proposals were rejected on the basis that Det One was to provide the nucleus of the future permanent United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) organization, it was disbanded on 10 March 2006 and its members dispersed throughout the Marine Corps. The experience of Det One provided critical military intelligence on the organization and integration of a Marines special operations forces into USSOCOM and was instrumental to the planning of MARSOC.<ref name="Priddy" /> ==See also== *[[1st Force Reconnaissance Company]] *[[Force Reconnaissance]] *[[Radio Reconnaissance Platoon]] *[[Marine Forces Special Operations Command]] *[[Strider SMF]] *[[Critical skills operator]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{US Marine Corps navbox}} [[Category:Special operations units and formations of the United States Marine Corps|Detachment One]] [[Category:Inactive units of the United States Marine Corps]]
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page
(
help
)
:
Template:Cite interview
(
edit
)
Template:Cite journal
(
edit
)
Template:Cite web
(
edit
)
Template:ISBN
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox military unit
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Template:US Marine Corps navbox
(
edit
)
Template:Use dmy dates
(
edit
)