Marine unit to deploy under SEAL command.

An elite unit of about 85 Marines is scheduled to deploy in April as part of a Navy SEAL squadron. The detachment, for all intents and purposes, formalizes the Marine Corps' relationship with the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Although Marines often have fought alongside special operations forces, there is now a "formal commitment" by SOCOM and the Marine Corps to set up a more structured organization that links the two, explained Vice Adm. Eric T. Olson, deputy commander of SOCOM.

In November 2001, the Marine Corps and SOCOM signed a so-called memorandum of agreement that set a foundation for closer cooperation. In the battlefield, however, that cooperation already was under way, regardless of the MOA, said Olson.

Navy SEALs and Marines who fought together in Iraq and Afghanistan were unaware of the MOA until after they returned to the United States, Olson told the NDIA Expeditionary Warfare conference. "Although there is much recent discussion of SOCOM-Marine Corps integration, it's not as if SOF and Marines haven't already been working in close cooperation for a long time."

Approximately 100 Marines currently are filling front-line jobs in support of special operators. The Corps has fought with SOCOM in Somalia, Yemen, Philippines, Georgia, Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Marines and SOF have conducted joint heavy-lift helicopter support, security operations, recovery of aircraft and personnel, close air support, logistics and engineering, casualty evacuation and intelligence sharing, officials said.

The SOF-Marine relationship will be moving to a new level, said Olson. The Marine detachment scheduled to deploy in April establishes "structures and oversight to enhance interoperability between our forces," he said. "It's about time."

Additionally, a joint program is in place for the Marines and SOF to share acquisition and developmental information on weapon systems, munitions and communications.

"Previously restricted SOF equipment information will be shared," said Olson. Examples of joint programs include rotary wing support for air assault and parachute operations.

Under a recent pilot program managed by the European Command, the theater SOF commander and Marine units collaborated in deploying amphibious ready groups. This is the type of cooperation that is must helpful, said Olson. "It compels the development of tactics, techniques and procedures to improve responsiveness of forward-based SOF and Marines to prosecute time-sensitive operations."

Marines and SOF officials will co-chair a joint test and experimentation program, specifically designed to help commanders plan unconventional operations, in an "interagency and coalition environment," said Olson.

These programs have paid off so far, he said, by allowing SOF and Marines to share the workload. Marines, for example, took over from the 10th Special Forces Group the responsibility for training troops from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, under the Georgia Train and Equip Program.

Although senior officials have discussed the possibility of creating a MAR-SOC (a Marine component of SOCOM), so far there are no plans to do so, said Olson. "It's too early to tell.... MAR-SOC is not a stated goal of the Marine Corps or the Special Operations Command." SOCOM has no funds in its budget to support Marine Corps training, equipment and operations.

"What we are going to observe is a natural migration, progression toward interoperability and evaluation of the capabilities that each component offers in SOCOM," Olson said. "At some future date, we will determine whether that migration will lead to the development of a Marine component of SOCOM."

The commander of SOCOM, Army Gen. Bryan "Doug" Brown, noted that the Marine Corps assigned its first general officer to SOCOM in October 2002. Last year, the Joint Special Operations University established a permanent chair at the Marine Corps University in order to further student education of the roles and capabilities of SOF, Brown said in a written statement to National Defense. The Marine Corps will establish a similar chair at JSOU in early 2004.

Brown pointed out that the Marine Corps collaborated with SOCOM on 11 programs, including the CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, small unmanned aerial vehicles, lightweight counter-mortar radar, chemical-biological defense equipment, and C41 systems engineering and integration. Marine Corps forward air controllers, said Brown, "have developed and taught numerous Special Operations terminal air controller courses to SOF personnel."

Members Selected

The 85-member Marine detachment that will deploy with the SEALs also includes several sailors, said Brig. Gen. Robert B. Neller, director of the Maine Corps Operations Division.

"A lot of guys volunteered to do this," he said.

The selection was painstaking, he noted. "We pick the best people. SOCOM has very high standards."

The attachment will have a headquarters with a small planning capability, a moon platoon and air intelligence unit (collecting and analyzing both signals and human intelligence), in addition to a fire support team.

"We are all curious to see how this works out," said Neller. Ultimately, the SEAL squadron commander will render the final judgment.

The detachment is scheduled to deploy in April 2004 with Naval Special Warfare Squadron 1. Later in the year, said Neller, "We'll assess it and decide whether to keep it or not, or expand it."

Commissioned at Camp Pendleton, Calif., the Marine detachment will report to Navy Cmdr. Bill Wilson. Naval Special Warfare Squadron 1 typically supports the Pacific and Central Command theaters. It includes six SEAL platoons and several detachments: command-and-control, special boats, SEAL delivery vehicle, explosive ordnance disposal and tactical signals intelligence. One of the detachments will be made up of Marines.

