Overview

Force Recon--By Land, Sea, and AirbyLt. Gen. Herman Nickerson Jr., USMC*Marine Corps Gazette, February 1959Force Recon--By Land, Sea, and Air, written by, then, Brig. Gen. HermanNickerson, Jr., February 1959, and published in theMarine Corps Gazette,defines the new company's mission, main tasks, and capabilities. Using anamphibious operation ("Strongback") conducted in the Philippines in 1958,General Nickerson explains, in depth, the concept of how the Force ReconCompany performs the task of gaining "timely" information to assist thecommander in arriving at decisions and in executing it's other vital rolesin the landings."The job: Reduce the Uncertainty." So wrote Brig. Gen. J. M. Masters Sr.in the June 1958Gazette. "Uncertainty is an ugly three-headed spook,which will haunt the commander. . . . The spook's three heads? The enemy,the weather, and the terrain. . . ."To this statement of the intelligence officer's job we could add a jobdescription: use available tools skillfully to strip*Credited as "The God-Father of Long-Range Reconnaissance," Lt. Gen.General Nickerson assumed command of III MAF in March 1969. Immediatelyrealizing the need for reconnaissance information beyond that provideddivision commanders by their respective recon battalions, he put theory toform when he tasked 1st Force Recon Company to conduct deep patroloperations for the MAF in June, followed by the reconstituted 3d ForceReconnaissance Company in October of that year.--Ed.the veils from the three-headed spook and provide the commander with theinformation he needs to make a sound decision. One of the commander's besttools, in my opinion, is the force recon company. By well-conceivedemployment of this organization, many of the uncertainties can be reduced.Only when the commander has the best available information on the enemy,weather, and terrain can he confidently order "Launch helicopters!" and"Land the landing force!"Perhaps the greatest difference of opinion on modern amphibious tacticsand techniques arises from: first, the debate as to whether or not nuclearmunitions will be used; and second, the size and degree of unitseparation. No matter what size the separation unit is that lands byhelicopter in the amphibious assault, we can all agree that the highestorder of intelligence is required for this unit to "stay loose," hit hard,then saddle up and move out rapidly--avoiding, all the while, theunproductive moment of nuclear-weapon target-size concentration. How,then, shall we succeed in unveiling the spook?Within force troops, in both FMFLant and FMFPac, we have the key to unlocka part of the Houdini apparatus--the force reconnaissance company. Theproper utilization of these highly skilled "eyeballs" and "eardrums" isthe skeleton key to success in modern amphibious warfare.The general missions of these companies are to supporta landing force by: first, conducting a pre-assault and post-assaultamphibious and parachute reconnaissance; and second, conductingpre-assault and post-assault parachute and other pathfinding missions.A force reconnaissance company is a part of the task organization of thelanding force and is employed to extend the ground reconnaissancecapability of that force beyond the coverage afforded by the organicreconnaissance battalion of Marine divisions. As noted in the mission,this is accomplished by pre-assault terrestrial reconnaissance usingamphibious and parachute means. To conduct post-assault deepreconnaissance, helicopter lift and parachuting are used. The companyemploys helicopters to establish and displace deep observation posts forbattlefield surveillance. The reconnaissance-surveillance portion of theforce reconnaissance company's mission must be closely monitored by thelanding force G-2 to insure that all efforts are integrated into theoverall intelligence collection plan. Only by obtaining and using allavailable information can the intelligence officer fit together theassorted pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and present the commander with aclear picture.In addition, the force reconnaissance company is employed to provideparachute pathfinder services in the approach and retirement lanes andhelicopter landing zones, in amphibious and subsequent land operations.Pathfinder teams provide pre-assault navigational assistance tohelicopters in approach to and along approach-retirement lanes.Pathfinder teams provide terminal guidance to the helicopter assault wavesin the landing zones, in either day or night operations. Final pre-H-hourreports of enemy activity, obstacles, weather, and radiologicalcontamination in the landing zones and near vicinity are made by thesepathfinder teams. Pathfinders are capable of limited obstacle clearance,should this work be necessary, and they provide emergency communicationsupport and assembly aid to the helicopter-landed troops.The main tasks of a force reconnaissance company, then, are: First, toperform pre-D-day reconnaissance as required by the overall intelligencecollection plan, using parachute and amphibious means; second, to providepathfinder services. In order to do these jobs, the company isfunctionally organized to plan and execute--with the support of tacticaland transport fixed-winged aircraft, helicopters, and naval vessels--thefollowing tactical missions: perform pre-D-day amphibious reconnaissanceof any landing beaches required by the landing plan; establishcoastwatcher stations or inland observation posts after D-day, ifrequired; execute pre-D-day parachute reconnaissance of helicopter landingzones--of the approach and retirement lanes thereto--and of other key inlandinstallations of interest to the Marine expeditionary force; conductpost-D-day reconnaissance, by helicopter or parachute, of critical areasbeyond the range of division reconnaissance means; and finally, rendernecessary parachute or pathfinder support to assault waves.These varied tasks are accomplished by fourteen officers and 147 enlisted,organized into a company headquarters of four officers and thirty-threeenlisted; a parachute reconnaissance platoon of three officers andtwenty-three enlisted; and an amphibious reconnaissance platoon of twoofficers and twenty-three enlisted. A major (0302) is in command. Twelveofficers and ninety-seven enlisted Marines are on parachute jump status.