Recon Training.

[dep_baumy]

This should answer some poolees questions about Recon.




The RECON Marines
"There are two types of RECON Marine : "Battalion" & "Force" RECON. The training paths for Marines in both RECON units are similar. More advanced training focuses on a platoon's likely missions while deployed, so Battalion and Force RECON Marines basically differ only in who their boss is - either the Battalion Commander or the Task Force Commander.
Initial training consists of Marine Recruit Training, & the School of Infantry, training as a rifleman. Students are then assigned to the Basic Recon Course. Upon successful completion of the BRC, Marines report to their assigned recon unit & receive various professional, technical and tactical training.

Marine Recon INDOC (RIP)
1st Force Recon's current "indoc" (indoctrination program) is a 48 hr. evolution. In order to even get invited to attend the indoctrination course, you must have between 3-4 years of experience in the field and should be scoring at least 285 on the Marine Corp PFT: But as with any Special Operation units, you must be a stellar Marine with a near flawless record. "

[MillRatUSMC]

dep_baumy that's about nail it on the head.
Another thing, the people seeking to gone Recon.
Must be highly motivated.
The training is hard, but the mission requires that it be hard.
I trained hard in 1st Recon and 3rd Recon.
Vietnam saw me in an infantry company because the needs of Corps were greater than mine.
Many infantry companies found themselves short of Non Commission Officers or NCO's.
I was a Corporal at the time, so I became a squad leader.
All that training wasn't wasted, it help me in Vietnam.
I have my cover off to all those men that served in Recon units in Vietnam.
Yet I would be remiss if I didn't say, that some Recon Marines see other Marines that trained as Recon Marines but did not do Recon in Vietnam as less than themselves.
It was the luck of draw of who served where and when.
Just as we're discussing, who serve was worth more, John Forbes Kerry or President George W. Bush.
They both served during the time we were in Vietnam.
One in-country, the other in the air National Guard.
One came back and demostrated against the war in Vietnam.
To the point of throwing back the medals he was recipent of.
So as we say "Once a Marine, Always a Marine" could that be extented to say "Once a Recon Marine, Always a Recon Marine".
We went through Recon indoctrination, in my case twice not once.
But enough of that...here a link to some information on Recon.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/9995421B74956A1385256B610005698F?opendocument
It's not a describition of Basic Recon Course (BRC) but Marines and Sailor who took the test to enter the Basic Recon Course,
Why sailors you might ask, the Corpsmen assigned to Recon also are required to under go the same training.
They too must be highly motivated...

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

PS Remembering men from Bravo Company 3rd Recon 3rd Marine Division that never made back alive.
Some were brave beyond what we consider humanly, one in particular.
In garrison, he would at best be remembered as a xhit-bird, but when the chips were down, he called in arty on his position as they were being over run, his action as the soul surviving unwounded left to make that call, was what saved many Marines to live another day.
For that action, he became a recipent of the Silver Star.
For the obivous reason, I chose to omit naming him.

[Chain Breaker]

Wow, thanks for the info. I am interested in one day becoming a Recon Marine, but it is so hard to find info about them. I have one question: does training to become a Recon Marine differ for officers?

Once again thanks.

[MillRatUSMC]

The Officers in Recon too must be highly motivated.
I was lucky to have had 1st. Lt. Frank Stanley Reasoner as my Recon Platoon Commander.
http://www.mishalov.com/images/reasoner.jpg
Below is a page to Medal of Honor citation.
http://www.mishalov.com/Reasoner.html
Many of the Officers were in the same mold as my Platoon Commander.
Another Recon Platoon Commander from 1st Recon in Vietnam, is now Major Clebe McClary then he was a 2nd Lt.
They conduct most of the training of Recon Marines.
So they train just like the enlisted but they have the extra responsiblity of leadership on their shoulders.
I hope this answered your question on the training of Recon Marine Officers...

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

[Chain Breaker]

Wow. What a great Marine. People ask me all the time: "Why would you ever want to join the Marine Corps." I say some thing like: "Well too many people in my family are in the Air Force. Bout time some one joined a real branch." They usefully laugh. But the truth is deeper than that I feel indebted to my country for one. I have so much here that other people don't have. And I feel I should give back.
But I also feel like there just ain't too many people left in this world with guts like 1st. Lt. Frank Stanley Reasoner. People like him that will stand up and do more then what was asked of them, and if need be die to save life's.

I want to be like him and others like him.

Thanks for your help, you have saved me an E-mail to the recruiter. (I would rather have my questions answered by BTDT anyway.)