What's the difference between Force Recon and a Recon Battalion?

Joel

Marine Reconnaissance assets are used by Marine Expeditionary Force or Landing Force commanders to collect intelligence for preliminary planning of the battlespace. All Marine Air-Ground Task Force elements uses its own unique reconnaissance capabilities; the Aviation Combat Element utilizes aerial reconnaissance, but the Command Element and the Ground Combat Element operate in combined amphibious/ground reconnaissance.

The USMC Force Reconnaissance Companies (abbrevated as either 'Force Recon' or FORECON), are one of the United States Marine Corps's special operations "capable" forces that provided pertinent military intelligence to the combined combat elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. They are fully capable of operating independently behind enemy lines conducting deep reconnaissance, direct action, and other supportive arms deemed necessary to the Fleet Marine Force. Using combined methods of heliborne and waterborne insertions and extractions in cohesion of conventional warfare, they are capable of performing unconventional special operations similar to those of the United States's Special Operations Forces (e.g. Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and to some degree, the Army Special Forces), although Force Recon's missions and tasks do differ by a margin

Dustin

The major difference is how and where on the battlefield they operate.

Battalion Recon is a part of a reinforce infantry battalion usually as part of the MAGTF (Marine Air Ground Task Force). They operate closer to friendly lines. Very similar in capability but they usually do not insert using parachute. Their Recon missions are categorized as Division Level.

Force Recon generally operates independently and deeper behind enemy lines. During Vietnam they utilized two mission types "Key Hole" and "Sting Ray". "Key Hole" was watch and don't get seen. "Sting Ray" was completely opposite, being more direct action.

Rob G

Dylan,
The big difference now is that force has been absorbed into MARSOC. They did both have specialized training, they just had different missions. Force was Company sized and the other a battalion.

James D

Force recon is small special operations missions by small i mean 1 maybee 2 squads and recon battalion is big recon mission by big its like full 300 man companies

Both receive stealth and assasination training making them equal to us marines

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