USMC-USSOCOM Relationship: Does Increased Interoperability Necessitate Force Contribution

摘要

This paper will examine the Marine Corps' past, present, and future relationship with Special Operations Forces (SOF). It accomplishs this by discussing the historical background of the unification of special operations under United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM); why the Marines Corps chose not to contribute forces to USSOCOM; how the relationship between the Marines Corps and USSOCOM has evolved; what the Marine Corps' current experiment in force contribution is; and what I believe the future relationship of the two organizations should be. Ultimately, this paper attempts to determine if interoperability between the Marine Corps and USSOCOM is sufficient or whether the Marine Corps should provide a permanent force contribution to USSOCOM.