Infantry and Recon

Hello Marines, I have a few questions about Infantry and Force Recon.

1.) First, I would like to know what does Infantry do when there is NOT a war going on?

2.) What are similarities/differences between Infantry and Recon and how much use does Recon get in comparison with Infantry?

Thanks for your time.

1. Train - Deploy UDP - MEU(Boats)

2. BN Recon - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_...Reconnaissance Force Recon-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...Reconnaissance
Light Armored Recon- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_A...Reconnaissance
Infantry- Look up the different mos's to get specific of what you will be doing. 0311-Rifleman 0313-Lav Crewman 0321-Recon Marine 0331-Machine Gunner 0341-Mortarman 0351-Assaultman 0352-TOW Gunner

Doesn't anyone know how to use the search bar, or the internet, to look up this info. This topic has been covered many times before.

I did not find a thread that had these particular questions, I have no doubt there have been many threads about Recon and Infantry respectively, however these particular questions to what I've seen have not been answered. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I'm just saying the threads I skimmed through in the search did not point me to my answers.

Thanks.

Google Is Your F*cking Friend

Indeed it is that is how I found out much of what I know, but you cannot find everything you need on google (possibly, but accuracy can fluctuate greatly) I have not found a clear answer to the questions I asked and that's why I asked them on here. Not to annoy, not to clog up the forums or something. I asked what the difference between Recon and Infantry and how much use do they get in comparison which is something that could probably be better answered by someone who really experienced it, that's why I posted it here.

Recon goes to lots and lots of schools then puts a corpsman on point. Infantry drags their knuckles and are bullet sponges.

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Originally Posted by Bulkyker

Recon goes to lots and lots of schools then puts a corpsman on point. Infantry drags their knuckles and are bullet sponges.

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comeon bulk brother I wasn't bullet sponge but tell you what im still trying to get rid of them scars on my knuckles.

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Originally Posted by Ianshred923

skimmed through

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theres your problem.

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Originally Posted by Ianshred923

Hello Marines, I have a few questions about Infantry and Force Recon.

1.) First, I would like to know what does Infantry do when there is NOT a war going on?
In the OLD CORPS we trained, cleaned our gear and weapons, had massive inspections, prepped for deployments, deployed, visited foreign countries on deployments, met women and had our way with them, visited other nations, had our way with more of those types of women, came home like the heroes we were, drank too much, bought cars with the money we saved on deployment, took **** tests after returning, went on leave to go see our girlfriends and repeated the cycle.

2.) What are similarities/differences between Infantry and Recon and how much use does Recon get in comparison with Infantry?
Every swingin' dikk in the Corps is a basic infantryman. Some folks end up with it as a trade in the Corps after graduating from SOI. Most Recon Marines started out in infantry. Recon is a tool of the combatant commanders who need information on the enemy and equipment they are using. Recon uses a variety of methods to get this information. Unlike on TV and the movies, Recon doesn't go into places with guns blazing and kill every bad guy they see. Much of the jobs Recon does requires small teams of guys to get in, get what is needed to be done, and get the fukk out without the bad guys having known you have been there or when they do figure it out, it's way too late to do anything about it. You'll acquire some nice skills of parachuting to include HALO, scuba diving, possibly scout sniper, SERE, and all kinds of other cool things. You had better learn to be a PT monster, swim like a fish, and live in a way (in the field) that would gross out the average person to the point that they would vomit. Any other questions?

Thanks for your time.

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There ya go! Oh yeah, better learn to get along with the guys in the other branches of the service where Spec Ops are combined. You might have to depend on that Army Ranger, Navy Seal, AF Combat Controller or PJ, or Army Green Beret to pick up your gear and your shot up assssss when you need it most.

I can't tell you much about state side stuff or peace time stuff for recon or the infantry. But I have some very old impressions as far as combat from back in the day.

Going out on a recon team could have been for any number of reasons.

The most common was pure recon work. You get inserted and you hump and observe then sit and observe. You are not there to make contact. If you see anything worth killing it is normally the radio that you will be using to do the heavy lifting for you. Team size for me as far as this type of mission was normally 4-12 guys.

The other type of mission was more direct action. Raids, snatches, etc. One time two whole companies of 3Recon operating as point and tail end charlie for what amounted to two companies of infantry.

But even on DA type of missions, small team size ones anyway, the radio may still be your best killing tool. With that radio you can call down the thunder of the gods on the enemy.

Only in fiction or the mind of stupid people do 8 Reconners take on 180 infantry in a standing gun battle of their own choosing. But your radio can.

The two biggest differences for me as far as Recon vs Infantry in VN was the numbers. Going out in 4 man teams for 5 days. That is not something everyone enjoys or would want to do.

And like working in a small office as opposed to a large large department in Recon you tend to get exposed to everything and you do a lot of stuff that you might not do in a larger outfit.


And yes as my good friend Bulkyker points out on a recon Team in VN that Navy Doc might end up on point, he might just be carrying the M-79 for the Team and in some instances Navy Docs actually served as Team Leaders for USMC Recon Patrols.

This sort of thing would never happen if the Doc was in an infantry outfit.

On a team everyone has to know how, as close as you can come, to be able to do the other guys job. When there is only 4 or 5 or 6 of you it cannot be any other way.

If you can get through the very tough indoc and the long pipeline and you can handle the stress of being on a small Team when it is deployed in the field in combat-----its a truly great gig.

But its also high risk work just as the infantry is.

Another difference with Recon.

And its a term I never heard when I was on a Team. In fact never heard it until a few years ago on the internet. I have heard it several times though from very experienced USMC Reconners and those on Sniper Teams.


"Big Boy Rules"


It implies a certain way you are treated by the Suits in management when you are on a Team. It implies how you are expected to function.

Never having spent any quality time in any other kind of Unit it is hard for me to compare. But I know in my bones what it means as far as working on a small Team.

Some people like that way of functioning.

As for me, in July 1966, just coming in off a 4 or 5 day patrol, I found myself with a small handful of Marines (maybe 12 of us) standing before the Commanding General of all Marines in VN. As we briefed him on what we had been seeing out in the field.

Based on those discussion he stopped listening to his senior staff back in DaNang and committed the Marines in Northern ICorps to the largest USMC Operation of the war up to that time. Hastings.

Someone could have spent 50 years in another type of unit , as a Marine or Doc like myself, and never come close to that sort of experience.

Interesting stuff

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it, that was quite informative. :)

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Originally Posted by Ianshred923

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it, that was quite informative. :)

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If team work of any kind (Navy-Army-Marines) is hopefully in your future then you may want to go to www.socnet.com to read. That is a dedicated Team/SpecOps type of Forum.

Its important if you are going to read what people think or ask questions of people about this line of work that you go to where those people can be found.

Otherwise the advice you get is not worth all that much

Good Luck on your career

Doc