United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Training Company
Encyclopedia
The United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Training Company trains Marines
in the amphibious environment as a Reconnaissance Man
, MOS 0321. It is under the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion (AITB) of the School of Infantry (West)
, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
, California
.
s with the MOS 0317, who are proficient with advanced scouting and marksmanship skills.
, artillery
, and close air support
.
The BRC was relocated in 2007 from the Amphibious Reconnaissance Schools (ARS) on Fort Story
at Little Creek
, Virginia
and Expeditionary Warfare Training Group at Coronado
, California
to the School of Infantry (West) on MCB Camp Pendleton
. This facilitated the reconstruction of the course's training protocol and to meet the demands of 600 more recon Marines per year.
Candidates are issued a 12 feet (3.7 m) rope; at any time instructors will demand candidates tie knots of the instructor's choice. Due to that practice, the candidates are often known as "ropers". The term "ropers" was borrowed from the Reconnaissance Indoctrination Platoon (indoc platoon) which was dissolved in 2004.
Students practice day and night learning to operate behind enemy lines and how to conduct immediate action drills. Surveillance and reconnaissance skills such as photography with field and underwater cameras are taught along with field sketching and range estimations. In addition, Recon students learn insertion/extraction techniques in Combat Rubber Raiding Craft
(CRRC) and Helicopter Rope Suspension Training
(HRST).
Even though every Marine has learned to read a map and compass and to patrol, BRC training is more in depth to ensure that the candidates will operate efficiently in small 4 to 6 man recon teams. Upon graduation, Marines receive the 0321 MOS , Reconnaissance Man. Navy Corpsmen
who complete the BRC receive the Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Corpsman
, or 8427 NEC. For those Marines who are already qualified as parachutists and combatant divers
, particularly recon Marines assigned to Force Reconnaissance companies, the special "B" 0326 MOS, Reconnaissance Marine, Parachutist/Combatant Diver Qualified is assigned .
The course encompasses:
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
in the amphibious environment as a Reconnaissance Man
United States Marine Air-Ground Task Force Reconnaissance
The United States Marine Corps have many reconnaissance elements that are valuable to a Marine Air-Ground Task Force by providing the force and component commanders [i.e. Marine Expeditionary Force or Landing Force commanders] with maneuver space and reaction time, and prevent enemy forces and...
, MOS 0321. It is under the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion (AITB) of the School of Infantry (West)
United States Marine Corps School of Infantry
The School of Infantry is the second stage of initial military training for enlisted United States Marines after Recruit Training. Since the initial training pipeline is divided between coasts, Marines from areas east of the Mississippi River usually graduate from MCRD Parris Island and move on to...
, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Scout Sniper Course
The 50-day Scout Sniper Basic Course provides the operating forces with qualified Scout SniperScout Sniper
Scout Sniper is a secondary MOS designator of U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen and reconnaissance Marines that have successfully graduated from a USMC Scout Sniper School. Scout Snipers provide close reconnaissance and surveillance to the infantry battalion...
s with the MOS 0317, who are proficient with advanced scouting and marksmanship skills.
Basic Reconnaissance Course
BRC is 65 days long with an average training day of 15.5 hours and introduces the students to the amphibious reconnaissance environment. During this tenure, they gain working knowledge of the reconnaissance doctrines, concepts and techniques that emphasize ground and amphibious reconnaissance missions. Also, they learn the fundamentals of all types of weapons (air, sea, and land) that are employed in supporting arms such as calling and adjusting naval gunfireNaval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...
, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, and close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
.
The BRC was relocated in 2007 from the Amphibious Reconnaissance Schools (ARS) on Fort Story
Fort Story
Formerly a sub-installation of Fort Eustis, Fort Story is a sub-installation of the United States Navy and Little Creek Amphibious Base...
at Little Creek
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Expeditionary Warfare Training Group at Coronado
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado is a naval installation located across the bay from San Diego, CA. The base, situated on Silver Strand, between the San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is a major Navy shore command, supporting over 30 tenant commands, and is the West Coast focal point for special...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to the School of Infantry (West) on MCB Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
. This facilitated the reconstruction of the course's training protocol and to meet the demands of 600 more recon Marines per year.
Candidates are issued a 12 feet (3.7 m) rope; at any time instructors will demand candidates tie knots of the instructor's choice. Due to that practice, the candidates are often known as "ropers". The term "ropers" was borrowed from the Reconnaissance Indoctrination Platoon (indoc platoon) which was dissolved in 2004.
Students practice day and night learning to operate behind enemy lines and how to conduct immediate action drills. Surveillance and reconnaissance skills such as photography with field and underwater cameras are taught along with field sketching and range estimations. In addition, Recon students learn insertion/extraction techniques in Combat Rubber Raiding Craft
Combat Rubber Raiding Craft
The F470 Combat Rubber Raiding Craft , also known as the "Combat Rubber Reconnaissance Craft," is a specially fabricated rubber inflatable boat often used by United States Navy SEALs and Marines, among others...
(CRRC) and Helicopter Rope Suspension Training
Helicopter Rope Suspension Technique
Helicopter Rope Suspension Technique is a military term for techniques and methods of rappelling, fast roping, Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction and Jacob’s Ladder operations. Helicopter Rope Suspension were developed as a means to insert and/or extract, by helicopter, ground forces into or...
(HRST).
Even though every Marine has learned to read a map and compass and to patrol, BRC training is more in depth to ensure that the candidates will operate efficiently in small 4 to 6 man recon teams. Upon graduation, Marines receive the 0321 MOS , Reconnaissance Man. Navy Corpsmen
United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships,...
who complete the BRC receive the Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Corpsman
United States Navy Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman
The Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen are corpsmen that provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force reconnaissance teams advanced trauma management associated with combatant diving and parachute entry...
, or 8427 NEC. For those Marines who are already qualified as parachutists and combatant divers
United States Marine Corps Combatant Diver Course
The USMC Combatant Diver Course is taught at the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center, Naval Support Activity Panama City, Panama City, Florida. Both of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force reconnaissance assets, FMF Recon and MarDiv Recon, widely use combatant diving...
, particularly recon Marines assigned to Force Reconnaissance companies, the special "B" 0326 MOS, Reconnaissance Marine, Parachutist/Combatant Diver Qualified is assigned .
The course encompasses:
- advanced patrollingPatrollingPatrolling is a military tactic. Small groups or individual units are deployed from a larger formation to achieve a specific objective and then return. The tactic of patrolling may be applied to ground troops, armoured units, naval units, and combat aircraft...
- advanced radio communications
- Reporting procedures
- advanced maritime and land navigation
- reconnaissanceReconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and surveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
techniques - GroundTerrestrial reconnaissanceTerrestrial reconnaissance, or ground recon, is a type of reconnaissance that is employed along the elements of ground warfare. It is the collection of intelligence that strictly involves routes, areas, zones ; and the enemy...
and Engineer reconnaissanceEngineer reconnaissanceEngineer reconnaissance is the reconnaissance operations performed by combat engineers to enable forward movement of own troops, in war usually over territory previously occupied by the enemy... - forward observing for artilleryFire supportFire support is long-range firepower provided to a front-line military unit. Typically, fire support is provided by artillery or close air support , and is used to shape the battlefield or, more optimistically, define the battle...
- amphibiousAmphibious reconnaissanceThe concept of amphibious reconnaissance, or commonly amphib recon, are used primarily in conjunction with ground and naval reconnaissance concerning the littoral area bordering coastal or maritime areas of interests...
and special operationsSpecial operationsSpecial operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does... - coxswainCoxswainThe coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...
skills - over-the-horizon (OTH) warfare