United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
Force Reconnaissance are United States Marine Corps reconnaissance units that provide deep ground and amphibious reconnaissance, surveillance, and limited-scale raids. They primarily support the Marine Expeditionary Force and other Marine Air-Ground Task Forces. Although FORECON companies are conventional forces they share many of the same tactics, techniques, procedures and equipment of special operations forces. Though commonly misunderstood to refer to reconnaissance-in-force, the name "Force Recon" actually refers to the unit's relationship with the Marine Expeditionary Force or Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Since the mid-1980s, a force recon detachment has formed part of a specialized sub-unit of Marine Expeditionary Units known as the Maritime Special Purpose Force or Maritime Raid Force.
Mission
The mission of Force Reconnaissance is to conduct amphibious reconnaissance, deep ground reconnaissance, surveillance, battle-space shaping, and limited scale raids in support of the Marine Expeditionary Force, other Marine air-ground task forces, or a joint force. Operational missions are categorized into two types: "green" operations, which focus on reconnaissance, and "black" operations, which involve direct action. Force Recon remains a conventional asset under the direct control of the Marine Corps, distinct from the United States Special Operations Command, and are not special operations forces. The Force Recon platoons operate farther inland than their Division Recon counterparts, penetrating deeper into enemy territory from their assigned littoral region within a force commander's tactical area of responsibility, often at ranges beyond the support of friendly artillery and/or naval gunfire support.Reconnaissance vs. Direct Action
Two mission sets emerged during the Vietnam War: Key Hole and Sting Ray. Key Hole patrols were designed purely around reconnaissance and surveillance. Usually lightly equipped and armed with defensive weapons, they employ evasive techniques to break away from the enemy should the need arise; avoiding enemy contact is paramount. Conversely, Sting Ray operations had goals more closely aligned with offensive strikes. In a Sting Ray operation, the FORECON operators were heavily armed and use artillery and/or naval gunfire support, if available. However, what began as a "keyhole" patrol could become a "stingray" patrol with little warning. The versatility of FORECON is demonstrated through switching between deep reconnaissance patrols to direct action engagements in certain situations.Green operations
Green operations are the principal mission of Force Recon to collect any pertinent intelligence of military importance, observe, identify, and report adversaries to MAGTF commanders. Like Division Recon, they employ a mixed element of amphibious reconnaissance and ground reconnaissance. This practice fundamentally covers a wide spectrum of reconnaissance but primarily the FORECON operators conduct deep reconnaissance. Their reconnaissance missions include preliminary and post-assault reconnaissance. Some examples are:- Battle damage assessment missions – Witnessing and reporting damage to targets, either from heavy support fire measures, air strikes, or thermonuclear weapons.
- Remote sensors operations – Placing remote sensors and beacons is vital for marking friendly/hostile boundaries and areas for helicopter assault and infantry transport.
- Initial terminal guidance –setting up/preparing landing zones and drop zones for forward operating sites, Marine fixed or rotary-wing aircraft, or waterborne locations.
Black operations
Examples are the seizures and occupation of gas/oil platforms and the visit, board, search, and seizure of ships during Maritime Interdiction Operations.
They provide personal security detail for critically important personnel within the MAGTF. They were formerly capable of performing In-Extremis Hostage Rescue, but this is no longer a Force Recon mission task.
Organization
In the past, early Force Reconnaissance companies initially were designed to function under the echelon of the Navy/Marine force commanders and Landing Force during amphibious landing operations or expeditionary engagements—to provide timely intelligence without exhausting their reconnaissance assets from the Marine Division without hampering their valuable support to its infantry regiments.Due to these changes, FORECON has been detached and reported to multiple commanders of Marine divisions, the Command Elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, and the immediate commander of the Marine Expeditionary Force. They were re-organized or reserved for "special reconnaissance" assignments that would otherwise help shape the outcome of his battlefield. These companies, for a few times in their existence, had either folded into the Marine Division, its Regiment's Recon Battalions, or dissolved entirely to only resurface during conflicts, or when other similar reasons had arisen.
The creation of Marine Special Operations Command on February 24, 2006, marked the United States Marine Corps' first commitment to the United States Special Operations Command. On August 11 2006, 2nd FORECON was deactivated with the majority of its personnel transferred to MARSOC to establish 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion with two platoons reassigned to 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion to establish D Company. Two months later in October, 1st FORECON met the same fate, with the majority of its personnel transferred to establish 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion with two platoons reassigned to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion to establish D Company. The D companies in the Division Reconnaissance Battalions were designed to maintain and preserve a "deep reconnaissance" asset for the Marine Expeditionary Force. In 2007, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion deactivated its D Company.
In 2008, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, directed that Force Reconnaissance Companies be re-established from Division Reconnaissance Battalion personnel to support the three MEFs: I MEF, II MEF and III MEF. The companies were placed under the operational command of the MEF and under the administrative control of the Division Reconnaissance Battalion. In December 2008, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion activated its Force Reconnaissance Company.
The three Force Reconnaissance companies of I, II, and III MEF are currently the only active components of force-level reconnaissance; whereas the 3rd FORECON is the Selected Reserve force reconnaissance asset available to augment and reinforce the Fleet Marine Force. In the Marine Corps Reserve, the FORECON is a separate unit reporting directly to the 4th Marine Division Commanding General, unless mobilized and ordered detached to a Gaining Force Commander. Additionally, as a separate unit, the FORECON are not part of 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, which is itself a separate unit reporting directly to the 4th MarDiv CG.
