# Mindset of a CSO



## ThomasCrafts (Sep 15, 2013)

Quick question to any member or those who have served with those on MSOTs.
A lot of guys in my unit are motivated about joining MARSOC but each one with a different mindset and motivation.
My question is what is the motivating factor and mindset of those on the teams?
Those in other branches are pretty straightforward, pjs for saving lives, GBs for liberating the oppressed.
But with MARSOC, I'm curious to what motivates them.
My main reason for asking is that some of those "motivated" guys who wants to try for MARSOC have the mindset of "I just wanna get some and blow stuff up".


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## ritterk (Sep 15, 2013)

Beards and long hair is the answer you are looking for.


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## Hillclimb (Sep 15, 2013)

Today will be different.


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## Salt USMC (Sep 16, 2013)

Per diem bucks


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## MOTOMETO (Sep 16, 2013)

Hands in pockets


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## dmcgill (Sep 17, 2013)

Someone who is constantly seeking self-improvement, motivated, hungry, desire to contribute and be a part of a team of like-minded individual team players.

In case you're wondering, MARSOC's main mission is similar to the Army's Special Forces. Their teams are modeled like an ODA.


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## ThomasCrafts (Sep 17, 2013)

Thanks for all the (humorous) replies :). 
But to dmcgill, with unconventional warfare being a "capabliity", how much of this capability is actually practiced within MARSOC?
Most (if not all) of the information I can find is either about FID or direct action.


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## ThomasCrafts (Sep 17, 2013)

Capability. I apologize.


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## goon175 (Sep 17, 2013)

ThomasCrafts said:


> Thanks for all the (humorous) replies :).
> But to dmcgill, with unconventional warfare being a "capabliity", how much of this capability is actually practiced within MARSOC?
> Most (if not all) of the information I can find is either about FID or direct action.



Generally, units who do UW don't advertise when/how often/where they do it


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## Etype (Sep 21, 2013)

ThomasCrafts said:


> GBs for liberating the oppressed.


Their pipline was first run by GBs...  There's your clue.


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## amlove21 (Sep 22, 2013)

ThomasCrafts said:


> Quick question to any member or those who have served with those on MSOTs.
> A lot of guys in my unit are motivated about joining MARSOC but each one with a different mindset and motivation.
> My question is what is the motivating factor and mindset of those on the teams?
> Those in other branches are pretty straightforward, pjs for saving lives, GBs for liberating the oppressed.
> ...


So many issues. 

PJ is a proper title. Make it so. 
What the fuck is a "GB"? Green Bay? Their title would be Special Forces. If you were going to shorten it, it would be SF. 

Did you make these mistakes cause you don't care or because you were ignorant? Do you not know about the primary mission set because you haven't done your research or because you can't grasp information? These questions are not rhetorical.

I am glad you've been treated as well as you have. I am not sure if it's deserved.


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## ThomasCrafts (Sep 23, 2013)

I apologize, no disrespect was meant to come out of the post.


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## The Hate Ape (Sep 27, 2013)

Every answer while some are humorous are actual reasons but are usually initial thoughts of bliss and ignorance.

Some were grunts who wanted to do similar things they were already doing but literally look cool in beards long hair and tricolor cry's. These were commonly the pfcs and lcpls who went to Iraq three times and finally picked up corporal.

Some wanted the challenge. This could be a compound reason and would be applied generically.

Some THOUGHT they would make a lot on sda and qualification pays and NOT spend it on gear and team beer/food runs during work ups.

Some guys back in 06 felt it would be great to be part of a new section of the gun club under socom. Most of these guys also built ITC and A&S off of SFs doctrine (as previously stated) and tweaked some areas to match specific desires/needs/included idea fairy-isms.

There's millions of realistic and retarded reasons people decide to attend selection.

Whatever got them through ITC and whatever has them do the occasional mission over family mindset that may lead to the Harley and ex wife trend forever changes. It's based on the individual - the only right answer is what it motivates that guy's actions following. Actions for himself and his team because the two are a bonded pair and both affect one another intimately.

