Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable)

Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) (MEU(SOC)) is a program created by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the United States Navy (USN) in 1985 for Marine expeditionary units (MEU). The program enhances MEUs providing them with additional training and equipment to become certified as "special operations capable" with a Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF). MEU(SOC) are conventional forces; the Marine Corps term "special operations capable" is unrelated to the term "special operations force" used by the Department of Defense. The MEU(SOC) program when it was established did not form part of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

For over a decade, the Marine Corps did not maintain the MEU(SOC) program. In 2023, the 26th MEU became the first MEU to be certified as MEU(SOC) in over a decade. In 2024, the 24th MEU was certified as MEU(SOC). The MEU(SOC) program is not part of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

The theory behind the MEU(SOC) is to provide continuous and perpetual maritime & amphibious force projection. Such units are expected to be able to respond to a variety of crises, most notably incidents that conventional units may not be able to properly handle. A MEU(SOC) is also expected to be capable of providing various forms of security or a military presence to any region worldwide, within 24–72 hours of receiving orders. Such crises may range from natural disasters to civil or national discord, or total invasion of forces into a hostile area. The term "special operations" in the Non-SOF context, therefore, refers to special taskings of limited duration in support of a combat commander. These operations include:

  • Amphibious raids
  • Non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO)
  • Security operations
  • Tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP)
  • Direct action
  • Humanitarian/civic assistance

Therefore, "the primary objective of the MEU(SOC)...is to provide the theater CINC's with an effective means of dealing with the uncertainties of future threats, providing a forward deployed unit that is inherently balanced, sustainable, flexible, responsive, expandable and credible."

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.