Marines deploy anti-terror contingent

A strike force has been created by the battle-tested Philippine Marines to hunt down terrorists and other lawless elements who threaten national security.

Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino created the special team called Marine Raiders who will act as rapid deployment force, said Lt. Col. Jonas Lumawag, Marines spokesman.

The first deployment, a company-sized unit, was flown by an Air Force cargo plane from Manila to Puerto Princesa. It would be based at the Marine Battalion Landing Team 9 in Palawan, the passageway to the southern parts where suspected terrorists are hiding.

“They would be under the operational control of the Naval Forces West,” Lumawag said. According to Dolorfino, members of the Marine Raiders will be equally composed of elite Marine Force Recon.

Recon soldiers were responsible for the killing of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani in September 2006.

“It is similar to the Army’s Light Reaction Battalion, which is focused on internal security operations,” Lumawag said.

He said that the elite force, armed with modern weapons and equipment, is also tasked to go after pirates in the high seas.

“In due time, the number of our Marine Raiders would later be increased in number to cover other strategic areas of the country, Lumawag said.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=p...s5_april21_2008

Elite Marines tapped to end Reds

The military’s elite Philippine Marines deployed yesterday a newly-created quick reaction team that will serve as a strike force against the communist rebels and extremist groups in Palawan and nearby areas.


Aside from anti-insurgency and antiterrorism operations, Lt. Col. Jonas Lumawag, Marine spokesman, said their newly-formed quick reaction strike force called Marine Raiders will also be tapped against piracy and other crimes in the seas.

"The Marine Raiders is the quick reaction unit that will deal to missions which are emergency in nature, it is the most mobile," said Lumawag.

The newly-created unit is just company-size (more or less 100 soldiers) but Lumawag said their numbers would be increased in the future in order to cover strategic areas in the country, particularly in Mindanao area.

Members of the Marine Raiders, Lumawag said, came from the equally elite Marine Force Recon, which was also instrumental in the neutralization of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani in Sept. 2006. (Aaron B. Recuenco)

http://www.tempo.com.ph/news.php?aid=37717

Marine Raiders - sounds like the title of a really bad B-movie :demon:

Do we really need ANOTHER elite strike force? - I think we already have quite a lot of them - wouldnt it be better if they are just consolidated for better command and control ? not to mention the allocation of equipment...

If im not mistaken, the US have consolidated their special units, the last holdout - the US Marines, placed their elite strike force under the USSOCOM while our Marines just created its own.

:aberet: because we don't want to constantly imitate the Americans, and probably, the PN and the PMC wouldn't want to be left out of the CT/special forces pie if they don't create their own unit.

Hmmm... makes me think. Maybe this is one way for the PMC to get special funds for equipments. If you're regular forces you just get this part of the pie (remember Recycled na Armas?). Since you're special forces, you get special attention, extra funds and the best equipments. Justified.

Hmmm... clever. Okay, as long as it gets their job done and no missing guns this time, please.

I'm just speculating but its a distinct possibility - other countries who are also recipients of US funds for the GWOT are organizing new CT units and 'enhancing existing SF units to receive their share of the 'pie' and the corresponding newer and better weapons and equipment.

This is the right thing to do. Enhance existing units thru continuous training in line with the trend of time and give them the right equipments.

if the unit is based in Palawan then most definitely the PAF is assigning some serious air assets at their disposal for immediate mobility from the province to any point in Mindanao island and surrounding islands & islets, and fast assault boats too from the PN.

im just wondering how they will allocate these limited assets among the various ops (in case of simultaneous ops) between LRB, PNSOG, SF and this new MR and not to forget, the regular units too.

not unless there are brand new equipment as its share of the pie mentioned by sprart.

good luck gentlemen :ssalute:

ya, I think they will have problems with the quick reaction capability if the entire unit is based in Palawan unless there is a dedicated helicopter unit opconned to them 24/7.