On the team your experience changes as you go to different teams get different team chiefs and do work ups under different companies (company ops chief and commander guidance is mostly in mind here)

A successful member of the team knows how to adapt with the change and perfect his responsibilities while seeking more. 

He has the foresight to address complications on team matters in his realm with a solution and has zero ego/desire to engage if at all in team leadership bickering (not his realm) in a non pragmatic way. 

He mentors his replacement. 

He educates his team commander when necessary. He knows when it is necessary.

His motivation is the team because taking care of the team is ultimately taking care of himself. To be particularly confusing - he takes care of himself because not doing so only hurts his team.

Furthermore - by the time everyone on the team is tracking how many cases of bear or 8 counts are owed from the motor-t mechanic to the team daddy (always charity) he will probably have another reason that's more personal but you get the idea I hope.

Your mission capabilities inquiry was addressed appropriately.


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## ThomasCrafts (Oct 2, 2013)

I'm thankful there are so many knowledgeable people on this thread. And again, my apologizes for the disrepect on the "GB and pj" matter. My real intention in that question was to gain insight on the Marine mentality within MARSOC. It seems (to me) that those men within SF have a common goal, To Liberate the Opressed, by unconventional warfare. But the Marine Corps mission has always been "to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy", and it just seems odd to take someone whose sole purpose in life is to "create peace through superior firepower" and put them in a role of unconventional warfare. I realize that Marines have always played a role in FID, but most of the time they usually hate participating in "winning the hearts and minds" of the local.
How do the Marines' mentalility within MARSOC differ from those within the conventional forces of the Corps? Or are they still a little aggravated when it comes to that aspect of warfare?


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## The Hate Ape (Oct 3, 2013)

What the hell are you reading/watching these days?

We all literally do the same shit. 

Most of us have the same mentality: do your job. Do it correctly.

There is no one group for FID who's purpose in life is fid or a group who's only focus is UW. Nobody gripes either.

Stop with your probing questions. Not only is the nature of your questions something that should not be broadcasted freely but they have been appropriately addressed previously. Find a new topic. Do not reply either.

 No one who is intelligent complains about hearts and minds being won in an AO either.

If you have any further curiousity about MARSOC, Para's, SF, etc I'd suggest you join their respective branches and find out yourself.


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## amlove21 (Oct 7, 2013)

The Hate Ape said:


> ...the whole post...


Well. Done. 

Your last two posts are dead on. I do disagree with the "join those branches and see what the deal is" statement. I would rather a guy figure out before I have to deal with him in the AF, or USMC, or whatever. I don't really mind questions- in the right way. 

@ThomasCrafts I suggest you do a lot more research and a lot less overhead questions in an inappropriate forum. Try the SOF Mentor sub forum.


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## dmcgill (Oct 27, 2013)

ThomasCrafts said:


> ...But the Marine Corps mission has always been "to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy", and it just seems odd to take someone whose sole purpose in life is to "create peace through superior firepower" and put them in a role of unconventional warfare.



You've just described the mission of a Marine *RIFLE SQUAD *(10% of 190,000 people)...not the mission of the Corps. You need to read a fucking book. I'm going to tell you like I tell my new guys...when you're a FNG, you're better seen and not heard. Hang out here that's cool, but do more reading and a lot less posting.


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## Etype (Oct 28, 2013)

ThomasCrafts said:


> "it just seems odd to take someone whose sole purpose in life is to "create peace through superior firepower" and put them in a role of unconventional warfare.


Where does SF draw their members from?  It's a bunch of random folks who come together for a new job.


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## mark c (May 21, 2014)

ThomasCraft. I'm a FNG here too so I will just tell you that the Marines are concerned with the "hearts and minds" of the locals. It's insane to think that you can go in to any theater and believe that you can treat the locals like crap and expect to gain any decent info that might help you with your mission. As a Marine we are taught to dial it up or dial it down as the situation dictates. We are taught to respect all cultures until we have a reason not to. It would be a huge mistake to abuse the common folk. Doing that will only create more problems and more hostiles.


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