Maj. Fred Galvin, who led the first Marine Corps Special Operations Command unit to ever deploy to Afghanistan and was later the subject of an investigation into a controversial firefight that got his unit booted from the country, will write the foreword for “Level Zero Heroes,” the book’s author recently told Marine Corps Times. Penned by former Staff Sgt. Michael Golembesky and set for release this fall, Level Zero Heroes will follow the story of Golembesky’s unit, Marine Special Operations Team 8222, which fought an entrenched insurgency for seven months in 2009 and 2010 out of Forward Operating Base Todd…
Browsing: MARSOC
A recent Twitter and Facebook post to official Marine Corps Special Operations Command social media accounts has sparked online backlash. “Don’t be lone shooter #MLK weekend! make sure you’ve got security- stay safe!” the post read. The post was made at 10:52 a.m. leading into the long three-day weekend, but removed about thirty minutes later after social media users questioned the posts wording and intended meaning. Some were bothered that it appears to reference the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. who was killed by a lone shooter. MARSOC could not be reached for comment, but…
Veteran Marine Corps Special Operations Command operator Capt. Nick Karnaze, has launched a new beard care product line with a mission. Dubbed “Stubble & ‘Stache,” his first product is a moisturizer and conditioner that helps alleviate pesky beard itch. A portion of the proceeds are donated to organizations that help wounded troops grappling with the fallout of combat. Karnaze is now trying to raise money to expand his business through the crowdfunding web site Indiegogo. Check out his new commercials — one serious, the other hilarious — and pick up Marine Corps Times, on newsstands Monday, for the full story.…
Midway through his speech Wednesday at Camp Pendleton, Calif., President Obama shifted from talking about military policy to highlight the sacrifice of a Marine wounded warrior and his wife, both of whom continue to serve in the Marine Corps. Capts. Matthew and Camille Lampert, were asked to stand after Obama briefly described their last few years. Lampert was a special operator in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device took both of his legs, Obama said. He survived that 2010 attack, and set out on a grueling recovery so he could get back to his team. “So Matt endured excruciating rehab,…
The elite operators of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command are celebrating the organization’s seventh birthday this year, and decided to hold a Warrior Challenge last week to honor it. MARSOC reports on its Facebook page that the event included a stamina course, a fitness and marksmanship challenge, and a soccer tournament. Marine Special Operations School won the challenge, leading one of its Marines to don the Spartan helmet you see in the photograph above. Clearly, even special operators get to have a little fun from time to time. Maj. Gen. Mark Clark, MARSOC’s commander, laid out his vision for…
For years, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command has received attention mostly for its actions in Afghanistan. It’s far from the only theater the elite force has teams in, however. From Africa to the Pacific, Marine special operators have deployed across the globe to work, mostly in the shadows. This week’s Marine Corps Times cover story takes a look at those missions, focusing closely on one high-speed rescue in the Philippines. I caught wind of the rescue recently during a dinner in Washington, D.C., and MARSOC provided enough details afterward to make it clear how dangerous special operations can be,…
Commandant Gen. Jim Amos highlighted the relationship between his conventional forces and the U.S. special operations community Thursday, saying their collaboration in Afghanistan is “better than it ever has been.” Special operators from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Corps all operate in Helmand province, where tens of thousands of Marines have deployed in recent years. In particular, Amos said forces with U.S. Special Operations Command can be found across Sangin and Kajaki, violent districts where Marines have engaged in heavy combat. Those special operators get a variety of support from conventional Marine forces, especially with aviation, Amos said. “They’re…
It has been more than six years since Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command was established, giving the the Corps its own component in the special operations world. Its development has not been without its headaches, but it continues in earnest. This week’s Marine Corps Times breaks down what’s next for MARSOC and its Marines. A variety of changes have occurred in recruitment and training, and the command continues to add new teams of special operators as it expands. The desired steady state: A mature force that includes all of the enablers needed, plus experienced operators who know how to…
The Washington Post published a disturbing report Friday evening, detailing the deadly Aug. 10 attack on Marines at Forward Operating Base Delhi in the Garmser district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province. Among the revelations, according to reporter Kevin Sieff’s story: These killings were carried out, allegedly, by a 15-year-old Afghan boy — described as a personal assistant to the district police chief, who’s been accused of having an affinity for young boys and abusing them. Moreover, Sieff’s report contends the boy lived on the base but was never put through the coalition’s rigorous vetting process used for all members of the…
This photo makes the Hell’s Angels look about as threatening as a litter of kittens. Those are Marine special operators in Afghanistan, looking like something akin to a well-organized motorcycle gang. The photo is courtesy of former Staff Sgt. Michael Golembesky, who spent two years with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, serving as a joint terminal attack controller. As Marine Corps Times first reported back in March, MARSOC teams use these small-engine bikes to get around in the Afghan mountains. Before some units deploy, the command sends them through a super-sensitive training program that provides five days of schooling…
