Although Detachment One was a relatively new unit its heritage can be traced back to the World War II Marine Raiders . In World War II , the Marine Raiders were formed to seize key beaches and hills and also conduct guerrilla-style strikes against Imperial Japanese Forces . After two years the Raiders were disbanded but they set the stage for other raider-style units like Detachment One . In 1986 , when the Department of Defense established the new joint Special Operations Command , the Marine Corps opted not to participate . Then Commandant Paul X. Kelley expressed the belief popular in the Corps that Marines should support Marines , and that the Corps should not fund a special warfare capability that would operate independently of the Fleet Marine Force . The Corps wanted to retain the Corps ' Force Reconnaissance units within the MAGTF command structure and prevent the development of an " elite " within the Marine Corps . Marine Corps leadership believed that such a development would be at the expense of the effectiveness of the Corps as a whole . However , following the September 11 attacks and the current global war on terror , that view began to shift . Defense Secretary Rumsfeld immediately directed the Marine Corps and USSOCOM to work more closely together in what would be called the global war on terror . Marine resistance to special warfare units dissipated when Marine leaders watched the Corps ' " crown jewels " – the 15th and 26th MEU Maritime Special Purpose Forces – sit on the sidelines during the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom while other special warfare units led the way . Resistance from SOF commanders already in-country and indifference from the Navy chain of command left the MEU ( SOC ) s unused for over a month , relegated to supporting roles where SOF lacked manpower
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
MCSOCOM Detachment One