Marines on the teams?

[Michele_B]

I’m hoping one of you gentlemen can clear something for me that’s been bugging me for a while now.

Some time ago, I was reading a fictitious book which had a Marine officer in charge of a SEAL team. Later I saw a movie in which one of the team members was addressed as sergeant and I know good and well there is no such a rank in the Navy. Both of these really threw me for a loop.

I know the Marines are a separate organization but work in connection with the Navy, so to speak, but can Marines become SEALs? I thought they had their own special operations group, Recon.

Thank you,
Michele

[s354026]

Marines comes under department of navy that is why they get their officers from the naval academy but not sure about if marine can join the seals

[EmbraceTheHate]

I will try to make this is painless as possible, however, it can be a confusing situation. A Marine officer in charge of a Marine Expeditionary Unit can have operational control over SEALs attatched to his command. Maybe "operational" is not the best choice of words. He can authorize the SEALs attatched to his command to conduct missions. Generally speaking, SEALs have plenty of officers around for operational command and control.

As far as Marines in/on a SEAL Team, no there are not. That is not to say that there are no PRIOR Marines in the Teams, because there are plenty of those. But they have been discharged from the Marine Corps, and enlisted in the Navy. Navy personnel are the only ones allowed to attend BUD/S training with some exceptions to foreign units and federal agencies.

I hope that helps, I know it is rather gray.

[ShadowWarrior1775]

Hate,

Although there are no "current" Marines located within the Teams I am not so sure about not allowing members of other branches of service to attend BUD/S. I have always been under the impression members of other services could attend the course based on a certain units needs. This does not mean that they wear a Trident afterward or anything else but just as a qualifying course that is recorded in your SRB, kind of like when a SEAL attends Ranger school for example. I know for a fact that Marines have the opportunity to attend schools like Airborne, Air Assault, Dive and we even had some guys from our unit that were Ranger tabbed. I am sure there is a current or former Team member that could provide a definite answer to this questions as now I am curious.

You are absolutly right though that the C.O. of a MEU(soc) may have the operational control over a platoon but that is to say that he would give only the mission and strategy but never the tactics to any unit assigned under his command.