USSOCOM Fact Book - United States Special Operations Command

communications, logistics, combat skills, fire support,and explosive ordnance disposal. These Marines deployalongside Marine Special Operations Teams and DCSpersonnel must meet the same screening requirements asCritical Skill Operators.Combat Service SupportCombat Service Support personnel are the activedutyand Reserve Marines who fill Combat ServiceSupport billets within MARSOC. These billets rangefrom administrative support to motor transportmaintenance.MARSOC Command and ControlThe wide range of missions assigned to MarineSpecial Operations Forces requires a high level offlexibility and the ability to operate within variouscommand structures. MARSOF can workunilaterally under the Marine Special OperationsRegiment, as part of a Joint Special OperationsTask Force, as a Special Operations Task Forceor as part of a Marine Corps component of aJoint Task Force.MARSOC UnitsMarine Special Operations RegimentThe Marine Special Operations Regiment islocated at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and consists of aHeadquarters Company and three Marine SpecialOperations Battalions. The MSOR, which is led by aMarine Corps colonel, provides tailored militarycombat-skills training and advisor support for identifiedforeign forces in order to enhance their tacticalcapabilities and to prepare the environment as directedby USSOCOM as well as the capability to form thenucleus of a Joint Special Operations Task Force.Marines and Sailors of the MSOR train, advise andassist friendly host nation forces - including naval andmaritime military and paramilitary forces - to enablethem to support their government’s internal security andstability, to counter subversion and to reduce the risk ofviolence from internal and external threats. MSORdeployments are coordinated by MARSOC, throughUSSOCOM, in accordance with engagement prioritiesfor overseas contingency operations.Marine Special Operations BattalionThere are three Marine Special OperationsBattalions within the MSOR: 1st MSOB located atCamp Pendleton, Calif., and 2d and 3d MSOBs locatedat Camp Lejeune, N.C. Each MSOB is commanded bya Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and organized,trained and equipped to deploy for worldwide missionsas directed by MARSOC. MSOBs are comprised ofMarine Special Operations Companies and taskorganizedwith personnel uniquely skilled in specialUSSOCOM Fact Book40