Radio Recon

[azmaveth]

I'm very interested in hearing how any Radio Recon Marines got their job. From what I can tell, I will have the opportunity to attend the Recon Indoc even though my MOS will be 267x. However, I don't want to be an infantry Recon Man. Does anyone here have experience with or know someone in Radio Recon? I would love to get the lowdown on it.

Thanks,
-az

[STA0311]

So basically you want to be one of those that wear the RECON shirts and say you are with RECON....but really arent! All you are going to do is work in a shop.....RECON bubbas operate their own equpiment.

[Marine84]

HAHAHAHAHA! Another satisfied customer!

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

I'm not positive, but I would assume that to be one of the radio recon guys the first step would be to obtain the MOS of 06XX or 28XX. Then take the recon indoc and move forward.

Of course, if you mean signal intel. by radio recon, that is a whole other story. It is its own MOS and really doesn't have anything to do with what you think of as recon.

[azmaveth]

I'm talking about the SIGINT guys that get deployed with Recon, but aren't actually in the Recon Man MOS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Reconnaissance_Platoon

No, I'm not counting on being able to make the cut (I'm already 29 and perhaps past my prime), although I would enjoy the challenge. I don't have any false dreams of glory. I'm just thrilled that the Corps found enough potential in me to grant me an age waiver to enlist in the first place. :)

[Korling]

http://www.radioreconplt.com/home.htm

Check out that link.

Radio Recon has nothing to do with 06xx or 28xx MOSs, the Radio refers to Radio Battalions which are SIGINT units made of 26xx types. The link above is the site for the 2nd Radio Recon Platoon (as in the one out of 2nd Radio Battalion) and may provide you the answers you are looking for.

Bottom line is you need to (a) become a 26xx Marine (b) get stationed at a Radio Battalion and (c) get screened for the platoon [you can volunteer but you have to pass their screening].

Back in my day, they weren't well respected by Recon Marines (who saw them as a bunch of fake wannabees) and they also weren't well respected within Radio Battalions by their fellow SIGINT Marines (who thought of them as just a bunch of PT lovers that couldn't actually cut it as linguists or code copiers, my roommate at DLI once had to augment one of the platoons on a deployment cause none of their linguists could actually do their "voice intercept" job well enough for the mission) Of course that was many years ago now so things probably have changed somewhat and I have no doubt improvements in training and capabilities have occured.

[bootlace15]

I was a radio humper,I got the job easy,I did'nt have any experience,My Sgt. said you look big enough to draw attention,so carry it.Glad I did it saved my life.

[Dave Coup]

I was a Radio Operator with an Infantry Battalion. Spent a month on a Recon OP (Youth) relaying between the Bn in the field and the Bn in the rear. Don't recall that the Recon guys there had any Radio Operator, just themselves.

Semper Fi

Dave

[MillRatUSMC]

I see I'm way behind the times in regard to Recon...when I was member of 1st and 3rd Recon, all our communicators were trained in communications before volunteering to become Recon Marines.
I see now there's several tiers in Recon...starting with;


Marine Corps Special Operations
Which was a Force Recon Platoon
Followed by the
Recon Battalions with the Force Recon platoon of each Battalion
Now we have ;
Radio Recon Platoons, out of the Radio Battalions.
Is all this dupilications of the same element?
I best read more on Recon of today...
I must be getting OLD...

[azmaveth]

Thank you Korling, that was exactly the information I was looking for. :thumbup:

[1stRad2671]

I was in a Radio Recon Co for about a year. By doing more conventional SIGINT I actually accomplished a lot more than I would've had I stayed in recon.

First you must get a 2600 MOS. I highly suggest learning a language, especially Arabic. Of course to do that you will have to pass the DLAB test with a score of 100 or better and have high ASVAB scores. Then there is the whole 63 weeks of intense language instruction at DLI, if you go the Arabic route. The attrition rate is or at least was quite high.

In the meantime you will be investigated for eligibility for a top secret clearance. If you get your clearance you will then go to Goodfellow AFB for 5-6 months of classified training.

Then you have to actually be stationed at a Radio Bn as opposed to an RSOC, i.e. Ft Meade, Ft Gordon or elsewhere if you learn something other than Arabic.

After 2 to 2 1/2 years once you you've finished all that and arrive at a Radio Bn, then you can request to be in Radio Recon Co and try the indoc. The 1st Rad Bn indoc is different the that of 2nd Rad Bn.

If you go the signals route, the schools are shorter and in different locations.

Radio recon Marines attend the same schools that all the other recon units attend. Airborne and SERE are automatic. ARS or BRC if there are slots available. An in-house training course basically accomplishes the same thing but does not give you the 0321 MOS like the schools do. There are a bunch of other specialty schools and courses too.

In Afghanistan members of the RRT were at times attached to Force Recon and SAS units. So it's not like they are completely incapable of operating in a more typical recon unit.

