Historically, Marine Raiders were elite Marine Corps units established during World War II to conduct special amphibious warfare. Marine Raiders earned a ferocious reputation operating behind enemy lines as the FIRST United States Special Operations Forces.
After being disbanded for many years following WWII, the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) revamped and changed the name of their subordinate commands and personnel to Marine Raiders.
Currently, there are three Marine Raider Battalions tasked with the following core activities: Direct Action, Special Reconnaissance, Preparation of the Environment, Security Force Assistance, Counter Terrorism, Foreign Internal Defense, and Counter Insurgency.
