Recon Marines

http://www.rollingstone.com/features/featuregen.asp?pid=1696 ^

[squirt]

http://www.rollingstone.com/features/featuregen.asp?pid=1696

[ken5050]

This will be an interesting thread, no doubt....

[ken5050]

fyi

[Fyscat]

err

[MaxPlus305]

Just out of curiousity, but can someone (preferably someone who was in it) quanitfy in words how hard it is to get into Recon? One of my best friends is going into the Marines and he thought about joining up with them. He was a rower for an east coast school...to put that in perspective, one of his teammates made it into SEALs and said it was "easy".

[Fyscat]

Easy or hard is a mind set. If he wants it, he'll do it, if he's weak of heart, he'll fail. As we used to say: suck it up, it just a thing.

[BushCountry]

The SEALS are sissies. Force Recon is takes over two years just to train.

The Two Year Individual Training Phase is where the Marines go to their specialized reconnaissance schools. Prior to deployment, each Marine in the platoon will go to the Basic Reconnaissance Course, Airborne School, the Marine Combatant Diver School (SEALS), and SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) School.

Upon completion of their first float Marines can be selected to go to the advanced reconnaissance schools to include but not limited to: Ranger, Pathfinder, EMT, Military Freefall, Jumpmaster, Applied Explosives, and the Mountain Leaders Course (Winter and Summer).

[heckler]

bump for later

[clintonh8r]

bump

[Fyscat]

Love Brigdeport! We'll summer package anyway.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

'Reconnaissance Marines are considered among the best trained and toughest in the Corps. Maj. Gen. James Mattis, commander of the Marine ground forces in Iraq, calls those in First Recon "cocky, arrogant bastards." They go through much of the same training as do Navy SEALS and Army Special Forces. They are physical prodigies who can run twelve miles loaded with 150-pound packs, then jump in the ocean and swim several more miles, still wearing their boots, fatigues and carrying their weapons and packs. They are trained to parachute, scuba dive, snowshoe, mountain climb and rappel from helicopters. Many of them are graduates of Survival Evasion Resistance Escape School, a secretive training facility where Recon Marines, fighter pilots, Navy SEALs and other military personnel in high-risk jobs are put through a simulated prisoner-of-war camp with student inmates locked in cages, beaten (within prescribed limits) and subjected to psychological torture overseen by military psychiatrists -- all with the intent of training them to resist enemy captivity.'

[NYFriend]

Since Rambo II everyone's been nuts over special forces units. But they never talk about MEU or MEU SOC's. Any mission on (basically) a moment's notice, and they are large enough to accomplish traditional military objectives (ie take and occupy land). But I guess they are jsut too mundane for most of the general public, because they aren't "special" enough or there are too many marines assigned to them as compared to the sepcial operations units in the other branches. Something else too remember, SEALs are probably the best riflemen or ground combat troops in the Navy, but what are we really talking about? They are pretty much it for ground combat troops, after all it's the NAVY! In the Marines, everyone is a rifleman. When you start looking around for marines to put in fighting units, the percentage of guys trained for infantry (or amph. assualt) are a lot higher than in the Navy, and possibly higher than in the Army.

[Fyscat]

Your absolutly right, MEU SOC's are impressive. The only problem with them is that they kept reassigning the units. At least on Pendleton. Although I guess First Marines has it back now.

[sergeantdave]

The precursor to Recon -

The Marine Raiders came into existence to meet the need for special amphibious attack forces similar to the British Commandos. They were organized, equipped, armed and trained to fulfill three primary and several secondary missions:

Carry out surprise landings and hard hitting raids on short notice from submarines and destroyers and other transport.

Infiltrate enemy lines and conduct guerilla warfare for extended periods of time.

Spearhead major amphibious landings where the approaches were difficult and the beaches confined.

The Raiders were also trained for land and amphibious reconnaissance missions using whatever means of transport available (such as native dug out canoes).

Following Pearl Harbor, Japanese Land, Sea and Air forces swept across the Pacific, according to their timetable, overpowering whatever resistance they encountered. The British, Dutch, French and American forces were completely surprised and ill equipped to effectively resist. They stationed on North Island and C company supported the defense of Sand Island. The two companies departed Midway following the battle arriving at Camp Catlin 21 June.

Following their return Hq.,A, B, E and F Companies embarked aboard APD’s for amphibious training in the vicinity of Midway. They arrived in the area 26 June and returned to Camp Catlin, when training operations were finished, 4 July, 1942.

When A and B companies returned from Makin, the united Battalion departed Pearl Harbor 6 September arriving Espiritu Santo, New Hebridies Islands, 12 September, where they prepared to enter the battle of Guadalcanal.

Led by Col. Carlson they landed on a remote beach at Aola Bay and slipped into the jungle. Employing the tactics devised by Col. Carlson they operated for thirty seven days behind the enemy’s lines ambushing Japanese units and destroying his installations and supplies. After inflicting more casualties on the enemy than their numbers they re-entered Marine lines near the Matanikau river. Their highly successful operation became known as “The Long Patrol.”

On 15, Dec., the 2nd Raiders were withdrawn to their base camp on Espiritu Santo. The victory at Guadalcanal was accomplished through the combined efforts of our land, sea and air forces. It is enough to say that the "Battle of Edson's Ridge" and "The Long Patrol" would become legend. As a member of the 4th Raiders I salute them.

Written by Dan Marsh, USMC,
4th Raiders Battalion

Happy 4th & Semper Fi

[MaxPlus305]

Many Marines I talk to are skeptical of the aims used to justify the war -- fighting terrorism, getting weapons of mass destruction (which they never see). Quite a few accept that this war was probably fought for oil. Standing around the camp, surveying the blown-up buildings in the horizon, Bravo Company medic Robert "Doc" Bryan says, "War doesn't change anything. This place was fucked up before we came, and it's fucked up now. I personally don't believe we 'liberated' the Iraqis. Time will tell."

[Texas_Jarhead]

got caught in a snow storm up in the peeks while doing summer package there otherwise it was good stuff - beautiful scenery 'round there

[Fyscat]

Awesome trout fishing as well.

[squirt]

It's called mind over matter. If you don't mind it won't matter.

"B" co. 3rd Recon Bn.

[dighton]

bttt