About SFG-MAKO
Defense Intelligence Agency • Directorate for Mission Services
Embedded Files
Special Forces Group - MAKO
UNUS PRO OMNI
OFFICIAL NAME
DIA Special Forces Group - MAKO
OFFICIAL DENONYM
Marine Airborne Combat Operator
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
United States of America (USA)
BRANCH
U.S. Army Special Operations
DIA Directorate for Mission Services
ROLE
Special Operations, reconnaissance, clandestine action, HUMINT support, unconventional paramilitary warfare, foreign internal defense, high intensity direct action combat, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, information operations, counterproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and security force assistance.
The DIA Special Forces Group - MAKO (SFG-MAKO) is a paramilitary intelligence group that falls under the umbrella of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and the Department of Defense (DoD).
It is composed of both American and American-allied military personnel, many of whom are former highly skilled special operations personnel. MAKO conducts missions worldwide.
Its operatives are trained in unconventional paramilitary warfare, foreign internal defense, high-intensity direct-action combat, counterinsurgency and counterterrorism, special reconnaissance, information and HUMINT operations, counterproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, security force assistance, and a plethora of other possible missions.
UNIT TIMELINE
World War II
World War II
Origin of the Marina Makos
Origin of the Marina Makos
1943
1943
MAKO's lineage traces back to the 1st Observation Detachment of the 82nd Airborne Division, 504th Infantry Regiment. During Operation Husky in Sicily, the unit landed at Marina di Acate where they famously fought off sharks in the water, fashioning necklaces from shark teeth. This earned them the nickname "Marina Makos".
Korean War
Korean War
Unconventional Warfare
Unconventional Warfare
1950s
1950s
Reorganized into an unconventional role, the unit conducted sabotage, infiltration, and deep reconnaissance in China and North Korea, operating beyond traditional command structures.
Cold War
Cold War
Official DIA Establishment
Official DIA Establishment
1961
1961
When the Defense Intelligence Agency was established, the unit received its official name "MAKO" (Marine Airborne Combat Operations). Nicknamed "McNamara's MAKOs" after Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
Vietnam Era
Vietnam Era
Global Operations
Global Operations
1960s-70s
1960s-70s
SFG-MAKO performed politically sensitive operations throughout the globe - conducting clandestine reconnaissance and counter-insurgency missions.
Present Day
Present Day
Shifting Focus
Shifting Focus
Now
Now
After the Cold War, MAKO shifted focus to narcotics and counter-terrorism, operating in the Middle East, Africa, East Asia, and Latin America while maintaining capacity for deniable operations.
UNIT DESIGNATIONS
Known By Many Names
WWII - Sicily 1943
Marina Makos
The unit's earliest nickname, earned from their first combat jump when they fought off sharks at Marina di Acate.
WWII
Observers
Retained from the Second World War, referring to their founding unit's original designation as the 1st Observation Detachment.
Cold War 1961
McNamara's MAKOs
Early Cold War nickname referencing Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who supported the unit's formalization under the DIA.
Modern Era
The Red Berets
Named for the unit's ceremonial headpiece, paralleling their connection to the Army Green Berets.
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