I bet the unit will be divided into teams and prepositioned in high risk areas to offset the lack of mobility equipment.

The more the merrier. Im fine this new Marine strike force, now there are more units dedicated to hunting down bad guys. :thumb:

This initial company based in Palawan - the 67th Marine Raiders Company will be soon followed by another company to be based in Sulu.

there's an advantage to many elite units in the AFp for counterterrorism - - each unit will try its very best to outdo the other units.

Best of the best from Force Recon kinuha nila, so kulang na Force Recon ngayon recruit na naman ng bago ?

:armyskeptic:

The effectiveness of an elite unit like this will be increased a lot when supported by a multi-mission attack chopper like the Cobra Zulu or the Apache.

With its precision tragetting system and the weapons load i'm sure they will give the rebels a hard time escaping from. More so in confronting the already elite Marine Raiders.

dont forget the transport helicopters that would bring the raiders to the target area quickly .

the USMC raiders have their new osprey tilt rotors, our new marine raiders dont have a single transport aircraft. they could walk/march/run/crawl forever but then then they would no longer be called quick reaction unit. :ssalute:

wow! Its nice to know that the AFP is activating new elite units and with awe-inspiring descriptions..like..uh quick reaction unit and most mobile wow, double wow!

But sadly, I predict this 67thMRC could never be as quick nor as mobile as the press release promised - there's simply no way it could be done without dedicated transport helicopters, fast assault boats and light armored vehicles.

Even the LRB is experiencing problems with spares for its US-provided equipment.

The AFP could not just simply hatch special CT units left and right without proper and adequate support without which these units are nothing but glorified foot soldiers.

at least sir, we can safely assume that our marines are extremely good foot soldiers and can walk/run/jog/march far longer than any other soldier out there.

:aberet:

I hope they do get their own dedicated transport for the unit to be really effective. Its a long walk from Puerto Princesa City to El Nido if the terrorists decide to attack the resorts there.

Sir, check your sources...who do you think has walked, run, jogged and marched farther? I don't think it's the Marines.

Sir, my statement was in appreciation of the Marines' legendary physical fitness and not to be taken literally.

:aberet:

Ok, thanks for clarifying. They wouldn't be called Marines if they stay longer than the Hukbong Katihan inland. :thumb:

What's funny is the Marine Raiders was an actual military unit hatched in the Pacific theatre during WWII. They were akin to the special forces of the Marines back when special forces were a novelty in any branch of service.

I think this will be a good thing for the PMC, not to be left out of current and future allocations for special CT units, especially in Army-dominated GHQ.

Eventually the MRCs will evolve into something unique and truly purpose-built for PMC doctrine and CT concepts.

Once the unit is in place, the equipment and support will soon follow.

Lets give the MRCs a chance to develop.

:thumb:

the marines ARE already a special forces type group.

so the raiders will be an elite force within an elite force. :snipemo:

What's next, the Marines Skypatrol? :devilwink:

the marines are a combined arms force. it has naval, air, and air assets directly under its direct control. at least that's the idea, and how it's practiced by the USMC.

the USMC of course being the premier practitioners of the marine force concept.

That's about it.

The AFP top brass should have taken cared of that long before.

Again, it's a matter or right planning and ... really implementing it.

I'll go for the NAVSOG Sir B6.

:patrioticpinoy:

Being an elite force within an elite force has nothing to do with capabilities. Just a play on words.. I think General Yano and the others should pinch themselves and wake up. The PA needs more training on Leadership and NCO Reponsibilities rather than trying to form up so called Special Units.

Here here :thumb:

The professionals on the other forum actually echo your statement. Never under estimate the "ordinary" infantryman: the bulldozers of the AFP.

The "battalion of excellence" program actually focuses on regular infantry battalions and battalion landing teams. So these folks have not been forgotten.

Maneuver units of the AFP have also been freed of territorial duty, so that they can fulfill their main function, which is to keep the enemy moving.

