Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct reconnaissance, raids, and other special operations, especially behind enemy lines. The 1st Marine Raider Battalion and 2nd Marine Raider Battalion were reported to be the first United States special operations forces to form and see combat in World War II. In early 1942, the 1st Raider Battalion was organized and began their training in American Samoa; the 2nd Raider Battalion set up camp at Jacques Farm in the hills of the former Camp Elliott (now MCAS Miramar) and trained there before deploying to the Pacific; the 3rd Raider Battalion was formed in American Samoa in September 1942; and the 4th Raider Battalion in Southern California in October 1942. The 3rd and 4th Raider Battalions arrived in Espiritu Santo in February 1943. In March 1943, the Marine Corps created the 1st Raider Regiment and gave this new unit control of all four Raider battalions. While most combat operations saw the Raiders employed as regular infantry, and combined with the resentment within the rest of the Marines that the Raiders were an “elite force within an elite force”, this led to the eventual abandonment of the experiment as their casualties couldn’t be replaced by similarly trained personnel. In January 1944, all Marine Raiders units were disbanded when the Marine Corps made the decision that they had outlived their original intended mission. In February 1944, the 1st Raider Regiment was re-designated the 4th Marine Regiment; the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Raider Battalions became respectively the 1st, 3rd, and 2nd Battalions of the 4th Marine Regiment. Notable commanders of the original Raider Battalions included: Lt. Col. Evans Carlson - commanded 2nd Raider Battalion Col. Merritt Edson - commanded 1st Raider Battalion; awarded Medal of Honor for actions Lt. Col. Samuel Griffith II - served as Executive Officer and later commander of the 1st Raider Battalion and executive officer of 1st Raider Regiment Lt. Col. Henry Liversedge - commanded the 3rd Raider Battalion and 1st Raider Regiment. Lt. Col. James Roosevelt (President Roosevelt’s eldest son) - served as Executive Officer of 2nd Raider Battalion and commander of 4th Raider Battalion Lt. Col. Alan Shapley - commanded 2nd Raider Battalion, 2nd Raider Regiment, and 1st and 2nd Raider Regiments. The Marine Corps’ approach to special operations after World War II was to renew old capabilities and expand www.oceansidechamber.com
Marine Raiders on Bougainville, 1944; photo courtesy of Camp Pendleton Archives
Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) training standards; new units were not created. In 1983, the services were tasked by the Secretary of Defense to develop special operations capabilities to respond to future acts of terrorism and low intensity conflict. In 1987, the MAGTF Special Operations Capable (SOC) concept was instituted, thus certain MAGTFs must be capable of conducting maritime special operations to include overt or clandestine direct action, recovery operations, and special intelligence and reconnaissance operations. Following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the Marine Corps assessed future plans to deal with evolving terrorist threats, leading to the formation and activation of Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One on June 19, 2003 at Camp Pendleton. The Detachment mobilized in March 2004 and deployed with Naval Special Warfare Group One (Navy SEALS) to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Feb. 24, 2006, the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) was created as a major command within the Marine Corps and headquartered out of Camp LeJeune, N.C. MARSOC then became a co-equal component of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM). With the formation of MARSOC, two Marine Special Operations Battalions (MSOB) and a Marine Special Operations Advisor Group (MSOAG) were created. In April 2009, the MSOAG was re-designated as the Marine Special Operations Regiment (MSOR) with three subordinate Marine Special Operations Battalions. In 2014, the Marine Special Operations Regiment and its units were renamed Marine Raiders after their World War II predecessors. On June 19, 2015, the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command formally adopted the name Marine Raider, carrying on the rich heritage and legacy passed along the Raiders of World War II. Today’s Marine Raider Regiment consists of a Headquarters Company and three Marine Raider Battalions. Sources: From Makin to Bougainville: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War, Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, by Major Jon T Hoffman, USMCR (1995); and USMC Forces Special Operations Command web site - www.marsoc.marines. mil/About/Heritage/ CAMP PENDLETON – Celebrating 75 years
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