Today’s Marines, especially special operators, are multilingual, with those on the ground in Helmand fluent in both, as well as variations of other Afghan languages. Other members of the coalition force, however, are more likely to speak Arabic and English, creating the potential for some things to get lost in translation.
“Inherently, you have to be able to navigate tribal waters inside the villages. In some, we were told there were one or two tribes, but that could be broken down into five or six subtribes. Figuring all that out, mapping it on the ground, identifying the key elders and power brokers, then getting them to set their personal agendas aside to unite for a common cause is very challenging,” Christian said.
A Marine with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command fires a MK 47 automatic grenade launcher at insurgents in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand Province April 3, 2012. The MK 47 is an advanced automatic grenade launcher with programmable rounds, and was under evaluation by special operations forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kyle McNally
“At times, we had five different languages being spoken at the same time in a single village. And without communications, you really have nothing, so the SOF leader on the ground must understand the importance of effective communications. I like to say our people are getting Ph.D.s in tribal dynamics. It takes a very smart person to not only identify the issues, but unite those people toward a common goal and end-state.”
Language, solid intelligence about who wields real power among locals, and bringing historic enemies together in peaceful pursuit of common goals – these are the keys to success in one of MARSOC’s lesser-known pursuits. One that, building on lessons learned and successes in Afghanistan, is expected to become a major component of future SOF operations.
Lefebvre saw assignments such as JCETs and AOBs as both recognition of MARSOC capabilities and preamble to its future within SOCOM.
“We realize our ultimate success is incumbent upon our Marines’ ability to correctly understand the operational environment. Critical to that understanding is our capability to task-organize our forces with capability specialists; they can completely alter how a leader appreciates a complex problem, such as village stability operations,” he said.
“Specifically in the realm of integrated operations and intelligence, our task-organized Marine SOF are producing focused, synergized operations that are rapidly outpacing the enemy’s decision-making cycle. The requirement to concurrently fuse this information, influence key decision-makers, synchronize operations, and produce accurate operational and strategic effects really speaks to the capabilities and selection criteria for our operators.”
One recent change with a significant impact on the future of SOF Marines – and the Corps as a whole – was a decision to turn MARSOC from a temporary billet into a permanent assignment.
Marines with 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, conduct predeployment training in South Carolina., May 22 to 24, 2012. During the training the Marines conducted counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Anthony W. Carter
“MARSOC is now a career option for many Marines. The Critical Skills Operator [CSO]primary MOS of 0372 was approved by the commandant in 2011, providing these Marines a clear, defined career path,” Lefebvre said. “Since then, MARSOC has been able to attract and keep well-qualified and well-trained Marines within our units, maintaining a solid core of experienced operators in our operational units as we select and train new personnel to complete our growth. In training, we’ve emphasized making SOF Marines who have complex problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as the judgment and diplomatic skills to shape the strategic environment.”
As Lefebvre’s command of MARSOC drew to an end, that assessment applied not only to the evolution of Marine SOF from stand-up to current ops, but into the future, as well.
“The most critical component of the mission is our people. We identify the right people to do special operations; we make sure they have the very best equipment and the right training so they can do the things SOCOM and the geographic combatant commanders ask of them,” he concluded. “We have made great progress in our contributions to SOCOM in the last five years. The proof is operationally evident today.
“We are consistently deploying to high-priority locations in support of our nation’s security objectives and have established superb rapport with a number of host and partner-nation militaries. Through the efforts of our great Marines, we have enjoyed substantial success and have been accepted as a full partner within the SOF community. MARSOC will continue to expand its role in this area, developing and deploying units that include the critical skills to understand irregular warfare challenges and apply integrated solutions using a variety of capabilities to achieve success on unconventional battlefields.”
This article was first published in Marine Corps Outlook: 2012 Edition.