A force recon detachment had, since the mid-1980s, formed part of the Maritime Special Purpose Force, a specialized sub-unit of a Marine expeditionary unit . From 2013 to 2023, MEU were defunct, including the integral MSPF. A MEU had a Maritime Raid Force, the successor of the MSPF built around a FORECON detachment. In July 2023, II Marine Expeditionary Force certified the first MEU in over decade, including an MSPF.
In February 2021, 4th Force Reconnaissance Company was deactivated and consolidated into the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion.
Table of organization (T/O)
Each Force Reconnaissance company is basically the same; they all contain a command element and Force Recon platoons. Each company is commanded by a company commander and his executive officer.Active
Deactivated
History
The historical roots of "Force Recon" companies can be traced back to the antecedent Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, whose numerous pre-D–Day reconnoitering of enemy beaches during the Pacific campaigns of World War II proved the vitality of the Fleet Marine Force's amphibious reconnaissance doctrine. This unique unit reported directly to the landing force commander, providing him important intelligence at his disposal.Formed initially as a company-size element from the Observer Group, under the command of Major James L. Jones, they were among the first—along with the early Navy Combat Demolition Units —to embark from submarines; most of their missions complemented those of the NCDU and the UDT. The "amphibious reconnaissance" doctrine clearly outlined that the recon Marines' duties consisted of scouting the littoral areas, or beachhead, and inland; to test the soil permeability for a possible beach landing; to clear any obstacles that may hinder an amphibious assault; and to observe any sign of enemy activity. The Navy UDT were tasked with providing the same, but from off the coastline to the littoral, or adjacent beach areas.
Jones and his Recon Marines scouted the Japanese-fortified beaches and observed the terrain, materials, or other entities, primarily reporting to the force commander any vital intelligence of mission-oriented importance. Although Jones's Marines were all skilled surface swimmers, they usually inserted by boats—mostly due to the multiple radios they carried, as relaying communication to the landing force commander was paramount, and as a timely means of sending in a platoon-sized element with heavy firepower at their disposal since they were greatly outnumbered and isolated from other major Marine forces, which were still embarked on the destroyer-transport ships.
By the end of World War II, the Amphibious Recon Battalion disbanded its command; its Marines either filled the ranks of other infantry platoons, or integrated into the Scout companies, and the newly formed division reconnaissance companies. This force-level reconnaissance element was not re-established until the early 1950s, when the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalions were assembled for preliminary operations in Korea. Their efforts proved that gaining the knowledge of the enemy before a major operation was crucial to safeguarding the men, and provided better operational planning.
The Korean War introduced the new concept of using rotary-wing aircraft to the Marine Corps in combat employment for logistics and rapid troop transport. Also, the atomic age was emerging and caused concern among the military leaders. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Lemuel Shepherd created a test unit, the Marine Corps Test Unit 1, to research and experiment on new and improved combat tactics and on methods to prepare the Marine Corps to operate strategically, in concert with or against, the use of nuclear weapons.
Many of the conceptual ideas for Force Recon were pioneered by Major Bruce F. Meyers, the test unit's "Reconnaissance/Pathfinder Project Officer" from MCTU #1's Plans and Development Section. His position can be seen as an unillustrated subsidiary to an "operations" and "training" officer. Major Meyers tested various innovative techniques for the "Recon Platoon" and evaluated their results for use in parachuting and pathfinding missions, in addition to using its heliborne and aircraft wing assets to add 'deeper' reconnaissance penetration capabilities. This new-found capability gave reconnaissance Marines the advantage of operating further behind enemy lines.
MCTU#1's Reconnaissance Platoon, commanded by Captain Joseph Taylor, founded and adopted the more modern "force reconnaissance" doctrine, methods which were instrumented by Major Meyers. They were developing and performing innovative clandestine insertion methods before the Navy SEALs, and the Army's "Green Berets", such as the submarine locking -in and -out methods, and underwater "blow-and-go" ascents.
The USMC concluded that parachute reconnaissance and pathfinding capabilities would exist at force level, the Fleet Marine Force. At first, the concept was to be formed into a "Force Recon Battalion"—this battalion would have as many "force recon" companies as there were division-wing MAGTFs in the Marine operating forces. Recognizing the limited budget during the fiscal year of 1957, it was instead recommended that it be formed at company-sized elements for the West and East Coast. In July 1957, MCTU #1 was amalgamated into the existing 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion. The next day, the battalion cased its colors and re-designated it as 1st Force Reconnaissance Company. Although the test unit was no longer operating, Meyers continued to research and test more innovative methods.
Major Meyers and his top swimmers and senior officers of the company would test and train in submarine lock-in and lock-out methods and ascending techniques. After being cross-trained by the Navy's Master Divers, they learned the operation of the early rebreather systems and advanced open water swimming. Meyers understood that his recon Marines would be operating 50 to 150 miles away from their littoral or operating area, or from any naval support. In order to get his Marines out of a "hot" area, extraction techniques needed to be developed. Bruce Meyer's 1st FORECON, along with 1st Recon Company and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing were aware of the McGuire rig and STABO systems that were used by the United States Army's Special Forces, though they agreed that they had defects and disadvantages. Instead, the Marine Corps created a system that was a more simplified rig that had greater capacity, the Special Personnel Insertion and Extraction rig.
The CIA's highly secretive Special Activities Division, and more specifically its elite Special Operations Group, recruit operators from Marine Force Recon. In addition, joint Force Recon and CIA operations go back to the famed Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group during the Vietnam War and still exist to this day.