How do you become a MARSOC Marine?

Answer 1

First, you need to be at least a Corporal/E-4. Next, you have to pass a screening board, where they look over your career in the Marines to check for any problems, such as NJPs or other disciplinary actions, then they give you a physical to make sure you are in the proper physical condition and have no psychological or medical conditions that would affect your career in MARSOC or that your initial screening at basic might have missed or have appeared since then. If you pass the screening board, they send you to a Assessment and Selection (A&S) Course, similar to the Army's SFAS. After A&S, if you are selected, you will move on to the Individual Training Course, or ITC, which is similar to the Army's Q-Course. ITC is broken up into 4 different phases.

- Phase 1 focuses on physical fitness, such as swimming and conditioning; field skills, such as navigation and SERE; and mission skills, such planning and communications.

- Phase 2 builds on the previous skills, adding on demolitions, intelligence gathering/recon, and patrolling.

- Phase 3 adds pistol and rifle marksmanship, team tactics, and how to raid various objectives in urban and rural environments.

- Phase 4 works on irregular/guerrilla warfare and how to work with partner nations, such as Iraq or Afghanistan, and advise them during training.

After ITC, you are placed with an operational Marine Special Operations Team or MSOT, and continue your training.

You should talk to your local Marine recruiter if you are interested in joining MARSOC.