The Second Force Reconnaissance Company was the deep reconnaissance/direct action that was assigned to the

Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (FMFLANT) is an American maritime landing force that is spread across the Atlantic Ocean. It is headquartered at Naval Station Norfolk and directs and commands all the subordinate elements of the Navy Expeditiona ...

and its subordinate elements of the

Marine Air-Ground Task Force Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF, pronounced MAG-TAF) is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined ar ...

Mission

The company augmented active-duty forces or were mobilized to conduct pre-assault and deep post-assault reconnaissance and surveillance in support of Expeditionary Strike Group Two and

II Marine Expeditionary Force The II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force consisting of ground, air and logistics forces capable of projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a ...

and its subordinate elements; 22nd, 24th and

26th Marine Expeditionary Unit The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is an air-ground task force with a strength of about 2,400 personnel when at full strength during a deployment. ...

s, the

2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a brigade of the United States Marine Corps. It is part of II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). It advertises itself as a "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the European and Southern Comma ...

Organization

In 1958, the 2nd FORECON contained a headquarters and service platoon, pathfinder platoon, amphib recon platoon, and a deep recon platoon. As of 2006, before its deactivation on July 13, 2006, its company table of organization was registered at a full strength of six reconnaissance platoons; one headquarters and service platoon, two direct action platoons, two deep recon platoons, and one scout sniper platoon augmented from 2nd Marine Division's Scout Sniper company.

History

2nd Force Recon Company was formed when the executive officer of 1st Force Recon, Captain Joseph Z. Taylor, took half of the Marines from 1st FORECON and brought them to the east coast to the 2nd Amphibious Reconnaissance Company, located on

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States Armed Forces, United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for Amphibious warfare, amphibious assault training, and its ...

, North Carolina.Bruce F. Meyers, ''Fortune Favors the Brave: The Story of First Force Recon,'' (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000). 2nd FORECON (1960s)

February 2006, 2nd FORECON Company disbanded. The most experienced operators were selected for the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion (2nd MSOB); others either filled the ranks of the

2nd Reconnaissance Battalion The 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion (2nd Recon) is a reconnaissance battalion in the United States Marine Corps. Located at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the battalion falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Ma ...

under the

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ...

, forming the Direct Action Platoons (DAP) and the Deep Recon Platoons (DRP). The DAPs and DRPs are established to maintain the direct action/deep recon support to the MAGTFs, for MEF and MEU(SOC) commanders.

Training

Annual Warrior Competition

The

24th MEU The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2 ...

2nd Force Reconnaissance Company won the 2010 Annual Warrior Competition against tactical units from all over the world.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Force Reconnaissance Company United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Companies of the United States Marine Corps