United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
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US Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance |
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|---|---|
 USMC Force Reconnaissance Badge |
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| Lineup | 1954 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Armed forces | United States Armed Forces |
| United States Marine Corps | Marine infantry |
| Subordinate troops |
1st Force Recon Co., DRP Co. 3rd Recon Bn .: |
| Strength | about 400 |
| Insinuation |
Fleet Marine Force (FMF)
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| motto | Celer, Silens, Mortalis |
The US Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance ( FORECON , Force Recon ) are special forces of the US Marine Corps (USMC) for long-range reconnaissance deep in enemy-controlled areas. You are responsible for intelligence gathering for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force .
history
The origins of Force Reconnaissance lie in the experiments with a specialized reconnaissance unit of the USMC at Camp Pendleton outside of San Diego , California , in 1954. Three years later, this team was integrated into the existing amphibious reconnaissance company and the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company was formed. The foundation stones lie with the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, commanded by Captain James L. Jones .
In 1958, half of the marines in 1st Force Recon were withdrawn from the company and used to establish the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company . The first company was under the Fleet Marine Force Pacific ( FMFPac ), while the second company was under the Fleet Marine Force Atlantic ( FMFLant ).
The Force Recon Marines received their baptism of fire in the Vietnam War , where they were deployed from 1965 and served for five years. 44 1st Force Recon Marines were killed during the war or are missing to this day.
After the US government withdrew from Vietnam, the First and Second Companies were deactivated (1974) and the Force Recon Marines on duty were integrated into the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion to maintain the USMC's reconnaissance deep in enemy territory. However, this takeover was never a satisfactory solution and the companies were reactivated (1986) as independent units directly subordinate to the Marine Expeditionary Forces and later also used in the Gulf War.
The Force Recon units were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan .
The 1st, 2nd and 5th Force Reconnaissance Companies in active service were dissolved again in 2006 and mainly used for the establishment of the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), while the rest of the staff carried out the Deep Reconnaissance Platoons of the Delta companies Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions subordinated to the divisions formed, which have since been responsible for deep reconnaissance. These Delta companies were renamed Force Reconnaissance Companies again in 2008 , but remain subordinate to the reconnaissance battalions and, in contrast to the 3rd and 4th Force Reconnaissance Companies belonging to the reserve, no longer have their own number.
assignment
Soldiers of the Force Reconnaissance ( Reconnaissance = reconnaissance / exploration ) perform highly specialized jobs mostly in small or secret from frame. Her areas of expertise include:
- Amphibious operations and reconnaissance deep behind enemy lines, beyond the 10 mile limit to which the other Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions are responsible.
- They assist in specialized technical missions in connection with weapons of mass destruction , chemical or nuclear warfare agents as well as radio systems, sensors and reporting buoys.
- They are used to target laser-guided bombs , artillery and ship artillery.
- You are responsible for running limited spanking businesses, e.g. B. on oil platforms , capturing people or conquering sensitive material.
- Hostage liberation and the liberation of prisoners of war
Like all other American special forces, the Force Reconnaissance is not part of the US main command for special operations, the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
organization
Sub-units of the Force Recon companies are subordinate to larger mixed combat units such as the Marine Expeditionary Units ( Special Operations Capable ), or MEU (SOC) for short .
By 2006 there were five active Force Reconnaissance companies : 1st Force Reconnaissance , based at Camp Pendleton, California ; 2nd Force Reconnaissance , based at Camp Lejeune ( North Carolina ); 3rd Force Reconnaissance , based in Mobile ( Alabama ); 4th Force Reconnaissance stationed in Honolulu ( Hawaii ) and 5th Force Reconnaissance on Okinawa . The 1st Force Reconnaissance Company was about the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) assumed the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company of the II MEF , and the 5th Force Reconnaissance Company of the III MEF , while the 3rd and 4th as part of the 4th Marine Division for Reserve belonged.
Building a company
The structure of a Force Reconnaissance Company, based more on an infantry - battalion than on a normal company. The command element consists of the commanding officer ( CO ), who is normally a lieutenant colonel . The Executive Officer ( Executive Officer - XO ) is usually a Major . Officers are also used for organization and communication. The bulk of the company is divided into six platoons under a platoon leader in the rank of captain and a platoon officer ( sergeant , staff sergeant or higher). One of three platoons is a scout / sniper unit and is separate from the MEU . Force Recon units also have US Navy personnel as medics, who receive the same training program as the unit to which they are attached.
Recruitment and training
In addition to the regular training of the Marines, the Recon Marine candidate (from Private First Class to Sergeant) must complete the following advanced training phases:
- The Basic Reconnaissance Course in the reconnaissance training company at the Infantry School West.
- A SERE training (survival, evasion, resistance and escape training, German: "survival, evasion, resistance and escape training"):
- The preparation for captivity and interrogation situations (in the role of victim), the training in avoiding capture and escape under realistic conditions. After a few days, graduates often believe that they are actually in a real situation. This training section takes place either at Naval Air Station North Island in California or at Naval Air Station Brunswick in the US state of Maine .
- A skydiving course at the United States Army Airborne School in Fort Benning , Georgia .
These three training sections are flanked by other specializations such as navigation, unconventional warfare , counter-terrorism , infantry patrol leadership and telecommunications .
If the candidate has gone through all these areas, he becomes a combat diver , sniper , military freefaller , jump master ( Jumpmaster , trains parachutists, regulates the jump from the aircraft and ensures that everything is technically correctly prepared for it) and finally to Diving leader trained.
reception
In the 1996 Hollywood feature film The Rock, Brigadier-General Francis X. Hummel mentions being in command of a United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Unit.
literature
- Hartmut Schauer: Leather neck. The US Marine Corps. (History, training, engagement). Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-613-01533-1 .
Web links
- Force Recon Association (English)
- SpecialOperations.com Marine Recon Page ( Memento from October 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
- Global Security USMC Unit Listings (English)
- USMCFR at delta-green.com ( Memento from April 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Marines in World War II ( Memento from May 27, 2005 in the Internet Archive )