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Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance was first conceived in 1954, at Marine Base Camp Pendleton, outside of San Diego, California, when an experimental recon team was formed. Three years later, that team merged with an existing amphibious reconnaissance company to form the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company.


In 1958, half the Marines in 1st Force were removed from the Company and hauled over to the Eastern seaboard, forming the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company. 1st Force supplemented Fleet Marine Force Pacific (FMFPac), while 2nd, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic (FMFLant).

Force Reconnaissance received their baptism by fire during the Vietnam War, arriving first in 1965 and staying for five years. Forty-four Marines of 1st Force were killed or missing in action through the course of the war.

After US withdrawal from Vietnam, 1st Force and 2nd Force were both deactivated in 1974, and the existing Force Marines were rolled into the non-Force 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion in order to maintain Marine Corps deep recon capabilities. However, the roll-in was never completed to a satisfactory condition, and 1st Force Reconnaissance was reactivated as an individual unit in 1986, and was later deployed in the Gulf War.


Many Force Recon Companies are in existence today, and have been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.


]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:52:52 -0700 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.67.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.66.1

* PFC James Anderson, Jr. - 1967 - 3rd Marines *
* Lance Corporal Richard A. Anderson - 1967 - 3rd Recon. Bn. *
* PFC Oscar P. Austin - 1969 - 7th Marines *
* Lance Corporal Jedh C. Barker - 1967 - 4th Marines *
1st Lieutenant Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. - 1965 - 9th Marines
2d Lieutenant John P. Bobo - 1967 - 9th Marines
* PFC Daniel D. Bruce - 1969 - 5th Marines *
* PFC Robert C. Burke - 1968 - 27th Marines *
* PFC Bruce W. Carter - 1969 - 3rd Marines *
PFC Robert M. Clausen, Jr. - 1970 - HMM-263
* PFC Robert L. Coker - 1969 - 3rd Marines *
Staff Sergeant Peter S. Conner - 1966 - 3rd Marines
* Colonel Donald G. Cook - 1964-67 - Sr. Marine Advisor *
Lance Corporal Thomas E. Creek - 1969 - 9th Marines
* Sergeant Rodney M. Davis - 1967 - 5th Marines *
* Lance Corporal Emilio De La Garza, Jr. - 1970 - 1st Marines *
* PFC Ralph E. Dias - 1969 - 7th Marines *
* PFC Douglas E. Dickey - 1967 - 4th Marines *
* Sergeant Paul H. Foster - 1967 - 4th Marines *
1st Lieutenant Wesley L. Fox - 1969 - 9th Marines
* Sergeant Alfredo Gonzalez - 1968 - 1st Marines *
* Captain James A. Graham - 1967 - 5th Marines *
* 2nd Lieutenant Terrance C. Graves - 1968 - 3rd Recon. Bn. *
Staff Sergeant Jimmie E. Howard - 1966 - 1st Recon. Battalion
* Lance Corporal James D. Howe - 1970 - 7th Marines *
* PFC Robert H. Jenkins, Jr. - 1969 - 3rd Recon. Battalion *
* Lance Corporal Jose F. Jimenez - 1969 - 7th Marines *
* PFC Ralph H. Johnson - 1968 - 1st Recon. Battalion *
* LCpl Miguel Keith - 1970 - Combined Action Platoon 1-3-2 *
Staff Sergeant Allan J. Kellogg, Jr. - 1970 - 5th Marines
Captain Howard V. Lee - 1966 - 4th Marines
Captain James E. Livingston - 1968 - 4th Marines
* PFC Gary W. Martini - 1967 - 1st Marines *
* Corporal Larry L. Maxam - 1968 - 4th Marines *
Staff Sergeant John J. McGinty III - 1966 - 4th Marines
Captain Robert J. Modrzejewski - 1966 - 4th Marines
* Corporal William D. Morgan - 1969 - 9th Marines *
* PFC Melvin E. Newlin - 1967 - 5th Marines *
* Lance Corporal Thomas P. Noonan, Jr. - 1969 - 9th Marines *
Corporal Robert E. O'Malley - 1965 - 3rd Marines
* Lance Corporal Joe C. Paul - 1965 - 4th Marines *
Corporal William T. Perkins, Jr. - 1967 - 3rd Marine Division
* Sergeant Lawrence D. Peters - 1967 - 5th Marines *
PFC Jimmy W. Phipps - 1969 - 1st Engineer Battalion
Lance Corporal Richard A. Pittman - 1966 - 5th Marines
Captain Stephen W. Pless - 1967 - VMO-6
* Lance Corporal William R. Prom - 1969 - 3rd Marines *
* 1st Lieutenant Frank S. Reasoner - 1965 - 3rd Recon. Bn. *
* Sergeant Walter K. Singleton - 1967 - 9th Marines *
* Corporal Larry E. Smedley - 1967 - 9th Marines *
* Lance Corporal Karl G. Taylor, Sr. - 1968 - 26th Marines *
Captain M. Sando Vargas, Jr. - 1968 - 4th Marines
* Lance Corporal Lester W. Weber - 1968 - 7th Marines *
* Lance Coporal Roy M. Wheat - 1967 - 7th Marines *
* PFC Dewayne F. Williams - 1968 - 1st Marines *
PFC Alfred M. Wilson - 1969 - 9th Marines
Lance Corporal Kenneth L. Worley - 1968 - 7th Marines


]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:41:05 -0700 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.66.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.65.1
Many legends persist as to the uniform of the Marine Corps and the origin
of certain traditional aspects. One frequent question raised is "Why do
Marine officers and NCOs have red stripes on the blue uniform trousers?"


