Force Reconnaissance Marines

Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, otherwise known as Force Recon, are a company-sized (about 200) recon and direct-action element that falls directly under the Marine Expeditionary Force commander, or the Naval Strike Group commander, depending on whether they're aboard a ship or on land. Because of their direct line to a commander, Force Recon often finds itself in the position of performing, lets say, "highly sensitive," special operations — making "Recon" a bit of a misnomer. The sheer amount of training and the scope of their operations put them in a close heat with numbered SEALs for the number-three rank as top operators. There are a number of courses they attend, some of which are: Marine Corps Combatant Diver Course — Navy Diving Salvage and Training Center, Naval Support Activity Panama City, Florida. Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School* — Navy Remote Training Sites; NAS North Island, CA or NAS Brunswick, ME. Army Airborne School* — Fort Benning, GA. United States Army Static Line Jumpmaster School (Fort Benning, Georgia). United States Army Ranger School (Fort Benning, Georgia). Special Operations Training Group Schools (i.e. Urban Sniper, HRST, etc.). Recon and Surveillance Leaders Course — Ranger School, Fort Benning, GA. Pathfinder Course — Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, or Army Air Assault School, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.