TennLawVol

I normally just read the content of the board but created an account just to specifically comment on this thread. There is a lot of good information along with a lot of "head scratching" information in this thread. I have a little inside information on some of the topics but I definitely was not an operator during my military service.

Regarding the Marine Raider Regiment (MARSOC), they were specifically created after 9/11, and the initial experiences in Afghanistan. Donald Rumsfeld saw the need to expand JSOC due to his thinking of how future wars would be fought. He ordered the Marine Corps to form MCSOCOM Detachment One to initially integrate a Marine Corps special operation unit into JSOC although the Marine leadership at the time resisted detaching a unit to JSOC. Those initial Marines were pulled solely from recon units. Today's Raiders are a Tier 2 unit and yes have had over 300 missions.

Regarding why DEVGRU (SEAL Team 6) was chosen over Delta for the Bin Laden mission. This was solely based on DEVGRU being the asset in theater at the time and available. Delta had rotated most of its teams to CONUS when the mission came up. At the time there was always a Tier One asset in theater at all times. Delta and DEVGRU are the only Tier One assets in the U.S. Military and they rotated in and out of theater.