MARSOC wants intel specialists amid high demand, limited personnel pool

The Marine Corps is seeking intelligence specialists to apply for its most elite unit — a recruitment push driven by high demand for the skillset, but amid difficulties in filling the unique roles, according to an official and service announcement.

Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARFORSOC, or MARSOC), is soliciting enlisted Marines with intelligence backgrounds to join its Special Operations Capability Specialist stable — positions within the formation that support Marine Raiders through various proficiencies.

The Intelligence Operations Capability Specialist, or Intel SOCS, is considered a high-skill, high-demand, but “low-density” job, meaning that it requires specialized expertise that comes with selective training and draws from a limited pool of available personnel. 

Over the last several months, MARSOC has called for Marines to join these elite ranks through recruiting videos and a service announcement released Wednesday. Marines in the Intel SOCS role support special operations forces by gathering information and turning it into actionable intelligence, for example.

“These positions are a challenge to fill due to the specialized nature of the skills required and the high-level of proficiency necessary to accomplish the tasks,” said Maj. Johnny Henderson, a spokesperson for MARSOC, in an email to DefenseScoop Friday. “MARSOC depends on volunteers who are motivated to serve in this unique capacity.” 

While all Marine Corps intelligence fields are considered high-demand, high-skill and low-density, he said, the training pipeline for Intel SOCS is selective and includes three courses: the Special Operations Force Fundamentals Course (SOFFC), Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE), and the Multi-Disciplined Intelligence Operator Course (MDIOC).

“MDIOC, which spans 14 weeks, is specifically designed to cross-train enlisted intelligence Marines across multiple intelligence disciplines while emphasizing their respective fields,” he said. “The end goal is to transform Marine Corps intelligence professionals into Special Operations Forces intelligence professionals, capable of integrating and leveraging both Marine Corps and USSOCOM expertise.”

He noted the “relatively limited number of personnel available to fill” Marine Corps intelligence jobs.

The special ops community writ-large saw frequent use during the Global War on Terror, and the second Trump administration has frequently relied upon commandos to carry out high-stakes missions, such as the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro earlier this month and several sanctioned oil tanker seizures in the Caribbean.

“MARSOC recognizes a growing need for Intelligence Special Operations Capable Specialists (SOCS),” Henderson said when asked if the command saw the need for these roles increasing. “Given the increasing operational demands and the necessity to support force generation requirements, MARSOC is actively working to achieve its staffing objectives to ensure mission readiness and effectiveness.”

He added through “rigorous intra- and inter-disciplinary training, combined with substantial practical experience gained during SOF deployments, they cultivate a comprehensive understanding of and proficiency in a multi-disciplinary intelligence approach” and are then able to bring those skills back to the broader Marine Corps. 

Intel SOCS can serve up to more than five years with MARSOC, according to the announcement. Other SOCS roles include communications, explosive ordnance disposal, logistics and other specialists.

The announcement said MARSOC was looking for Marines — from lance corporal to gunnery sergeant — with intelligence, signals intelligence and ground electronic warfare backgrounds to apply, including personnel who possess a top secret/sensitive compartmented information (TS/SCI) clearance. 

In addition to the schools Henderson mentioned, eligible Marines must also pass basic benchmarks, such as height and weight, swimming qualifications and be able to finish an 8-mile ruck within two hours under a 45-pound load.

“MARSOC is committed to reaching its staffing objectives to ensure optimal mission readiness and effectiveness,” Henderson said, but did not disclose how many billets the command was looking to fill when asked.