Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/My son wants to join the marines,...

Advertisement

Expert: - 3/7/2006


Question
My son wants to join the marines, but i dont know what exactly he wants to do. i mean he said he wants to do force recon. i have herd of recon marines, is there a difference between force recon marines and just recon marines? or are they the same thing?  

Answer
Hi Joe!

 Force Recon is an infantry job, but it's not something you can enlist directly to do.  It takes several years to reach that level, with many schools to go through before you get to that point.  

 Yes, there are actually 3 types of "recon" Marines.  The first are the Marines with the LAV's;  they are basically armored infantry, but carry a recon MOS.  The 2nd are the Battalion level recon guys.  Each division has battalion level recon, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Battalions respectively.  Many of these Marines do go through the Recon course, (ARS) and get other schools (Airborne, SCUBA, Ranger, etc) as they become available.  This is one of the main places that "Force" takes its people from.  Those BN's are always recruiting, and anyone, from any MOS, can usually try out, although they like to take infantry MOS's first, for obvious reasons.  

 The difference between "Force" and "recon" is somewhat blurry.  Battalion level recon are usually a small unit type asset;  in other words, at the Battalion level and below, they are used for short range recon missions.  Force Recon guys, on the other hand, are a divisional level asset, as such, they do long range recon missions (many miles behind enemy lines).  As such, they are supposed to be trained at a much higher level than the BN recon folks, at least in theory.  

 Realistically, your son will be an infantryman first, with the chance to try out for Recon.  It will depend on what openings are available at the time.

Hope this helped answer your question, good luck to him!

Semper Fidelis,
Jason

Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Jason Grabill

Expertise

Questions relating to US Marine Corps; rank, awards, uniforms, career choices. I can also help people spot and expose fakes (people pretending to be Marines or have awards they didn`t earn). Considering the Marines as a career? Or another branch, like the Air National Guard? Drop me a line. HOWever..know that I am NOT a recruiter. I can offer my expert opinion and advice, but can't (and won't) over rule what a recruiter says, they are the 'on duty' expert.

Experience

Infantry Rifleman, MOS 0311: 3 years. Marine Barracks Security (Marine Barracks, Annapolis, Maryland(not Embassy Duty): 3 years. Parachutist: MOS 9962: Got my wings in August of 1984. Intelligence Specialist: MOS 0231 10 years working as an Intelligence Analyst with a Fixed Wing Fighter Squadron, Force Service Support Group, and at Headquarters, Marine Corps. Field Radio Operator: MOS 2531. Served as a Platoon Sergeant in a Communications Platoon assigned to MEU Service Support Group 24 (Special Operations Capable). Did a hitch in the Army reserves as an 11B (Infantryman), 3 years. Finished out my career in the Air National Guard as a BioEnvironmental Engineer MOS 4B3X1, did that for a few years. I"ve been collecting and selling Marine Corps and other military uniforms, medals, and field gear since I was 8 years old.

Organizations
United States Marine Corps Logistical Company.

Publications
I was an Editorial writer for Marine Corps Times from 1998-2000.

Education/Credentials
Extensive library of research materials relating to uniforms, medals, and equipment of the military and the Marine Corps. 22 College credits, Community College of the Air Force. Certified Historical Interpreter.

Awards and Honors
Kosovo Campaign Medal w/1 star Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 4 stars. Numerous other unit awards. I was on duty on 9/11 at HQMC, near the Pentagon, and responded to that location to try and lend a hand if needed...

Past/Present Clients
United States Marine Corps Historical Company, Guardian Security and Investigations, lead Investigator for 'Stolen Valor' cases.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.