Marines/TRADOC/Soundingboard5

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

Maquis Forces International
Marine College
Recon Marine Manual
By
Force Colonel Larry Henderson
Colonel Cary Griffin
Colonel Marc Easterly
Gunnery Sergeant Mikel Beggs
M.F.M.C.

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THE RECON CREED

Realizing it is my choice and my choice alone to be a Reconnaissance Marine, I accept all challenges involved with this profession. Forever shall I strive to maintain the tremendous reputation of those who went before me. Exceeding beyond the limitations set down by others shall be my goal. Sacrificing personal comforts and dedicating myself to the completion of the reconnaissance mission shall be my life. Physical fitness, mental attitude, and high ethics -- The title of Recon Marine is my honor. Conquering all obstacles, both large and small, I shall never quit. To quit, to surrender, to give up is to fail. To be a Recon Marine is to surpass failure; To overcome, to adapt and to do whatever it takes to complete the mission. On the battlefield, as in all areas of life, I shall stand tall above the competition. Through professional pride, integrity, and teamwork, I shall be the example for all Marines to emulate. Never shall I forget the principles I accepted to become a Recon Marine. Honor, Perseverance, Spirit and Heart. A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word and achieve what others can only imagine.

Index

Introduction

Silens, Celer, Mortalitas. "Silent, Swift, Deadly" This is the Recon Motto. Living or dead, leave no man behind, could be another.

The galaxy over, the word Marine defines something more than a soldier. It arouses the image of a warior on the boundlessness of space, coming from the mystique of the black onto the land, an amphibian, a soldier of the sea. The aura is of one who is different and of whom more is expected. To be a Maquis Forces Marine requires more than mastery of the skills and techniques of soldiering or spacemanship, the practical abilities that come through training and experience. Being a Marine is a state of mind that comes from an imbedded belief that he or she is, in fact, unique, a cut above. A Marine is, most of all, part of an organization that demands difference, and delivers excellence beyond others in all it is and does. This is the Corps, the strongest brotherhood in the galaxy. Among those not in the proffession of arms, the notion exists that military service is simply another job alternative; that soldiers go to work with only pay and benefits in mind. Being a Marine has never been just a job, just a paycheck, an occupational specialty, or an insignia of rank. Being a Marine comes from the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor that is tatooed indelibly on the innermost being of those priviledged to earn the title. It is a searing mark, one that does not fade over time. "There's no such damned thing as an ex-Marine! Once a Marine, always a Marine!" to dispute this is to invite a brawl.

Nowhere else in the MFMC is this pride more evident. The most highly trained, highly motivated members of the Maquis armed forces. Nearly every ship has a Marine Detachment. Perhaps you've seen the Scarlet Beret, the look of grim determination. Read on and see if you have what it takes to be an Elite among the Elite!

Purpose of creation

To supplement Fleet Marine Force with Deep Reconnaissance ability.

Marine Force Recon personnel, or "operators", perform highly specialized, small scale, high-risk operations, such as:

• Deep ground surveillance. Assisting in specialized technical missions such as Radio, sensors and beacons, etc.
• Assisting in ordnance delivery (i.e., designating targets for close air support, artillery and naval gunfire).
• Conducting "limited scale raids", such as the capture of specific personnel or sensitive materials, Hostage/prisoner of war rescue, Protection of V.I.P.'s.

The Recon badge

The badge has a unique history of its own. designed by the founding members of Recon, each part of the badge has a special symbolism.

• The crossed arrows signify the unconventional nature of Recon. An arrow is a weapon launched deep into an enemy formation and is usually unseen until it strikes.
• The dagger, a weapon of stealth, used up close and to devastating effect.
• The Maquis shield, to remind us always to remember that, we are Maquis.

Requirements of a Recon Candidate

REQUIRED COURSES:
New Member Exam
Marine Boot camp.

RECOMMENDED COURSES:
Marine NCO course and, or Marine OCS course
Basic Convention Security officer
Advanced Convention Security
Security Team Commander
Cell Command College.

Candidates in the Recon Marine training require careful and rigid selection process. Unit Commanders must initially screen the individual's records for potential aptitude before recommending one for the training. The rigorous training program and the increased risks in combat require high motivation and the ability to learn a variety of skills. Therefore he must have excellent personal records.

The Marine Recon School guidelines for screening a candidate are as follows:

• MARKSMANSHIP. The Recon candidates must be an expert marksman and must pass the standard AFP Record Firing as expert.

• PHYSICAL CONDITION. The Recon Marine, often employed in extended operations with little sleep, food or water, must be in outstanding physical condition. Good health means better reflexes, better muscular control and greater stamina. His Physical Fitness Test results should be above average based on AFP standards.

• VISION. Eyesight is the Recon Marines prime tool. Therefore, a Recon Marine must have 20/20 vision. Color blindness is considered a liability to the Marine due to his inability to detect concealed targets that blend in with the natural surroundings.

• MENTAL CONDITION. Recon candidates must pass the Neuro-psychological Exam conducted by psychologist of the Major Service Command. These are "not" the typical exams that military personnel are required to take for reenlistment or promotion. This exam is specially configured to determine the candidate's reliability, loyalty, initiative, discipline and emotional stability.

• SMOKING. The Recon Marine should not be a smoker. Smoke of an unsuppressed smoker's can betray the Marine's position. Even though a Recon Marine may not smoke on a mission, his refrainment from nicotine intake may cause nervousness and irritation, which lowers his efficiency.

The Commander's involvement in personnel selection for Recon Marine training is critical. To ensure his candidate's successful completion of training, the Commander must ensure that the candidate meets the prerequisites set by The Marine Recon School.

Organization

Force Reconnaissance detachments are deployed within a type of larger Marine Corps unit called a Marine Detachment or "MAR-DET". These groups, with their attendant MAR-DETs, are deployed throughout Maquis space at any given time. The mobility and continual rotation of these formations is integral to current Marine Corps operating procedure, which sets a stated goal of being able to field a MAR-DET on any world within twelve hours of an order being given. There are currently thirtyseven MAR-DETs operational throughout Maquis patrolled areas, These range from listening posts, starbases, and Fleet Marine Detachments.

The structure of a Force Reconnaissance Company is more similar to that of an infantry battalion than a standard company. The command element includes the Commanding Officer or CO (normally a Lieutenant Colonel), Executive Officer or XO (normally a Major), a Sergeant Major and the S1 (Administrative), S2 (Intelligence), S3 (Operations), S4 (Logistics) and S6 (Communications) officers. The bulk of the Company is divided into six platoons, under a Platoon Commander (Captain) and a Platoon NCO (Sergeant, Staff Sergeant or higher). One of the three platoons is a scout/sniper unit retained from the MAR-DETs Battalion Landing Team. Force Recon units also include Fleet Corpsmen as integrated combat medical personnel, and, like corpsmen in all Marine Corps units, these corpsmen receive the exact same training as the members of the units they support.

General Equipment

General equipment Though much of the basic equipment Force Marines use are also standard issue for other branches of the armed service, they do utilize a variety of equipment not in use by comparable Naval units (partly due to the relatively low amount of funding Force Recon, and in fact, all of the MFMC, receives when compared to the Navy). Some unique weapons and equipment include:

• The Full Spectrum Battle Equipment Amphibious Assault Vest, Quick-Release (FSBE AAV QR): A lightweight assault vest system that incorporates protection (in the form of soft armor coupled with hard ballistic inserts) with cargo retention capabilities (in the form of various pouches and pockets attached via standard MOLLE stitching). The entire FSBE kit includes the vest body, a throat protector, a groin protector and an assortment of load bearing pouches. A fully loaded vest with armor plates can prove quite heavy, and is only used in high-risk DA (direct action) missions. This vest is unique in its quick release system, where the Marine can ditch the entire vest very quickly in case of emergency. This quick release (ditch) feature (now also used on newer modular plate carriers such as the Paraclete Releasable Assault Vest). The CIRAS suite of equipment is currently replacing the FSBE AAVs. The FSBE series replaced the older Close Quarters Battle Equipment Assault Vest (CQBE AV) that had been used by Force Recon since 2356.
• The Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH): A lightweight ballistic helmet that incorporates excellent ballistic protection with the ability to interface with most tactical communications headsets and microphones utilized by high-speed units, This helmet is now in use with other highly-mobile units and various Special Forces operators, and is available in three design varieties.

