# Proposed Marine "Commandos"



## USNSCC_Guru (Jun 11, 2020)

I can't find shit on this new idea apart from what our Combat Instructors are telling us and the word of one of them who left to possibly build the pending commando curriculum. What we've been told is that effective within the next two years all those of us in the 03 fields will be given the choice to go through the commando course, reclass, or get out of the Marine Corps. But anything aside from the basic idea of what the commando mission will be and some possible schools for it, we don't know any other details. Does anyone on here have the inside scoop?


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## DirtyDudeWitAttitude (Jun 13, 2020)

Sounds like a lot of horse shit to be honest.


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## LimaPanther (Jun 13, 2020)

I checked with some of my Force and MARSOC friends and no one has heard of any such animal.


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## Ooh-Rah (Jun 13, 2020)

DirtyDudeWitAttitude said:


> Sounds like a lot of horse shit to be honest.





LimaPanther said:


> I checked with some of my Force and MARSOC friends and no one has heard of any such animal.



Good enough reason to lock.  Send a staff member a PM if there is a valid reason to re-open this thread.


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## Kaldak (Jun 13, 2020)

Damn you. I was about to hit lock.


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## Ooh-Rah (Jun 13, 2020)

Kaldak said:


> Damn you. I was about to hit lock.


I've been hitting re-fresh on this thread for the past hour waiting for one more valid "never heard of it"!


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## Kaldak (Jun 13, 2020)

Not going to lie, I was in the same boat waiting for one more to unconfirm. It sounded like a recruit rumor mill story to me with zero supporting evidence.


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## Ooh-Rah (Jul 11, 2020)

unlocked on request:

The floor is yours, @The Hate Ape -


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## The Hate Ape (Jul 11, 2020)

The “Commando” program was created recently in light of the new 0315 pilot mos titled “infantry scout” IRT the new FY2030 force design.

Scout Snipers only fill MARSOC & Recon positions from now on. All 03xx contracts are pushed into the new “commando” program by default where eligibility is determined.

The POI is essentially a reduced form Basic Reconnaissance training. This MOS will anchor for the adaptable, scalable, and interchangeable infantry force model.

It adds about 6-9 months of entry level training which will hurt the Reconnaissance community.


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## Appaloosa123 (Jul 11, 2020)

The Hate Ape said:


> The “Commando” program was created recently in light of the new 0315 pilot mos titled “infantry scout” IRT the new FY2030 force design.
> 
> Scout Snipers only fill MARSOC & Recon positions from now on. All 03xx contracts are pushed into the new “commando” program by default where eligibility is determined.
> 
> ...


Will this impact the mission/capabilities of the Reconnaissance community? 
(I leave for recruit training on a recon contract very soon.)


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## Teufel (Jul 12, 2020)

That's interesting. I didn't think it would impact the 0321 field. Good insight.


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## LimaPanther (Jul 12, 2020)

Thanks for the update. Will wait to see how it will affect the units.


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## digrar (Jul 12, 2020)

The Hate Ape said:


> Scout Snipers only fill MARSOC & Recon positions from now on.



No Infantry Battalion snipers? Or would they take them on as attachments from Recon when deploying? Or... ?


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## Rabid Badger (Jul 14, 2020)

Looks to me like that FY Force Design is based on extended training for a "Marine Comando" super Troop in lieu of regular basic Infantry due to expected cutbacks in military spending. ~~~>

""""  The 2018 National Defense Strategy redirected the Marine Corps’ mission focus from countering violent extremists in the Middle East to great power/peer-level competition, with special emphasis on the Indo-Pacific. Such a profound shift in missions, from inland to littoral, and from non-state actor to peer competitor, necessarily requires substantial adjustments in how we organize, train, and equip our Corps. .............*The most logical way to approach divestment is to take a systems perspective and reduce  infantry  battalions  while  proportionally  reducing the organizations dedicated to supporting these battalions* """{read the linked .pdf}

Looks like Basic Infantry Training just got longer for Marines?.


