Always Faithful, Always Forward: The Forging of a Special Operations Marine

by Dick Couch

Established in 1986, the U.S. Special Operations Command was set up to bring the special operational disciplines of all branches of the military under a single, unified command to act on missions involving unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, and direct action…

The Marine Special Operations Command (“MARSOC”) is the newest component of the military’s shift toward a fully integrated Special Operations Command structure. At first, the Marines were strongly against any Marines serving under anyone other than another Marine.

Then 9/11 happened.

In the years following, Marine forces found themselves growing more agreeable to inter-branch operational command, finally forming the Marine Special Operations Command in 2006. Always Faithful, Always Forward follows the journey of a class of Marine candidates from their recruitment, through assessment and selection, to their qualification as Marines Special Operators.

The assessment, selection, and training regimes are a combination of psychological testing and intense military training as well as being a physical and professional rite of passage. MARSOC Marines must be efficient, agile, independent, and prepared to live hard in the field. They are warriors trained in the full range of military skills, as well as teachers who can train locals to defend their communities and lead them in battle. But above all, they are Marines. Their ability to leverage their numbers by embedding with the locals and to live in remote locations has, in their short history, made them a valuable force and one with great utility in remote reaches of the world.

Retired Navy Captain Dick Couch has been given unprecedented access to this new command and to the individual Marines of this exceptional special-operations unit, allowing him to chronicle the history and development of the Marine Special Operations Command and how they find, recruit, and train their special operators.

INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, History, Military History, Audiobook, War, Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

Mr. Couch graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1967. He graduated from BUD/S training in Class 45 in 1969. He was a case officer for the CIA.

Reviews

[Steven Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

While trying to do research for a future project that had a modern Marine Raider as the protagonist, I realized that my knowledge of the unit was less than my knowledge of most other American special operations forces. My knowledge of those other units comes from having grown up reading every single article, book (fiction and non-fiction), and encyclopedia entry on SOF that I could get my hands on. My Google-fu was coming up short, with scant, contradictory details. It was in that moment that I'd decided it was time to return to my roots and pick up a book.

In picking up Dick Couch's ALWAYS FAITHFUL, ALWAYS FORWARD, I couldn't have made a better choice.

Couch--a retired Navy SEAL, former CIA paramilitary operations officer, and well-respected biographer of American SOF units--was granted access to the training of MARSOC Individual Training Course 1-13. Couch follows prospective critical skill operators from their MARSOC recruitment briefing, through the prep course, through assessment & selection, and then every step of the way through the ITC (as classifications allow).

It is a gold mine of information, particularly to students of SOF and to thriller authors such as myself. In it, we not only see the constitution of a Marine Special Operations Team and their qualifications, we also see specifically the kind of person that the Raiders are looking to fill their ranks. We also learn the story behind how the Marine Corps--who'd initially declined to join USSOCOM in 1987--got up to speed and built an outstanding SOF unit that is notably well trained in foreign internal defense and special reconnaissance.

I know that I will be referring to that book multiple times in my research, and it makes me want to buy the rest of his non-fiction SOF books to see what I missed in my initial research over the years regarding other units.

I cannot recommend ALWAYS FAITHFUL, ALWAYS FORWARD with enough enthusiasm. It is the best non-fiction book I have read in years. I breezed through it in the span of a day and change. If you're into learning about SOF, are an active-duty Marine considering service with the Raiders, or are just a thriller author like me looking to bring additional authenticity to your work, you need this book in your life.

[Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a recommendation from a Marine friend who is preparing to undergo MARSOC A&S. it is a very matter-of-fact account of the process of transforming a Marine into a special operator, written by someone who is obviously very proud of the people who want to do this with their lives. his tone is always respectful. it is a very informative book, but it is dry reading. I would have enjoyed a couple of colorful anecdotes, just to get a bit of insight into what drives these dudes, what keeps them going when it gets tough. that would be an excellent book to see some day! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in MARSOC; dick couch had a really special opportunity to spend time with a class and share their experiences (although it's not quite clear to me from this book to what extent he was present in anyone's day).

as sort of a weird note, at one point couch mentions a test with an actual casualty, real blood etc. but kind of glosses over it as a nod to its controversial nature. pigs! I heard it was pigs, which are slaughtered after the exercise. my opinion: I hate it. probably not a big issue to most. couch does also very briefly discuss the possibility of integrating female Marines into MARSOC and other combat roles, which is, I think, not his favorite, but he handles it with relative grace.

I came out of this with mad respect and admiration for the select few who can endure (and even thrive under) such physical and mental duress, as well as everyone who chooses to serve. it's a lot of responsibility to take on. I'm glad that books like this can give folks like me a chance to try to be more informed and understanding.

[John (JP) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Faithful, Always Forward The Forging of A Special Operations Marine
By Couch, Dick

If you think Marines are just muscle bound teenagers who want to defend their country with a taste for violence this book will prove you wrong. Special Operators are a class of warrior with specialized training in combat techniques, language, and diplomatic skills. The business of special operations is different from that of general purpose military forces. Their assignments are more focused and unusual. They are under the general control of US Special Forces Command There are 4 major combat organizations that are tasked to SOCOM, Navy Seals, Army Special Forces (i.e. Green Berets), Arrny 75th Ranger Regiment, and the Marine Special Operations Regiment. Entry into one of these units is on a voluntary basis. Entry is considered a privilege that is fought for and completion of training is not guaranteed. The drop out rate during the training period some of these units is close to 70%.This book focuses on the selection, training, and assignment of these special men, as they enter the Marine Special Operations Regiment. The book goes into great detail covering all the phases of training. Its coverage of one of the classes takes on the feel of reality television show, where not everyone wins the prize of becoming a warrior diplomat . I left the book with a greatly increased respect for both the military and the men who apply for undergo the training to become a member of very exclusive fraternity of Special Operators.

[Jim Misko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could you make it as a Special Operations Marine? Best selling author, Dick Couch takes you through the process in his new book Always Faithful. Always Forward. As in several of his previous books, Dick goes with a class seeking to graduate as Special Ops Marines. He lives, eats, sleeps—what little they do—with them and in this book he picks three to follow from beginning to end. The course is a grueling, grinding, crushing trial of the Marine’s total self to see if he measures up. If he does, he is a Special Operations Marine for the rest of his career. They are operating in 90 countries today. They have been in 120 so far. If you like military information you will love this book. Couch is a retired US Navy SEAL Captain and former CIA Maritime Operations Officer.

[Michael Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like a field manual

[Aloysius Teng · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book that I have read that was written by Dick Couch about US special operation selection and training and it is definitely the weakest one. Dick was able to saturate the book with a lot of information but about 1/3 of it were pretty superficial and dry. The chapters written about the different phases in the ITC were slightly more detailed but information about the training in Phase 4 of the ITC was very superficial, with hardly any meaningful information in the chapter.

Also, one difference in this book that made it weaker than those I have read previously about the Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, and the 75th Ranger Regiment was that the assessment and selection for the MARSOC marines were not written. I understand that this was at the request of MARSOC but the book is definitely not as interesting and less human-centric. Previous books had more interviews, recollections, and reflections from the soldiers/sailors who were undergoing selection which made the book a much more enjoyable read. Reading about the struggles they have to go through as the selection process seeks to weed out those who are not committed to the lifestyle definitely made the reader respect the men who volunteer to undergo this type of training even more.

Another point is that Dick Couch has the tendency to think that the most recent group of soldiers/sailors that he is following in training are the best and the key to US's military strategy in future conflicts. He said the same thing in the book 'Chosen Soldier' which was written about the Army Special Forces and he changes his opinion in this book after seeing the ITC of MARSOC to say that the Marine Raiders are the key to America's future military policies. This is fine if the didn't spend the whole epilogue justifying why this is the case now. Perhaps he has to follow a more recent class of soldiers/sailers going through the Q course, RASP, or BUD/S to decide?

