What is Marine Recon?: The Beginner's Guide to Marine Reconnaissance

Outside of the spotlight of the U.S. military’s most premier special operations forces lies a variety of communities that tackle missions every bit as dangerous that are rarely talked about or recognized by the public. Home to one of these communities is the United States Marine Corps. The Marines have built a fierce reputation worldwide for their deadly and strategic impact on the battlefield. But how do the Marines consistently pull off well-executed missions with the utmost precision? That answer only takes two words: Marine Reconnaissance.

Table of Contents (click to navigate)

1. What is Marine Reconnaissance?

2. What does a Recon Marine do?

3. What is the Recon Marine Pipeline?

4. What do I need to be good at if I want to be a Recon Marine?

5. I want to be a Recon Marine. Where do I start?

6. Conclusion

What is Marine Reconnaissance?

Recon Marine Battalions are the special operations capable reconnaissance assets of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), and provide ground and amphibious reconnaissance to the ground combat element in the Marine Corps. As the eyes and ears of the Marine Corps, Marine Reconnaissance provides combatant commanders with the intelligence and surveillance they need to accomplish the mission at hand. As a special infantry, they are tasked with conducting multi-domain reconnaissance for the ground combat element in the Marine Corps. 

What this means is that by methods of land, air, or sea, Recon Marines will observe enemy activity and report any pertinent information back to combatant commanders. They are masters of getting eyes on, and the information they gather can range from defense positions, troop movements, logistical data, you name it. 

What does a Recon Marine do?

Recon Marines observe and report on enemy activities and collect significant military information. Their main missions include conducting specialized surveying, counter-reconnaissance, Initial Terminal Guidance, designate and engage selected targets with organic weapons and force fires to support battlespace shaping, post-strike reconnaissance, and conduct limited scale raids and ambushes.

Due to the environments and levels of stealth many of their missions require, Recon Marines infiltrate and exfiltrate by means of maritime, air, or ground elements. That means they are jump qualified, combatant diving, and conduct many patrols where they are carrying upwards of a 100lbs of equipment for several miles.

What is the Recon Marine Pipeline?

It’s important to mention that the Marine Reconnaissance community consists of Recon Marines, which is the focus here, and Navy Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen (Navy SARCs). If you want to learn more about the pipeline for Navy SARCs, click here.

The Recon Marine pipeline is a grueling, challenging, and difficult obstacle that will test you to your limits. Candidates are put to the test in a multitude of physical evolutions. In a nutshell, the Marine Recon Pipeline Consists of:

• Marine Boot Camp (13 Weeks)

• Infantry Training Battalion (8 Weeks)

• Recon Training and Assessment Program (5 Weeks)

• Basic Reconnaissance Course (13 Weeks)

• Army Airborne Jump School (3 Weeks)

• Marine Combatant Dive School (8 Weeks)

• Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape School (3 Weeks)

• Military Free-Fall School (3 Weeks)

If you want an in-depth look at the Recon Marine Pipeline, you should check out this article.

What do I need to be good at if I want to be a Recon Marine?

The path to becoming a Recon Marine may seem like a daunting journey, but the challenges, time commitment, and experiences you’ll have will be worth it in the end.

Recon Training will require you to be proficient at a number of things, to include:

• Running & Rucking Long Distances

• Water proficiency, such as underwater swims, finning, treading with weight, etc.

• Tying the 12 Recon Knots

• Land Navigation

• Perfecting the Marine Obstacle Course

• … and a number of others!

That might seem like a long list, but don’t fret. If you invest in yourself and put in the time and effort, you’ll soon be joining one of the most prestigious communities in the United States Marine Corps.

I want to be a Recon Marine. Where do I start?

The key to preparing for any military selection is to build a solid foundation and to understand what exactly you need to work on. Since you’re doing the right thing and learning about the community you wish to join, we’ll skip that step and move onto the actual preparation.

Here’s three simple steps to be well on your way to becoming a Reconnaissance Marine:

1. Find a reputable workout program tailored to your specific goals.

2. Identify reliable, essential training gear & equipment to aid in your training.

3. Invest in that equipment, and train, train, train (safely)! Consistency is key.

It just so happens that our Recon Rucking Prep Kit and Recon Finning Prep Kit contains everything you need to build that solid foundation for the Recon Pipeline, and we’ve done Steps 1 AND 2 for you! Step 3 will have to be up to you though!

In a nutshell, our Recon Rucking kit provides you with a rucksack, recovery kit, and workout guide by Stew Smith to get you started and ready for the rigors ahead. If you want to learn more about this kit before you make your investment, click here.

Conclusion

Recon Marines are the tip of the spear of the United States Marine Corps. As highly trained warriors, they are a force to be reckoned with. Those who wish to join the ranks as a Recon Marine have an honorable goal and a tough, yet rewarding journey ahead of them. If you happen to be one of those people reading this article, good luck!

If you'd like to know the difference between Marine Recon and Force Recon, watch the video below!

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