Marine Raiders conducting tactical vehicle and weapons training.

1st Marine Raider Battalion conducts ground training at Camp Pendleton.

Marine Raiders conducting simulated partner nation training at pre-deployment exercise RAVEN.

Exercise Raider Spirit is the culminating event of Phase I of the nine-month Individual Training Course (ITC), where Marines that have been selected through a rigorous screening process to join MARSOC work toward learning the skills of a special operator and earning the 0372 Critical Skills Operator MOS.

1st Marine Special Operations Battalion participates in Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) training at Naval Station North Island near Coronado, CA, and Over the Beach (OTB) raid training at Camp Pendleton, CA to keep their maritime skills sharp in preparation for deployment.

Selected Marines participate in MARSOC Advanced Sniper Training (MASC) in order to familiarize themselves with foreign weapons they may find on the battlefield as well as hone their skills for solving complex problems individually or as part of a two-man team on an unknown battlefield, which replicates the stress of real operations.

The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct special amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines. "Edson's" Raiders of 1st Marine Raiders Battalion and "Carlson's" Raiders of 2nd Marine Raiders Battalion are said to be the first United States special operations forces to form and see combat in World War II.