Traditionally, SOCOM splits the six platoons and sends three to PACOM and three to CENTCOM. The Marine detachment will go to CENTCOM. The intent is to keep that detachment as one unit, rather than split it between the two theaters.

However, if operational requirements warrant, the commander can split the detachment.

"We want to keep the detachment together to evaluate the contributions to the deploying squadrons and to the commander of SOF in the theater, and the combatant commander," said Rear Adm. Albert M. Calland III, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command.

For Marines, Neller said, "it's a great opportunity to move up to this level." Unlike conventional Marine units, this detachment will not rotate its members. "We put a lot of money into training and equipment. They will stay for a while."

A Marine Corps official told National Defense that, most likely, the detachment will stay together for throe to four years. By comparison, the battalions and squadrons assigned to a Marine Expeditionary Unit get rotated after six-month tours.

"If we decide to keep this thing, I can see where periodically a Marine would go down to division or force recon and take with him the experience he had," Neller said. "And we would let a superior individual move up."

As the joint organization evolves, a certain level of "healthy" competition between Marines and SEALs is to be expected, said Calland. "There'll be that healthy competition that makes us all better."

Another sign that Marines are moving aggressively to integrate with SOF is that the Corps is upgrading its newest utility helicopter, the UH-1Y, with a special warfare kit.

The upgrade gives the helicopter the ability to insert Marines into special warfare situations where landing the helicopter is not possible.

Recent tests by the Naval Air Systems Command included static line hung jumper evaluation, special purpose insertion extraction rig, rappelling, fast rope and free-fall parachute operations from 10,000 feet.

Correcting power deficiencies in the currently fielded Hueys is one of the primary reasons for the upgrade, as well as providing a platform for the Marines capable of inserting small combat teams into confined or rugged areas, said a NAVAIR spokesman.

The UH-1Y, compared to its predecessor UH-1N, is equipped with more powerful General Electric T-700 engines and an all-composite four-bladed rotor system.

"Our special warfare missions play an essential role in the Marine Corps' MAGTF concept and Sea Power 21 Sea Strike core capabilities," explained Maj. Brad Schieferdecker in a NAVAIR news release. "The UH-1N's restrictive power margin and weight restrictions have reduced our ability to do these missions in recent years," said Schieferdecker, who serves as the H-1 upgrades deputy program manager for engineering and manufacturing development.

The Marine Corps expects to buy 100 UH-1Y Hueys by 2014, as part of an aviation upgrade program that also includes 180 AH-IZ Super Cobras.

Navy SEAL Garments Protect From Cold, Heat, Germs

During future deployments, Navy SEALs will be wearing new custom-designed undergarments made with innovative insulation materials, which create a "micro-climate" around the body, according to the manufacturer.

The SEALs spent several months last year testing different garments, before they settled on the "protective combat uniform," developed by InSport, of Beaverton, Ore.

"We went back and forth with samples, and basically developed the product with them," said Eric Merk, president of InSport.

The PCU is meant to be the first layer of clothing, worn next to the skin. It forms a microclimate around their bodies, Merk explained, keeping them warm and dry in cold temperatures or cool and dry when the weather is hot.

The two-layer fabric provides "moisture control and moisture management," he said. "It has microscopic fingers that are touching the skin. When the user perspires, the first layer pulls the sweat away from the skin, and the second layer spreads the sweat on the fabric, allowing it to dry very quickly and keep them comfortable."

Unique to this fabric is that it contains pure silver fibers, said Merk, adding that silver often is used in the medical industry, because it kills germs. The and-microbial qualities of silver made it suitable for the SEAL garments. "The dirt from perspiration tends to get stuck in fabric, and the fabric breaks down and smells," Merk said. "This silver fiber kills the body odor, doesn't let the fabric break down and is just generally more comfortable to wear over a long period of time when laundry is not accessible."

The garments can be worn "for a long time" without washing," he said.

Comfort was another consideration in the design of the PCU. SEALs often complain that their boxer shorts' waistbands cut into their skin, causing chafing along their waistline.

"We put a brushed elastic waistband, which is very soft, and there's no abrasion or chafing," said Merk.

The tops also were redesigned and made longer, so they stay tucked in the pants, Merk said.

"When they crawl on the ground, in the past, the tops would come untucked from their shorts or pants. That's uncomfortable. So we made the shirts longer."

InSport is under a five-year contract for 8,600 units of seven different styles of undergarments, Merk said, including silk-weight boxers and t-shirts, feather-weight long-sleeve crew neck and mock neck tops with matching pants, and a mid-weight top and pants.

All seven garments are made of varying weights of military-specific Polartec Power Dry fabric.

InSport will offer these products, designed specifically for the Navy SEALS, to the public and other branches of the U.S. military through its retailers and Web site.--Sandra I. Erwin