The Marine Corps Is Moving All of Its Raiders to the East Coast

Nearly 15 years after the Marine Corps created its own special operations command, the service is now consolidating the command by moving all its operators to North Carolina.

About 900 Marines, sailors and civilians with the California-based 1st Marine Raider Battalion and its support unit will relocate to Camp Lejeune by the end of 2022. The move, which was announced on Wednesday, will help Marine Corps Special Operations Command become more efficient, officials said in a statement.

The consolidation "will allow MARSOC to gain back almost 2,000 man-days per year," according to the statement. Those days are otherwise spent on permanent change of station moves and temporary assignment duty requirements.

The move will also allow MARSOC to reform as it shifts its efforts and funding toward preparation for fighting a great-power competition, as laid out in the National Defense Strategy and commandant's planning guidance, Maj. Gen. Daniel Yoo, MARSOC's commander, said on Wednesday.

"MARSOC has been pursuing numerous lines of effort to increase performance, efficiencies, and capabilities ... to build a more lethal force and reform the department for greater performance and affordability," he said in a statement. "One line of effort is the consolidation of all Marine Special Operations Forces to the East Coast."

Marine Corps Times reported on Wednesday that Marine officials estimate the move will save the command $55 million over a five-year period.

Officials said having all its Raiders on one coast will also improve readiness and deployment-to-dwell time.

"MARSOC will be better positioned to [provide] greater stability and increased quality of life to Marine Raiders and their families," the statement says.

Related: Marine Raiders Fire Back After Call to Disband MARSOC

Members of 1st Marine Raider Battalion and 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion have been based at Camp Pendleton since MARSOC was activated in 2006. Moving the units' personnel and equipment to Camp Lejeune will occur in three phases.

The phases will be timed to minimize disruptions to Marines and their families, MARSOC officials said in the statement announcing the plan. Personnel and families will begin the cross-country moves during the traditional PCS cycle beginning in the summer of 2021.

Those moves are timed to allow families to complete PCS orders between academic school years.

The command is working with community plans and school liaison officers on the East Coast to determine the effects the relocations will have on school districts and the local community in and around Camp Lejeune. Base leaders will work with schools in the area "to anticipate and plan for increases in student population and to ensure that all students will be accommodated effetely and receive a quality education," officials said.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

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