Critical Skills Operators

Critical Skills Operators (CSOs) with a Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT) provide security for a training operation with Afghani Police recruits.

MSOTs are an element of MARSOC (United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command).

One of their roles is Foreign Internal Defence (FID), ie working with host nations on counter insurgency (COIN) operations.

MSOTs have been training and operating alongside Afghani police and military forces in order to combat the Taliban and to prepare Afghani forces for an eventual hand over of security responsibilities.

Critical Skills Operators pass through a grueling screening, assessment and individual training regime before being assigned to a Marine Special Operations Battaltion (MSOB) and deployment as a member of a MSOT.