To be fair, the Marine Raiders were formed before Gen Yano. They weren't his idea.

The formation of the group is probably more of a political move. The Army has the LRC, so they got modern goodies. Someone in the Navy felt the PMC should play the same game. Hence the raiders.

As the current Deputy Commandant of the PMC once mentioned, there really isn't any doctrinal foundation for the raiders. So there is a general belief that the raiders will simply become a model for how all the other Force Recon companies will be outfitted. They won't be a permanent entity.

The Marines don't consider Force Recon an "elite" unit. Just a component of a combined arms effort that gets to fire first.

right on point desertRANGER :rifle: its just a play of words..just piece of the CT pie if you will :rifle:

Well the "Bulldozers" can really demoralized the rebels everytime they used them to outflank the enemies. :ssalute:

This unit has been disbanded.

Why? Because of the Basilan ambush?

The unit should have been given a chance to redeem itself..and avenge its losses.

The Marine Raider Company is supposed to be a strike company like the Army Scout Ranger Companies.

Unfortunately, the Basilan encounter gave them a bad publicity.

The Marine Raider Company was not to be blamed here. They lost the element of surprise when they moved in.

Had the LRC, SR, FR, (the first team to arrive) got the same situation, they too might have suffered a heavy casualty.

I would suggest keeping a Marine Raider Company (light but deadly like the Scout Rangers) for every Marine Brigade.

Force Recon and Scout Sniper teams do the same recon and intel task while and MRC does the assault.

Then while the assault is ongoing, SS and FR work in tandem in providing cover fire and uploading battle situation reports to the command center.

Should be for the better. The unit as it was would have just competed for equipment and resources with other Navy/Marine special units.

That's one of the factors ive seen as well.

Too many units doing the same task or somewhat.

How about maximizing the potential of the Force Recon?

They can act as strike units as well but must go at company strength to be able to perform as an effective strike unit like the Army SRC.

The enemy's number is to strong. It's gonna be very risky when their number is too small.

Well that's too bad.

I wonder how much equipments they lost to the enemies during the ambush.

Its too bad the MRC went that way but this unit established during the time of the former CPMC was but a unit in name. The training was not to FR standards, its mission confusing; simply said semantics lang lahat.

when the new CPMC assumed command one of his first instructions was to disband the MRC because they were eating up personnel requirements in other line battalions just to fill up the MRC when it was established. even the personnel manning of the MRC was questioned by some quarters when it was established and some foresaw that the experiment ( if you want to call it that way) may fail; but then events overtook the planned unit dissolution.

and the event in itself had the MRC used for a mission it seemed not fit for it but under the circumstances they had to go help their beleaguered PA comrades- only for them to end up being beleaguered themselves.

so all the assumptions you say here about the MRC in its entire context is but a product of the press releases you all got in conjunction with your own armchair theories.

i hope this clears some misconceptions and myths that is beginning to be the stuff of legends about the MRC.

XXX

It was Gen. Dolorfino who established the MRC more than a year ago when he was CPMC.

And the MRC suffered its debacle in Basilan with Gen. Dolorfino as the WESMINCOM commander.

His experiment was badly conceived and ended disastrously and yet he's still there at WESMINCOM and could even become CSAFP.





:armyeek:

Dolorfino is retiring next year. Sabban and Guerrero are also to be blamed for the Basilan fiasco. Si Guerrero pa nga is being considered to replace Sabban as Task force Comet CO. He is being rewarded by Sabban for being a yes man.

Guys what happened to command responsibility ? Let us not forget, last year Gen Alivio was relieved for the 24 dead. Kaagad yun ginawa. Why hasn't Guerrero been relieved for the 23 dead this time ? Sweeping it under the rug again. Until it is forgotten.

Let us not forget the dead soldiers guys. May mga pamilya rin sila just like us. Let us not let these officers get away with it. As Ambassador Arcilla mentioned in his article, what happened to command responsibility ? Accountability ? :patrioticpinoy: