Volume 44 - No. 12
by lyle e davis
They were, and are not, there. Legally.
But they were. And are.
They are where they are not supposed to be. Right now. In parts of the world you haven’t even dreamed of. Or perhaps have never heard of. In parts of the world where the government and its military arms have a need to know facts.
You don’t know much about them because you’re not supposed to.
Force Recon is one of the best kept military secrets. A Special Operations branch of the US Marine Corps, its members are trained to the highest degree in combat arms . . . they are crack shots, expert in hand to hand combat, they know woodcraft, explosives, familiar with a variety of weapons, and are experts in camoflauge. The Paper - 760.747.7119
website:www.thecommunitypaper.com
email: thepaper@cox.net
March 20, 2014
If engaged in combat they generally wipe out the enemy. They are Swift, Deadly, and Silent. Yet they seldom get into combat.
A successful mission means they did not see combat. Nor were they seen or known about by the enemy. They infiltrate an area where the government needs to know information . . . the topographical lay of the land, the political activity, the military capabilities, the economic status . . . all elements of information needed for later military or diplomatic use. They are special operations capable forces (SOC) that provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force; supporting their task force commanders, and their subordinate operating units of the Fleet Marine Force.
Historically, the Force Recon companies, detachments and platoons performed both deep reconnaissance and direct action (DA) operations. Force Recon, and its brother units, are responsible for operating independently behind enemy lines performing unconventional special operations, in support of conventional warfare. The unit's various methods of airborne, heliborne, submarine and waterborne insertions and extractions are similar to those of the Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, 75th Ranger Regiment, or Air Force Combat Controllers, although Force Recon's missions and tasks do differ slightly with a focus on primarily supporting Marine expeditionary and amphibious operations. Green and Black Operations
The Force Recon platoons operate farther inland than their Division Recon counterparts,
Force Recon Continued on Page 2
penetrating deeper into enemy territory from their assigned coastal region within a force commander's 'tactical area of responsibility'. They operate at such great distances that they are beyond the boundaries of any artillery and/or naval gunfire support; unlike their Division Recon brethren, whose operations are primarily within the artillery and gunfire support ranges. Silence and stealth are vital in reducing chances of compromising their position—if a single round is fired, the mission is deemed to have failed. It is one of the more secret military organizations. Evidence of that is in . . . the lack of evidence. They leave very little trace behind of their presence. The stories we are about to tell you are not all that easy to come by. They were gathered from personal interviews, from research into military libraries, and further docu-