[Kevin T. Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

I don’t find it as engrossing and comprehensive as his other works but this is another stellar project on an obscure SOF training program. The pages on Marine Corps history are especially interesting

[Darren Sapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Rangers, SEALs, Green Berets, etc. are well known, Couch educates us on training for the fairly new and exciting Marine special forces.

[Jeff Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great discrimination of what it takes to make one of the finest soldiers doing what we will never know making a safer world.

[Lucas Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book started out kind of slow going and was more-or-less the same pace with seemingly repetitive info throughout. Nonetheless a well researched and documented account of MARSOC school.

[Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened on CD. This made it hard to skip the BORING parts, of which there are many. You have to be a real Military History and a Marine fan to real like this book.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hah! Finally finished! Funny how long it can take to read a book when you only read it over lunch at work.

This was a well-written book; it is filled with a lot of information. It reads more like a ‘textbook,’ per se, than the type of books that I normally prefer to read. It has a wealth of information in it; I know I am repeating myself, but it is true. I cannot say that it was a ‘fast-moving’ book, but that was not the purpose of the author’s narrative. Instead, the author gave honor where honor was due. It was a fascinating account about how the Marines, which are already a ‘special unit,’ developed their own ‘special forces’ unit within their organization, and how a team moves through the training.

I thought the author did a nice job comparing and contrasting different mission requirements of Rangers, Green Berets, SEALs, and special ops Marines throughout the book. He states several times how he has always felt that the Army’s Special Forces were the best ‘all-around’ in terms of the various specialties because of what they could accomplish, but he a could easily see the Marines’ special forces unit ‘replacing’ the Green Berets as the ‘best all-around’ in his mind.

In the “epilogue” the author briefly discusses women being involved in the various Special Forces units. Once all of the political garbage gets pushed aside, I felt he made three valid points to consider in regard to women being involved in Special Forces units. Something to consider.

I also liked how he would discuss other training methods and compare them to the Marines’ methods. It was an interesting look at the similarities and the differences between the various units and how they worked together to cross-train units from other branches.

Each cadre has its own unique specialty as its area of focus, so it’s not really valid to say one branch is ‘better than’ another. Each cadre has its own strengths and weaknesses that they bring to the table. However, the author felt that the Marines were going to soon be bringing ‘the most’ to the table as they are already an elite unit and the MEUs were comparable to an on-call, 911 force. So it will be interesting to ‘see’ how the Marines special forces teams continue to grow, expand, and evolve over time.

I am glad I read the book.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couch followed the training regiment of a Marine Special Operations class. He described their backgrounds and the skills they are taught. He also gives a brief history of the marine corps and the significance of the establishment of the Marine Special Operations Command.

Why I started this book: When I think of Special Operations, the Navy SEALs are what first come to mind, so it was interesting to learn about another branch of the military.

Why I finished it: The audio kept me moving through the book, but it is a book that is better suited to those in special operations or considering a career as a Marine Special Operator.

[Dan Parrott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting subject material. I've read most of Mr. Couch's nonfiction books, and this one was little different than the others with a significant exception. Mr. Couch delved little into what these MARSOC operators have actually done downrange, leaving a gap in the information the book delivers. I liked this book, but came away wishing the author had closed the circle a bit more and shared how MARSOC is actually working out in theatre. Wider appeal, especially if you are interested in elite unit training.

[Jessika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my thing - too much boring detail that I didn't understand, though I say this is completely a personal preference. My father would be MESMERISED, no doubt. I, however, couldn't get into it or get through more than the first few chapters, Oh, well...

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into what MARSOC both from a historical perspective of its formation and to what a MARSOC CSO goes through.

[Lori Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to understand the newest team of SARCOM read this book

[Stephan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you hoping to join MARSOC, read this book first. Interesting read, basically maps out what to expect in the selection process for MARSCOC.

[Austins.]

it is a great book