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Marines with the Fleet Marine Force perform a remote advise and assist exercise with assistance from Marine Raiders with Marine Forces Special Operations Command during RAVEN, April 25, 2022. RAVEN is a training exercise held to evaluate all aspects of a Marine Special Operations Company prior to a special operations deployment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brandon Marrero)

Photo by LCpl. Brandon Marrero

MARSOC conducts RAVEN Unit Readiness Exercise

15 Jul 2022 | Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. -- Marine Forces Special Operations Command conducts RAVEN unit readiness exercise from April 23 to May 31, 2022. 

RAVEN is MARSOC’s pre-deployment unit readiness exercise, designed to evaluate Marine Special Operations Companies and Marine Special Operations Teams as well as provide valuable training and experience to supporting units. 

"The use of conventional forces alongside SOF is absolutely paramount,” said a special operations officer with MARSOC. “The SOF enterprise cannot last without conventional forces support. Integrating conventional forces in a role such as a partner nation force is key because it gives the MSOT the realistic military training needed [along with] a human dimension.” 

MARSOC is a connector between U.S. Special Operations Command and other conventional forces such as 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Forces Reserve, and 4th Marine Reconnaissance Battalion. 

 “I just want to say this was a great opportunity for Charlie Company, 4th Recon, I think it was a great opportunity for reconnaissance as a whole to work with MARSOC and to work with the conventional forces and to get all the pieces together,” said Sgt. Hugh Miller, a recon team leader with Charlie Company, 4th Recon. “I think the different obstacles that we overcame will better prepare and enable the MARSOC Marines for when they leave.” 

MARSOC trains alongside the joint forces to enable innovation, increase lethality and foster greater interoperability through war games and large-scale exercises such as RAVEN.  

“This training helps [special operations independent duty corpsman] change by presenting us with different problem sets in regards to injuries and the integrations we utilize for medical care all the way from the MSOT to conventional forces,” said an SOIDC with MARSOC. 

MARSOC provides the joint force with the agility to evolve at the speed of relevance to provide SOF effects that meet those challenges. When required, MARSOC will function as a forward deployed SOF “stand in” force that can transition to conflict, providing distributed lethality to the joint force. 

RAVEN is intended to replicate realistic conditions Marine Raiders will encounter while conducting SOF missions in support of national security needs around the world. Like all Marines, Marine Raiders are ready to execute any mission, in any clime, or any place. 

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