Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 138

Yes, its history is one
steeped in the tradition of
World War II’s Raiders,
but the formal structure of
MARSOC is one that arose
in the midst of the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan less
than one decade ago. In this
sense, the book is as much
a learning process for the
writer as it is for the reader.
Over the course
of about 350 pages,
Couch spans a great breadth of subjects related to
MARSOC, including the history of Marine SOF,
MARSOC’s current structure, and the role it has
played in recent conflicts in the Middle East. Despite
the frequent lack of detail in accordance with the
classification that comes alongside MARSOC
training, Couch also manages to give a close look at
the pipeline from marine to CSO or special security
officer (SSO).
Unfortunately, Couch does not take advantage of
the relative dearth of history to build upon the story
of Class 1-13 or the few that have come before it. The
book frequently comes off as prescriptive and shies
away from the telling of this class’s story in a personal
manner. Considering the lack of history, this book’s
most thoughtful opportunity was to tell the story of the
marines who choose to go through this process, their
backgrounds, and where they ended up (while CSOs
stay within the MARSOC community, SSOs cycle out
akin to the Army Ranger model).
That is not to say the book does not have value. In
a policy environment that emphasizes interoperability,
it is a worthwhile practice to understand not only the
capabilities of corollary units, but also their culture,
background, and values, parti