Special Operations Capable (SOC)
In the past, the Marine Corps focused more on yesterday's high intensity, conventional, open "sea, air-land" battlefields, such as those expected during the Cold War. Nowadays, it has been replaced by the more probable mid- and low intensity conflicts. Missions that would require armed conflicts or humanitarian/disaster relief were conceived and many tacticians feared that the Marine Corps were trying to emulate the larger, land-based United States Army.
With counterparts from the United States Navy, Marines have the ability to be projected to any hostile area around the globe due to their maneuverability from the sea. This gives the Marine Corps the advantage over the other military branches; Marines can be deployed to a hostile situation, large or small, within short notice from the Commander-in-Chief.
Ever since the Advanced Base Force was conceived, the enhanced and inherent capabilities of the Fleet Marine Force has proven the Marine Corps operational flexibility as a unique, elite maritime force. The Marine Corps is far more capable of making the adjustments to the changing threat than any other service. Marine Corps Commandant General P. X. Kelley demonstrated capabilities of the Fleet Marine Force's, smaller forward deployed Marine Air-Ground Task Force elements.
- the Marine Corps possessed an inherent capability to perform Special Operations in a maritime environment;
- certain initiatives could be taken to enhance resident capabilities;
- advantages of optimizing the Fleet Marine Force's inherent capabilities to the National Command Authority by offering complementary its services in joint special operations capabilities.
Each Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) has MEUs. When specifically trained and operationally qualified to perform special operational duties, they are then known as a Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable), or MEU (SOC); designed under the battle plans of combined maritime-based ground and air elements that make up a MAGTF.
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