The primary aim of this article is to describe the fundamental entry requirements, selection process and training for personnel seeking to become a Reconnaissance Marine or Expeditionary Ground Reconnaissance Officer.Ī secondary aim is to highlight and discuss other elements of the USMC reconnaissance community where appropriate.įor information on the US Marine Corps’s Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Critical Skills Operator and Special Operations Officer selection and training process look here. It is essential that candidates arrive fully fit, carrying no injuries and with a sound grasp of basic navigation and swimming techniques. The course requires far greater expenditure of physical energy than is normally required in other peace time training. It must be emphasised that a candidate must be physically fit at the beginning of the reconnaissance training process if they are to stand any chance of success. “Officials say they need 1,146 recon Marines to fully man the community, but that with 928 on the books now, the service is two companies short.” (Fuentes, 2015). Conduct limited scale raids and ambushes.Ĭonsequently, Reconnaissance Marines are experts in reconnaissance, scouting and patrolling operations.įrom boot camp to first deployment, a Reconnaissance Marine or Expeditionary Ground Reconnaissance officer may undertake approximately one to two years of training.Conduct post-strike reconnaissance to determine and report battle damage assessment on a specified target or area.Designate and engage selected targets with organic weapons and force fires to support battlespace shaping this includes designation and terminal guidance of precision-guided munitions.Conduct Initial Terminal Guidance (ITG) for helicopters, landing craft, parachutists, air-delivery and re-supply.Infiltrate mission areas by necessary means to include: surface subsurface and airborne operations.When properly task organised with other forces, equipment or personnel, assist in specialised engineer, radio, and other special reconnaissance missions.Conduct specialised surveying to include: underwater reconnaissance and/or demolitions beach permeability and topography routes bridges structures urban/rural areas helicopter landing zones (LZ) parachute drop zones (DZ) aircraft forward operating sites and mechanised reconnaissance missions.Plan, coordinate, and conduct amphibious-ground reconnaissance and surveillance to observe, identify, and report enemy activity, and collect other information of military significance.Working in a 6-man task organised team capable of conducting specific missions behind enemy lines, the role of the USMC reconnaissance community is to provide Marine commanders with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information, and as such their role includes: “You’ve got high attrition in BRC, coupled with casualties in combat and just the high turnover rate in our MOS of losing guys to MARSOC, losing corpsmen to MARSOC, and guys just naturally getting out after a couple of deployments…” Reconnaissance is also viewed as a poor relation of MARSOC, the Marine’s Special Operations Command, as noted by Captain Quinn (Executive Officer of the Recon Training Company) (Fuentes, 2015): However, despite both assets operating in the reconnaissance role, they have distinctive responsibilities (Section 1.4). These two amphibious/ground reconnaissance assets of the USMC, Division and Force Reconnaissance, are generally trained in the same aspect and environment of intelligence collection for a Navy/Marine Fleet Marine Force Commander, regardless of their difference in tactical area of responsibility (AOR). This article provides an overview of the recruitment, selection and training process for the US Marine Corps’ Reconnaissance community, which includes the two amphibious/ground reconnaissance assets of the USMC known as Division Reconnaissance and Force Reconnaissance. Part 03: Outline of the USMCs Reconnaissance Selection & Training process.Part 02: Entry Standards and Applications.
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