[USMCVet1992]

http://www.forcerecon.com/strongmenarmed2.htm
A LOT OF CONFUSION HERE ABOUT RECON.... WHICH ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, DIVISION? CHECK OUT THE LINK ABOVE, WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WHO HAS FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE, AND NOT JUST ANOTHER WANNABE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT 0321 IS NOT FORCE RECON... 0321'S ARE STILL HIGH SPEED AND HIGHLY TALENTED OPERATORS BUT NOT FORCE LEVEL OPERATORS.

[volcomkid22]

Hopefully this posts. If not...I did my best. To volunteer for Radio Recon you would need to be either a 2621, or 2631. You will need a TS/SCI before going to either of those schools (either for '21 or '31). Radio Recon Marines according to actual RR Marines in CA, go through BRC, Jump School, and SERE school. They may go through other schools as well. They are Signals Intel Marines, so any missions they go on they are dealing with signals usually before shooting bad guys. They have been known to work with Force Recon (when they existed), and still ocassionally work with Battalion Recon. I'm getting all this from my career planner, and Marines in the 2600 occfield. If you have foreign parents getting a TS/SCI can be a beast, only because they might not want to process extra paperwork. Any Radio Recon Marines feel free to correct me on this post.

[fieldcammies]

Most of the RRT guys I have worked with are not BRC schooled Marines. I only know one or two that went to BRC, and considering that being an 0311 is now a requirement for going to BRC I doubt you'll see many RRT Marines going in the future.

[scarecrow]

I was in 2nd Radio Recon Plt. on Lejeune from 2001 to 2005. I did the 2nd MEB invasion of Iraq, and the 22 MEU Mt. Storm in Afghanistan. I can tell you that no one likes an RRT operator.
RRP=radio recon platoon
RRT=radio recon team

My experience was that it is a constant fight to prove yourself amongst the battalion and Force recon guys. Since MARSOC has taken shape I'm not really sure how the teams are deployed. Prior to the formation of MARSOC, the RRT's, a platoon of battalion recon guys, and a platoon of Force recon guys were all labeled the MSPF (maritime special purpose force). We had a great group of guys and I would say we all got along pretty well. In any unit where you have to prove yourself day in and day out, anyone would get angry if someone else was saying that they are equal to you. So, inevitably, the traditional Recon battalion and Force teams have some beef with the RRT's.
Yet, "most" RRT operators are ARS, SERE, and Jump trained. Does that mean anything? Not really. A monkey could pass SERE and Jump. ARS (amphibious recon school, which gives the MOS 0321...Reconnaissance Man) was very hard in my opinion. I thought I had a pretty good RIP before I went to ARS and I was still challenged. They can say what they want to say, but I am an 0321.
I DON'T kick down doors.
I DO collect signals and hopefully save lives/send important info back to the platoon commanders to make informed decisions.

In short, it is a tough job, I made lifetime friends, it sucked and that's why I loved it. maybe none of this made any sense...
at any rate, I would DEFINITELY recommend trying out for MARSOC and being on one of the RRT's.

[scarecrow]

One last thought,
If you do think you are tough enough to go Recon, then why stop there. There are rumors that MARSOC is not going to fly very long. So, get out, join the Air Force and try to become a ParaRescue. Or, join the army and try DEV or SF. Those are the guys that get the real missions. Trust me, there is no MEU commander out there willing to utilize the recon units to their fullest potential.

In short, swallow your pride, and take that next step.

[TRN]

Radio Battalion.

[MGySgtSki]

Hopefully this posts. If not...I did my best. To volunteer for Radio Recon you would need to be either a 2621, or 2631. You will need a TS/SCI before going to either of those schools (either for '21 or '31). Radio Recon Marines according to actual RR Marines in CA, go through BRC, Jump School, and SERE school. They may go through other schools as well. They are Signals Intel Marines, so any missions they go on they are dealing with signals usually before shooting bad guys. They have been known to work with Force Recon (when they existed), and still ocassionally work with Battalion Recon. I'm getting all this from my career planner, and Marines in the 2600 occfield. If you have foreign parents getting a TS/SCI can be a beast, only because they might not want to process extra paperwork. Any Radio Recon Marines feel free to correct me on this post.

Radio Recon is open to all 26XX MOS's. And the RRTs work MOSTLY with the Battalion Recon and STA bubbas while attached to a MEU. Drop me a PM if you have any specific questions.

S/F

[YutYut]

FYI, in the opinion of this Marine, SIGINTers are pretty damned smart. I work at JIEDDO right now (www.jieddo.mil) and my shop specifically handles SIGINT and MASINT systems. You can throw all that rivalry BS out the window because some of the gear these motivators use and the stuff they generally have to know is pretty high-speed.

Scarecrow -- every new FY there were rumors that Marines stationed in DC were going to rate COLA. That never happened. I'll believe it when I see it. MarSOC has had some significant dollars poured into it so far with the schools being set up for the various disciplines and what not. I'd be surprised if MarSOC disappeared any time soon.