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View Full Version : So you want to be a Reconner? Another path to consider.



Lynn2
07-28-10, 10:44 AM
Hands down the best job in the Fleet Marine Force (IMO):
http://www.forcerecon.com/strongmenarmed2.htm

"For the Sailors, the schooling is similar--with some notable differences. The Navy Corpsman assigned to the Company are a special breed. While one would normally think of medical personnel being non-combatants, working in a reasonably secure environment, that is absolutely not the case of the Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman. When assigned to a platoon, they are shooters first, and caregivers second. As Senior Chief Robert Fitzgerald states, "Fire superiority is the best type of combat medicine". (Senior Chief is the senior SARC in the Navy, and another genuine hard guy in the midst of a bunch of other very hard guys). In a platoon, the Corpsman is assigned to the headquarters team. He will usually carry that teams M249 SAW.
http://www.forcerecon.com/images/strong/14ath.jpg (http://www.forcerecon.com/images/strong/14aw.jpg)The pipeline for the Corpsman runs for approximately 72 weeks of schooling, exclusive of travel and administrative time (awaiting school quotas etc.)
It starts with the 7-week Field Medical Service School at Camp Pendelton or Camp Lejeune, where he learns basic medical skills and how he will function in a Marine Corps unit.
Next are the 12 week Basic Reconnaissance Course, the 3 week Basic Airborne Course and the 8 week Combatant Diver Course.
The Corpsman breaks from his Marine brothers, and attends the 8427 specific schools. The first is the Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman Diving Medicine Course at Panama City, FL. From there he moves to the 24 week Special Operations Combat Medics Course at Ft. Bragg.
http://www.forcerecon.com/images/strong/14bth.jpg (http://www.forcerecon.com/images/strong/14bw.jpg)And finally, the 22-week long Special Operations Medical Sergeant Course also at Ft. Bragg. The famous 18-D course is extremely demanding, and trains the Corpsman to independently assess and provide minor and acute long-term medical care for a variety of medical conditions, including minor surgery.
Once the Corpsman joins a platoon during the Phase 2 iteration, he attends all of the platoons training. In the field he is indistinguishable from the Marines he serves with. He is a member of a team, and functions exactly as every other member of a Force Reconnaissance Platoon. (There have been Corpsman designated as Team Leaders)."

Lynn2
07-28-10, 11:40 AM
Creed

Realizing it is my choice and my choice alone to be a Reconnaissance Marine, I accept all challenges involved with this profession. Forever shall I strive to maintain the tremendous reputation of those who went before me.


Exceeding beyond the limitations set down by others shall be my goal. Sacrificing personal comforts and dedicating myself to the completion of the reconnaissance mission shall be my life. Physical fitness, mental attitude, and high ethics—The title of Recon Marine is my honor.


Conquering all obstacles, both large and small, I shall never quit. To quit, to surrender, to give up is to fail. To be a Recon Marine is to surpass failure; To overcome, to adapt and to do whatever it takes to complete the mission.


On the battlefield, as in all areas of life, I shall stand tall above the competition. Through professional pride, integrity, and teamwork, I shall be the example for all Marines to emulate.


Never shall I forget the principles I accepted to become a Recon Marine. Honor, Perseverance, Spirit and Heart.
A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word and achieve what others can only imagine.


"Swift, Silent, Deadly"

thenewchance
07-28-10, 11:24 PM
Thanks for posting this, Marine. It was interesting to learn about.

Lynn2
07-29-10, 07:22 AM
You are welcome.

But as my sig line states I was not a Marine.

I was a Marine Reconner though.

Thus this thread and this info

thewookie
07-29-10, 09:08 AM
But as my sig line states I was not a Marine.



I think the confusion may lie with the title "MARINE" under your screen name. Maybe you should fix that so nobody is confused. Semper Fi

Lynn2
07-29-10, 09:16 AM
I think the confusion may lie with the title "MARINE" under your screen name. Maybe you should fix that so nobody is confused. Semper Fi

Maybe they should change they way they register people on this forum?

One box to check for Marine and One box to check for Doc

Bruce59
07-29-10, 09:42 AM
Lynn, as a old 3rd recon guy let me say Corpsmen are one of the best
in the U.S. Military. With courage that as spanned the years, they may
have more MOH then any small outfit in the Military.

One day in 1960 the Col. said we could make our own platoon flags, Sooo
I was in 2nd patloon and our flag said " Slow, Noisy, Harmless and Drunk

Lynn2
07-29-10, 09:53 AM
Lynn, as a old 3rd recon guy let me say Corpsmen are one of the best
in the U.S. Military. With courage that as spanned the years, they may
have more MOH then any small outfit in the Military.

One day in 1960 the Col. said we could make our own platoon flags, Sooo
I was in 2nd patloon and our flag said " Slow, Noisy, Harmless and Drunk


Or as Phil Caputo said in his book Rumor of War when talking about 3Recon:

"They were self-styled cowboys whose motto was Swift- Silent- Deadly.

But it should have been Slow--Noisy--Harmless because all they ever did was go out and get surrounded and call for the infantry to bail them out."

In truth it was the Wing we called :-)

thenewchance
07-29-10, 08:23 PM
Sorry if you mentioned this, but how long were you in service?