United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance

This article is about the reconnaissance element at the task force level. For reconnaissance element at the division level, see United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions.
Force Reconnaissance
Force Recon insignia
ActiveJune 19, 1957 – present
Country United States of America
Branch United States Marine Corps
TypeDeep reconnaissance unit
RoleDirect support of Marine Air-Ground Task Force

Joint Task Force

Size835 (consisting of five 167-member companies: three active duty (one in each Marine expeditionary force) and two Marine Forces Reserve[1]
Part ofFleet Marine Force (FMF)
Nickname(s)Force Recon, FORECON
PatronDion Williams
James L. Jones Sr.
Bruce F. Meyers
Joseph Z. Taylor
Motto(s)Celer, Silens, Mortalis
("Swift, Silent, Deadly")
EngagementsVietnam War
Operation Urgent Fury
Operation Just Cause
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Restore Hope
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Inherent Resolve

Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) are United States Marine Corps deep reconnaissance companies[a] that provide military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Force Reconnaissance companies report to the Marine expeditionary force (MEF) and provide direct action and deep reconnaissance during large-scale operations.

The Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Raider battalions were originally composed of Marine Special Operations Teams formed from Force Recon platoons in 2006 (Det One). MARSOC now has its own separate training pipeline. Force Recon companies continue to operate and focus primarily on direct action, intelligence gathering and maritime raid operations in the visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) role.

A force recon detachment had, since the mid 1980s, formed part of the Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF), a specialised sub-unit of a Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) MEU(SOC).[6][7] From 2013-2023, MEU(SOC) were defunct, including the integral MSPF.[8][9][10] A MEU had a Maritime Raid Force (MRF), the successor of the MSPF built around a FORECON detachment.[9][10][11] In July 2023, II Marine Expeditionary Force certified the first MEU(SOC) in over decade, including an MSPF.[12]

  1. ^ "Organization of Marine Corps Forces MCRP 5-12D" (PDF). marines.mil. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  2. ^ United States Marine Corps (26 July 2017). Marine Corps Operations (PDF). MCDP 1-0 (w/change 1,2,3). United States Marine Corps. 11–3. PCN 14200001400. Retrieved 27 November 2023. The company trains in unique insertion/extraction modes for deep reconnaissance
  3. ^ United States Marine Corps (23 July 2020). Organization of the United States Marine Corps (PDF). MCRP 1-10.1. United States Marine Corps. 5–26. PCN 144 00005000. Retrieved 27 November 2023. The primary mission of the force reconnaissance company, or elements thereof, is employed to observe, identify, and report intelligence information on the enemy, weather, and terrain
  4. ^ Carr 2012, pp. 5, 10.
  5. ^ United States Marine Corps (25 November 2015). Ground Reconnaissance Operations (PDF). MCWP 2-25. United States Marine Corps. 2–6. PCN 14300006100. Retrieved 12 July 2023. Marine Corps ground reconnaissance units are not special operations forces (SOF), although they do share many of the same TTP, terms, and equipment.
  6. ^ Barrett, Sean (December 2018). Always Faithful, Always Forward: Marine Corps Culture and the Development of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (PDF) (Master's thesis). US Navy Postgraduate School. pp. 139–148. OCLC 1088435853. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  7. ^ Walker, Robert G. (December 1998). SPEC FI: The United States Marine Corps and Special Operations (PDF) (Master's thesis). US Navy Postgraduate School. pp. 80–81. OCLC 227886937. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  8. ^ United States Marine Corps (19 August 2013). Marine Corps Supplement to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (PDF). MCRP 5-12C. United States Marine Corps. Section I-24. PCN 144 000056 00. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b Carr 2012, p. 17.
  10. ^ a b Davis 2019, p. 19.
  11. ^ United States Marine Corps (13 September 2019). "Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Pre-deployment Training Program (PTP)" (PDF). Marine Corps Order 3502.3C. Department of Navy. 6-1. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  12. ^ "II MEF certifies first Special Operations-Capable MEU in a decade". 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC). United States Marine Corps. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2024.


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