1st Recon Bn – Combat Jump in Iraq

Recon Marines from 1st Recon Bn conducted the first combat jump by Recon Marines since the Viet Nam war.  The Recon Marines jumped into Western Iraq  using a HAHO (High Altitude High Opening) parachute insertion. There were 3 parachute inserts conducted by Recon during Viet Nam, so it’s been quite a while since jumping has been used […]

MSOC Utilizing Mule Packing

Sometimes you just can’t get any better than a mule carrying your kit. With the changes to the Marine Reconnaissance community in the recent past, MARSOC Marines are getting some training that we never had access to back in the 90’s. Here’s a quick article from the Marine Corps site about MSOC getting mule packing […]

MARSOC Joint Terminal Attack Controller

I want to introduce and welcome Michael Golembesky to the MARSOC SOFREP team. Michael is a former JTAC with 2d MSOB and has a kick-ass book coming out about his time with MARSOC in Afghanistan, Level Zero Heroes. [divider] USSOCOM – SOF Truth #3 “Their quality is more important than quantities”Your Special Ops Team just […]

Recon Marines Conduct Urban Assault Exercise

Here’s a quick video of the Maritime Raid Force of the 31st MEU conducting some urban raid training. The Maritime Raid Force consists of the Force Recon Detachment, Amphibious Recon Platoon and a security element from the Battalion Landing Team. %EMBED1% Video by Sgt. Paul Robbins Semper Fi Bill Janson is a former Recon Marine […]

Afghan Heroin and JAG Witch Hunts: Afghanistan Lost, Again

So what determines victory in Afghanistan? If you asked me after 9-11, my answer would have been simple and probably shared by a lot of SOF operators. Answer=Disrupt a prolific terrorist training network (that we put in place) and capture or kill Bin Laden. We could learn a bit from the Romans, they would not  […]

Our Friends At LBT Just Launched A Precision Strike with LBTINC.COM

In case you didn’t already know this, LBT makes the most legit gear on the planet.  When my Blackhawk H-Gear went tits up on me as a new guy SEAL M-60 Gunner at the Desert Warfare Training Center east of San Diego, CA, I was promptly schooled to buy an LBT rig. I’ve never looked […]

A Tough 3 Weeks – French Amphibious Commando Course

When I was at 2d Recon Bn, I had the opportunity to attend the French Amphibious Commando Course in Martinique. The course is only 3 weeks long, but let me tell you … it’s a ball busting 3 weeks. You train on a little bit of everything jammed into that short course – hand-to-hand, rope […]

A Bad Jump that Got 2d Recon Jump Pay

Here’s the story of how 2D Recon Bn ended up getting jump pay again. When I was in Bn, we had jump status, but the Marine Corps decided that we didn’t need the normal jump pay for the hazardous training. Usually, military personnel that are assigned to a unit that trains in airborne operations gets […]

The Story Behind The Marine Recon Paddle

You may have seen a paddle displayed proudly in the home or office of a former Recon Marine. So, what’s the deal with these paddles? Every Recon Marine is presented with a paddle from his peers when he leaves the unit or the Marine Corps. The history of this tradition stems from the days of […]

Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman

If you know anything about the Marine Corps, you know that they have no medical services. The Marines draw from the Navy for their medics (or Docs), and Recon has its own breed of Docs – The Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman. These elite Navy Docs are pretty much indistinguishable from their Marine Counterparts, with the […]

Ranger School from a Recon Marine’s Perspective

A 19-year-old Marine navigates the challenges of Army Ranger School, uncovering valuable leadership lessons, surprising cultural differences between military branches, and the importance of such cross-branch training for successful joint military operations.