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## Goofy (Jul 14, 2020)

Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn here. I’m wondering how much of Force Design 2030 is just wishful thinking, or if these changes are all but certain to happen.

It appears that some pretty sweeping changes are being proposed and as an aspiring officer of the Marine Corps it seems like an exciting time to join.


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## AWP (Jul 14, 2020)

Goofy said:


> it seems like an exciting time to join.



Every moment since 1775 has been an exciting time to join. It is what you make of the circumstances.


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## Devildoc (Jul 14, 2020)

I can't help but think this is akin to the MEU(SOC) changes in the 80s, let's-do-much-more-with-less, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none.

My only weakness is skepticism of change....


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## Steve1839 (Jul 14, 2020)

Devildoc said:


> I can't help but think this is akin to the MEU(SOC) changes in the 80s, let's-do-much-more-with-less, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none.


I hear echoes of Gordon Sullivan, former CSA talking about "building down" the Army at the end if the Cold War...and the oft repeated refrain "No more Task Force Smiths"...


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## Rabid Badger (Jul 15, 2020)

Devildoc said:


> I can't help but think this is akin to the MEU(SOC) changes in the 80s, let's-do-much-more-with-less, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none.
> 
> My only weakness is skepticism of change....



Throw in there the infamous never to be mentioned again read-between-the-lines RIF - (Reduction-In-Force) 

IMO, The "Force Design" is merely a way to RIF without actually "RIFing" anyone.


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## The Hate Ape (Jul 17, 2020)

Appaloosa123 said:


> Will this impact the mission/capabilities of the Reconnaissance community?
> (I leave for recruit training on a recon contract very soon.)



No. Just the timeline of you finishing your pipeline training before you make it to the fleet as a Reconnaissance Marine.



Teufel said:


> That's interesting. I didn't think it would impact the 0321 field. Good insight.



Thank you sir.



digrar said:


> No Infantry Battalion snipers? Or would they take them on as attachments from Recon when deploying? Or... ?


Any 0317 support, to me, would come from the organic capabilities of an attached Reconnaissance Platoon or Company. Not individual augments or attachments. But I suppose a commander has the right of way once the troops chop over so who knows.


Goofy said:


> Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn here. I’m wondering how much of Force Design 2030 is just wishful thinking, or if these changes are all but certain to happen.
> 
> It appears that some pretty sweeping changes are being proposed and as an aspiring officer of the Marine Corps it seems like an exciting time to join.


Wishful thinking or not, changes are already happening and like anything with momentum we wont really know for certain all the effects of said decisions until a few years from now.



AWP said:


> Every moment since 1775 has been an exciting time to join. It is what you make of the circumstances.


Very well said.



Devildoc said:


> I can't help but think this is akin to the MEU(SOC) changes in the 80s, let's-do-much-more-with-less, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none.
> 
> My only weakness is skepticism of change....



Agreed. 

I appreciate efficiency just as much as the next guy but the Infantry as it is currently, in all of its mass and force, is beautiful in that it can anchor just about any type of campaign imaginable with an amendable margin of error.

On paper at least - such luxuries would no longer exist for commanders in charge of directing the scaled & interchangeable commando style forces of the future. The planning process & level of foresight necessary would have to be absolutely surgical with no margin of error. 

Im concerned by that.


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## LimaPanther (Jul 23, 2020)

We've done so much with so little for so long we can now do anything with nothing


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## arch_angel (Aug 12, 2020)

I'm interested to see where this commando thing is taking us. CMC is an old Recondo, new 2d MarDiv CG is also an old Recondo...I forsee a lot of great things coming down the pipe for the infantry as a whole.


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## The Hate Ape (Aug 22, 2020)

Probably not.


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## Marauder06 (Aug 22, 2020)

arch_angel said:


> I'm interested to see where this commando thing is taking us. CMC is an old Recondo, new 2d MarDiv CG is also an old Recondo...I forsee a lot of great things coming down the pipe for the infantry as a whole.



Hopefully the Marines has better ideas for their infantry than the Army does.


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