The U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon

Time you got around to sponsoring a child

U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon: Swift, Silent, Deadly

Official force name

USMC Force Recon
Force Recon

Branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Chain of Command

Commandant of the Marine Corps

Description

Versatile Sea, Air or Land force, mainly trained for inland reconnaissance and surveillance.

Readiness

Each team can deploy anywhere in the world with 18 hours notice.

Specializations

Conducting Airborne operations, conducting direct action operations, conducting raids, hydographic recoinnasance, infiltrating and exfiltrating by sea, air or land, support of general purpose forces (GPF).

Insertion date

Traced back to the middle of WWII, first battalion formed in January of 1942.

Reason of creation

Need of a rapid reaction force for the USMC.

The United States Marine Corps Force Recon units are very similar to the U.S. Navy SEALs. Both units train alongside on occasion, as their training is very similar. The main difference comes with their mission. Force Recon's missions involving more reconnaissance and surveillance are known as the 'green side' missions. The other type of missions include Air Force Air Commandos and Direct Action (a SEAL specialty.) Also because Force Recon's main job is to conduct recon, they tend to operate further inland than the SEALs. A lot of times they work alongside the normal Marines to help with prepatory action.

Force Recon is not considered a Special Operations Force of the U.S. military, but in the past years, the Commandant of the Marine Corps has decided that the force may be able to contribute some of its assets to the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Force Recon Marines on a training exerciseEnlarge

Force Recon Marines on a training exercise

Specializations

External links