The new insignia includes an eagle with outstretched wings carrying a dagger in its talons and a shield with the five stars of the Southern Cross constellation, under which the Battle of Guadalcanal occurred. A banner carrying the motto of MARSOC — “Spiritus Invictus,” or “Unconquerable Spirit” — is aloft across the top. The insignia was designed by a Marine captain who is a member of MARSOC, according to military documents.

Maj. Gen. Carl E. Mundy III, the commander of MARSOC, said in a statement that the new insignia “serves as visual certification” of all the training Marine Raiders must undergo. They must be able to “understand and interact in dynamic, dangerous and politically-sensitive battlefields,” Mundy said.

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Documents obtained by The Washington Post indicate that the creation of the insignia received approval last October from Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman, then MARSOC’s top commander. Osterman has since been nominated to become the three-star deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and was replaced last month by Mundy.

Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Bailey, the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations, said in a memo endorsing the change after Osterman that “the creation and approval of an insignia denoting the unique skills these Marines possess is entirely appropriate.” The service’s culture is traditionally resistant to adding many patches and insignias, but Bailey said that the length, difficulty and level of achievement required to be a Raider is different.

The MARSOC documents obtained by The Post include a one-page comparison to the insignias worn by other elite forces in the military, including the SEALs and the Army Special Forces. The comparison notes that Raiders receive 59 total weeks of initial training — more than the SEALs and only a few weeks less than the Green Berets of Army Special Forces.

In a few other cases, other Marines already are allowed to wear different insignia. Pilots, for example, wear a gold set of wings. Explosive ordnance disposal technicians are allowed to wear a pin that is commonly known in the services as the “crab,” though it does not include one. Rather, it has two lightning bolts, a shield and a wreath laurel. A small number of Marines also are allowed to wear a combatant diver insignia, which shows scuba gear in it and goes to those who undergo training in Panama City, Fla.

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