Recon Vs. Infantry

[Pete0331]

Ok I will say it.... They are not that special. They just get sweet school spots that an Infantry Marine dosent get,and if they ever get the chance to use it on a real op they still do alot of the same Chit any other grunt dose. Also, they get a few cooler toys to play with but that dosent make them work a chit at all......

They definitely have their place.

I would rather have an 0311 Lcpl kicking doors with me then a 0321 NCO.

They know their comm stuff though.

[Alisium]

They definitely have their place.

I would rather have an 0311 Lcpl kicking doors with me then a 0321 NCO.

They know their comm stuff though.

It's an apples and oranges argument.

[0231Marine]

It's an apples and oranges argument.

Very true...they have seperate missions and training. A Recon platoon is not designed to go kicking in doors on a regular basis...that's why they are RECON...they are designed to collect intelligence and provide feedback.

[FistFu68]

You go out with a 7 Man team on Stingray Missions in Enemy terroritory fight your way in and then fight Your way out,all the FORCE RECONS were GRUNTS O311'S, RTO'S,but the times they are a changing.If you were Queer around us we would have slit Your fucing throat and said the NVA did iT Long Live Force

[Alisium]

Very true...they have seperate missions and training. A Recon platoon is not designed to go kicking in doors on a regular basis...that's why they are RECON...they are designed to collect intelligence and provide feedback.

I left out that I definitely think the avg Bn Recon Marine is fitter and probably has a greater level of self-dscipline than the average Infantry Marine. One of my junior Marines went into Bn Recon and I saw real improvement when I would visit him and talk to his friends.

That said, I don't think that they are, that far ahead of a regular Infantry Marine. I've worked with them, they're good but not Jedi knights. I'd save that for Force.

But, yeah, the job thing...apples and oranges.

[WalkingMan]

My experience with Recon was a long time ago, 1960's, Vietnam. I was with the Bravo 1/3 point FO team. I was the radio operator, and the team was four men, radio and forward observer, both of us cross-trained to do each other's jobs, and two (later it was upped to four, a full fire team) 0311's to provide cover.

One day the Skipper and someone with oak leaves came up to us and said 'go with them', so off we went with Recon. We were all blooded shooters by that time, with plenty of combat experience, and time in the bush, so there was not much difference at all, except that Recon had much higher standards of fire discipline, and were much quieter, due to the fact that we only had reinforced squad strength, and our mission was to snoop and poop, and direct artillery fire without giving our presence up to the bad guys, who had us way outnumbered.

I was a 2533, and knew Morse Code, and was crypto qualified, and our FO was ANGLICO, and knew how to handle the big Navy Guns, like the New Jersey, so we got to go on some interesting ops.

We remained working with Recon and some other smaller units, Navy, LDNN, ARVN, ROK, etc., after 1/3 stood down and returned to the States.

The Recon and Navy people were good folks, and so were the LDNN and ROK, but the ARVN was pretty scary, a real cluster-foxtrot.

[maverickmarine]

Swift, Silent and Deadly says it all....but yes, mindset, discipline and mission are the main differences....oh yeah, and great toys!!

[Smitty Puffs]

Recon is just glorified grunts. The only difference is they scuba dive and jump out of airplanes.

[Finger]

rg203,

It all started in WW2 with the Amphib Recon units. They did a mission very similar to the Navy UDT units in reconing and clearing beaches for the Infantry to land. They mostly worked from submarines. That is still part of the mission. Bn Recon for years supported the Divisions with this work and also distant reconnaissance and intel gathering. Force Recon came much later and was made for deep reconnaissance. That is why they were also Airborne/Halo qualed. The current units do all kinds of missions to support the Marine Corps, the other services and now also the SPECOP community. That is about it in a nutshell. Hard charging Marines with a special combat support role.

S/F
Finger

[FistFu68]

Glory HELL,We were always proud 2 be Grunts 1ST @ Always,whats Your beef smartazz?What not enuff Gutt or Intelligence 2 go the extra mile 4 tha CORPS L/CPL or just plain Jealiousy???

[Smitty Puffs]

Glory HELL,We were always proud 2 be Grunts 1ST @ Always,whats Your beef smartazz?What not enuff Gutt or Intelligence 2 go the extra mile 4 tha CORPS L/CPL or just plain Jealiousy???

Gutt or intelligence? Im in my units Scout/Sniper platoon. I'd hope I possess both.

Im just saying what my buddies in Recon tell me. They dont like the infantry vs. Recon arguement. They'll be the first to tell you that they basically all do the same **** in-country either way.

[FistFu68]

Great 4 You SNIPE,now go make a Night Jump @ take care of a Major Malfunction

[Smitty Puffs]

Im afraid im not reading you Lima Charlie on that one.

[SGT7477]

Im afraid im not reading you Lima Charlie on that one.

Marine,Fist has been around a block or two in his time.

[BHABIT]

Thanks Finger!!

I always new there was a reason for us to have a separate compound from the rest of the grunts. If I explained all the reasons why Recon is the best I'd have to get real personal with you...you wouldn't survive.