The versatility of FORECON is demonstrated when missions quickly turn, planned or not, from a deep reconnaissance patrol to a direct action engagement. However, what began as a 'keyhole' patrol could become a 'stingray' patrol with little warning. Sting Ray operations were the exact opposite of Key Hole missions with goals more closely in line of offensive strikes, the FORECON operators were heavily armed and used artillery and/or naval gunfire support, if available. Key Hole patrols were designed purely around reconnaissance and surveillance usually lightly equipped and armed with defensive weapons-evasive techniques were employed to break contact from the enemy should the need arise, avoiding contact with the enemy was paramount. These practices subsequently became contemporary as deep reconnaissance, or green operations and direct action, which are known as black operations. Two different mission types emerged during the Vietnam War, which are still implemented in the Force Reconnaissance motives today: Key Hole and Sting Ray.
įor further information, see United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions § Mission.
Within JSOC, Force Recon is referred to as a Tier 3 unit, a status which denotes conventional warfare units which can augment special forces in large scale engagements. Force Recon companies now focus primarily on intelligence gathering and maritime raid operations in the Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) role. Modern Marine Forces Special Operations Command ( MARSOC) Raider Battalions are composed of Marine Special Operations Teams which were formed from Force Recon's direct action platoons. Historically, Force Recon was the premier Marine Corps special operations unit, performing deep reconnaissance and direct action operations for USSOCOM, though most of those missions were lost to the Marine Raider Regiment during a reorganization of Marine special operations in 2006. Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS)Ĩ35 (consisting of five 167-member companies: three active duty (one in each Marine expeditionary force) and two Marine Forces Reserve įorce Reconnaissance ( FORECON) is one of the United States Marine Corps' special operations capable forces (SOC) which supplies military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), supporting task force commanders and subordinate units of the Fleet Marine Force (FMF).Direct support of Marine Air-Ground Task Force
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