NOTE: All weapons used by the Marine Recon branch are re-worked individually by the Precision Weapons Section on Empok Nor, for increased performace in power, range, accuracy, power cell life, and overall dependability. Precision Weapons Section personnel are highly trained in weaponsmithing with an average experience level of 12+ years per Marine.

RECON(SOC) Phaser Pistol The RECON(SOC) the standard issue pulse phaser pistol has some limitations. It is considered by many to be too uncomfortable to hold for long periods. Additionally, the 3P has too few power settings, and at range the beam loses its focus quickly.

In general, due to its larger mass and size, the assault phaser pistol offers better performance through multiple layers of clothing and retains more of its mass through barriers such as windscreens and vehicle doors. Force Recon uses a modified and improved assault phaser pistol , originally introduced late in the The pistol is constructed by highly skilled weaponsmiths at the Precision Weapons Section on Empok Nor, and are made from original service assault phaser pistol frames dating back to the 2270s.

RECON(SOC) pistols use a variety of parts (they are all hand-built and maintained; no two RECON(SOC) assault phasers are exactly the same) and are some of the most reliable pistols in the universe. When a pistol malfunctions due to wear and is irreparable without special equipment or parts (though this occurs, it occurs rarely, the pistol is sent back to Empok Nor for repairs. Repairs include changing focusing crystals and various parts, but the frames are never changed, Most M.F.M.C. Special Forces operators also prefer the assault phaser pistol as their sidearm.

Type IIIc-a Compression Pulse Rifle Another weapon pioneered in the 2370s and perfected in the 2380s, this is the rifle that serves as the Marine Corps' primary small arm. this is another weapon modified by the Empok Nor weaponsmiths, the rifles recieve further upgraded emitter crystals, capacitance bank, focusing coils, and power cells. The re-finished weapon is slightly lighter, more durable, and has a much longer power cell life, and greater range and accuracy.

Type IIIc-a Carbine Designed for close quarter combat, shipboard, urban. The rifle is shortened by 21 cm (8.25 in) and with the effective range of the standard IIIc.

M4A4 Pistol The M4A4, with its older variants , has been the M.F.M.C. standard non-phaser sidearm for the past sixty years. It is a 10mm automatic, recoil operated, magazine fed hand weapon. The working mechanism is made of duranium alloy with some polymer parts and the outer casing is manufactured from lightweight alloys. The entire weapon, including a full 15 round magazine wieghts less than 1 kg. The cartridge is a 10 mm ball rimless straight round with a projectile weight of 140 grains (9 grams). The sidearm uses the standard R90 round wich works well against targets wearing light armor.

G-5 The G-5 is a suppressed submachine gun that uses a modified R93 10x30mm round. The round is powered down to subsonic velocity to permit use of the suppressor. Primarily used for hostage/personel recovery, and capture of specific enemy personnel in environments that preclude use of phaser weapons.

M41A3 SLR The rifle is reworked into a more efficient weapon with a slightly higher cyclic rate of 1,020 rounds per minute with a  maximum range 2,100 m, and a maximum of effective range 700 m. The weapon carries the underslung M63A1 pump-action grenade launcher.

FAV-260 Warthog The was designed from the ground up to be a fast attack vehicle. Capable of traversing almost any terrain the FAV-260 can carry a crew of up to 5 Marines and be fitted with weaponry that would allow it to wreak havoc behind enemy lines. With a top speed of 120 mph the FAV-260 can get a small squad of Marines in or out of a hot zone quickly. The FAV-260 is best utilized as a patrol and support vehicle and allows for patrols to cover a much greater area than by foot. Role: Ground effect, Fast attack Light patrol Length: 4m Speed: max 240 kmph (flataway) Engines: Magneteohydrodyne Computer System: None Crew: 1 (4 passengers) Gravity: None Armor: Light carbonferro-alloy ceramic Armaments: SAW mount on roof Shielding: None Misc.: Built in COMM unit relay, GPS

Other Gear Along with these unique pieces of equipment, the Marines also use more common weapons, such as the TR-116 Sniper Rifle, TP-4 Heavy Repeating Phaser (Squad Automatic Weapon), and M56A3 Smart Gun (Squad Automatic Weapon).

Mission-Specific Details and Gear

Here are some common mission gear setups for Force Recon Marines.

