New units to assume Special Forces mission

[Snaquebite]

Here we go......

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news...cmagtf_022908/

By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 29, 2008 13:39:12 EST
The Corps’ new conceptual, pre-emptive strike force will take on general-purpose advisory roles that are now tasked to Army Special Forces units, freeing up the elite fighters for other missions, according to a Marine official.
The plan to create Security Cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, which Commandant Gen. James Conway signed off on the week of Jan. 28, is part of the service’s strategy for handling the “long war” beyond Iraq and Afghanistan and getting Marines back aboard ships.
The new SCMAGTF units will be considered “eyes forward” for the U.S. military, and will assist partner nations with military training and civil-military operations, according to a briefing document explaining the plan. They will be made up of ground, logistics and aviation combat elements, and will resemble a Marine Expeditionary Unit, but will work on land instead of the sea.
While the SCMAGTFs will take on general-purpose military advisory roles similar to those assumed by Special Forces, they will not be assuming special operations training missions, said Col. Robert Abbott, head of the plans section within the Plans, Policies and Operations division at Marine Corps headquarters.
Some aspects of the SCMAGTF training missions will be similar to those of special operations forces, such as the Army’s Green Berets and the Marine Special Operations Advisor Group. They will help advise foreign militaries, Abbott said in an e-mail, “but the advisory missions that are conducted by [special operations forces] generally tend to be more complex and reflecting capabilities that exceed the capacity of general-purpose forces to perform,” he said.
The Corps’ current commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, have hamstrung the service from moving forward on the plan. The strategy will not likely be fully realized for at least five years, and is dependent upon a drawdown in Iraq, Abbott said by phone.
“Currently, nearly everything we have is committed toward the Central Command and the war in Iraq,” he said.
But it is the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — putting a strain on both general and special-purpose forces available to do such work — that have created the need for the SCMAGTFs, he said.
Creation of the new unit does not mean special operations forces aren’t able to handle the training missions, but instead indicates some can be handed off to general-purpose forces, Abbott said. In doing so, it gives the elite forces more operational flexibility for those missions that only they can perform, he said.
“The demand for forces coming from regional combatant commanders to conduct security-cooperation activities currently exceeds the forces available to support all the missions,” he said.

[Razor]

We all know the gap between a plan (containing bold assumptions) and reality.

[x-factor]

This kind of reminds me of the way the French split their armed forces into a traditional military (the French Army) and the colonial military (the Legion). Its interesting and somewhat logical. Something doesn't quite fit for me though and I can't put my finger on it. In anycase, I'm surprised to see the Marine brass taking to it so eagerly. I guess they figure thats where the money is.

[swpa19]

A lot here my ole brain just cant comprehend. Security Co-operation Air Ground Task Force? military training and civil-military operations? Sounds redundant. And, will resemble a Marine Expeditionary Unit, but will work on land instead of the sea. Im not really up to date on U.S.M.C. Missions but it seems that everything Ive read in the past decade or so has MEU deployed inland? And, it seems to me on the title of this article they sure were quick to jump onto the Special Forces theme. Im like Xfactor, it seems that somethings not quite together here. Seems like it has the makings of a soup sandwich.

[stanley_white]

Interesting...

It sounds like another USMC re-invention of itself or addition of a capability to ensure the Corps' viability for the future.

This happens every few years or so.

Small Craft Company.

4th MEB(AT)

CBIRF

FAST

SOCOM / DET etc.

[Tubbs]

All they did was put a new acronym on something that the Corps already does.
This is simply a reiteration of what a MEU(SOC) already does/is. It is just using the new buzzwords and catchphrases of the military to describe what the Corps has been doing for most of its history.

[Pete S]

Originally Posted by Tubbs

All they did was put a new acronym on something that the Corps already does.
This is simply a reiteration of what a MEU(SOC) already does/is. It is just using the new buzzwords and catchphrases of the military to describe what the Corps has been doing for most of its history.

Now it looks like they are doing it for the financial benefit by being grouped with units in SOCOM.