Mission outlines

Greenside Operations "Greenside Operations" are operations that are not intended to include direct contact with opposing forces. This encompasses the bulk of traditional Force Reconnaissance missions, usually "deep" reconnaissance patrols where the six-man recon teams are usually too far ahead of the main force to expect artillery support or quick helicopter extractions. In these situations, Force Recon Marines will rely on stealth, evasion and training and not firepower to accomplish their mission.

Generally, an operator's kit would include:

• A "boonie" hat
• Camouflage Utility Uniforms; Marines are now issued the new "MARPAT" Marine Pattern utility uniforms with a "digital" or pixelized camouflage pattern.
• A load bearing vest (LBV), a vest with many pouches for carrying ammunition and supplies. This could either be the current standard issue second generation Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment (MOLLE) Fighting Load Carrier vest (FLC) or the Integrated Individual Fighting System (IIFS) non-modular load bearing vest (LBV-88) (the latter of which is actually more popular, since the current issue MOLLE is considered not durable enough for prolonged use by many Marines), or an operator-bought third-party LBV.
• A rucksack, a large backpack for carrying items that need not be often accessed.
• Rations, toiletries, fuel, water, ammunition, etc.
• Primary weapon depends on the Marine's role in the squad. It can range from rifles (IIIc-M41A3) to squad automatics (M56A3 SAW-TP-4 Heavy Repeating Phaser ).
• A sidearm may be carried, but usually not in a tactical thigh-mounted configuration.
• Boots.
• Armor (bullet resistant vests such as FSBE vests and ballistic helmets) is usually not worn on greenside operations as they are too bulky, trap heat, and generate noise upon movement. Force Recon operators shown wearing armor and helmets in photos when apparently on greenside operations are actually in training, where the armor and helmet are a safety requirement.

Direct Action Operations Direct Action (DA) or "blackside" operations are operations involving a high probability of direct contact with opposing forces, and can include Tactical Recovery of Aircraft Personnel (TRAP), Vessel/Board/Search/Seizures (VBSS) and other missions involving close quarters battle.

The unit may also include special operators as the mission requires, such as explosive ordnance disposal personnel, electronic warfare specialists or others, and the unit may be inserted into the mission area by a variety of means via land, air (parachute drop or shuttle), or an amphibious method.

A common operational kit includes:

• The MICH Helmet and a hands-free communications headset and tactical goggles. A fire retardant balaclava (a hood with a large opening for the eyes).
• flightsuits and  aviator's gloves. These are usually sage-green in color, but there is a khaki version as well for desert operations.
• FSBE vest with attached pouches for magazines, grenades, flashbangs, breaching charges, gas masks, medical supplies and communications equipment. Ballistic insert plates are used in this case.
• High-tensile nylon pistol belt or rigger's belt with suspenders, used to attached more pouches or drop-leg devices. This may be worn like a traditional belt (mostly rigger's belts) to keep their trousers, or as a second belt, specifically for equipment.
• A thigh-mounted tactical holster with the RECON(SOC) sidearm, at times with an underframe flashlight installed. This sidearm is usually attached to the operator's belt via a retention lanyard.
• Another drop-belt thigh setup on the leg opposite the operator's handedness, either with a "dump" pouch, for easily stowing spent magazines, or additional ammunition and munitions pouches.
• Tactical kneepads and elbow pads, for protection and operator comfort as he moves into various firing positions. *Boots, or specialized hiking shoes.
• The primary weapon for Force Recon is the Type IIIc phaser rifle or M41A3. Rifles can be found configured with a variety of reflex sights and attachments for quicker target acquisition.

Areas of Responsibility

Due to its flexibility, Recons Area(s) of Responsibility (AOR) is varied. It has four main AORs; by no means is this list exhaustive.

1. VIP escort and protection At request Recon members may be responsible for assisting and protecting their assigned dignitary at various events.

2. Honor Guard At request for weddings of MFI personnel or other such events where an Honor Guard would be appropriate.

3. General Reconnaissance This would be Recon for information, an event layout, items, and other such proper assignments. Recon will also provide information on special events, conventions, contests, gaming, etc., under its "military intelligence" aspect.

4. Convention Security This would be a properly trained force of personnel to act as and run security at any and all Fan Conventions.