According to legend this commemorates the courage and tenacious fighting of
the men who battled before Chapultapec in the Mexican War and whose exploits
added the phrase "From the Halls of Montezuma..." to the Marine Hymn. The red
stripe on the trousers of all Marine officers and NCOs is said to symbolize
the blood shed by these Marines of another century.

]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:24:51 -0800 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.65.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.64.1

By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 2, 2009 17:37:32 EST

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — When Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command becomes fully operational capable in two years, “the sky’s the limit,” its commander, Maj. Gen. Mastin Robeson, said Monday.


The command, which marked its third anniversary during a morning at Camp Lejeune, saw about a 30-percent increase in its number of deployments in the past year, Robeson said. That’s proof, he said, that MarSOC is living up to the expectations of U.S. Special Operations Command.

“All the things they’re trained to do, Marine Special Operations Command has done it,” Robeson said. “The standard that’s been set has been set by Marines.”

Sixty Marines going through MarSOC’s first Individual Training Course, launched in October 2008, have completed about three-quarters of the course. MarSOC officials spent about a year designing the seven-month-long course, which standardizes the basic capabilities expected of Special Operations Marines.

Currently, MarSOC stands at approximately 2,100 Marines and sailors, just 400 shy of its goal.




]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:55:32 -0800 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.64.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.63.1 At SOI we train entry-level Marines in basic warrior skills. SOI's training mission ensures "Every Marine is, first and foremost, a Rifleman". We also train Marine leaders from the rank of Corporal to Lieutenant in advanced infantry and light armored vehicle skills.

Whether through classroom instruction, or in the conduct of live-fire exercises, the focus at SOI is on training warriors. SOI requires the best and most professional leaders in the Marine Corps to accomplish this mission. Our Marine Combat Instructors form the bedrock of our success and ensure the conduct of realistic, aggressive, and safe training. The Marine Combat Instructor provides continuity and consistency in the continuum of training and mentoring our entry-level Marines.


At the School of Infantry, Marines who receive the infantry military specialty are trained at Infantry Training Battalion (ITB), and all non-infantry Marine's are trained in basic infantry/Marine common skills at Marine Combat Training Battalion (MCT). SOI marks a transition in the professional training of entry-level students from basically trained Marines to Marine warriors.


The Marine Corps values of honor, courage, and commitment taught to recruits at Boot Camp are a key component to student's personal and professional development at SOI. The Marine warrior ethos forged in places like Belleau Wood, Okinawa, the Chosin Resevoir, Khe Sanh, Beirut, and today in Afghanistan and Iraq is instilled in Marines at SOI. Graduates are prepared mentally, physically, and morally for the challenges of 21st Century warfare.




]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:31:50 -0800 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.63.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.62.1

Since 1918, women have answered the call to serve proudly in the United States Marines and the role of women in the Marines has evolved and expanded. All Women Marines can look forward to the future proudly, while never forgetting the women who made this future possible.

In 1918, the Secretary of Navy allowed women to enroll for clerical duty in the Marine Corps. Officially, Opha Mae Johnson is credited as the first woman Marine. Johnson enrolled for service on August 13, 1918; during that year some 300 women first entered the Marine Corps to take over stateside clerical duties from battle-ready Marines who were needed overseas. The Marine Corps Women's Reserve was established in February 1943. June 12th, 1948, Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act and made women a permanent part of the regular Marine Corps.

In 1950, the Women Reserves were mobilized for the Korean War and 2,787 women served proudly. By the height of the Vietnam War, there were about 2,700 women Marines served both stateside and overseas. By 1975, the Corps approved the assignment of women to all occupational fields except infantry, artillery, armor and pilot/air crew. Over 1,000 women Marines were deployed in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991.

Private Minnie Spotted-Wolf of Heart Butte, Montana, enlisted in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve in July 1943. She was the first female American Indian to enroll in the Corps. Minnie had worked on her father's ranch doing such chores as cutting fence posts, driving a two-ton truck, and breaking horses. Her comment on Marine boot camp "Hard but not too hard."



Women Marine Milestones

1918 --Pvt. Opha Mae Johnson becomes the first woman to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserve
1943 --Colonel Ruth Cheney Streeter first Director of Women Marine Reservists
1943 --Captain Anne Lentz, first commissioned officer
1943 --Private Lucille McClarren first enlisted woman
1945 --first detachment of women marines arrives in Hawaii for duty
1948 --Colonel. Katherine A. Towle first Director of Women Marines
1961 --The first woman Marine is promoted to Sergeant Major (E-9).
1965 --The Marine Corps assigns the first woman to attachu duty. Later, she is the first woman Marine to serve under hostile fire.
1978 --Colonel Margaret A. Brewer was the first woman Marine general officer
1979 --The Marine Corps assigns women as embassy guards.
1985 --Colonel Gail M. Reals, the first woman selected by a board of general officers to be advanced to brigadier general
1992 --Brigadier General Carol A. Mutter assumed command of the 3d Force Service Support Group, Okinawa, the first woman to command a Fleet Marine Force unit at the flag level
1993 --2d Lieutenant Sarah Deal became the first woman Marine selected for Naval aviation training
1993 --The Marine Corps opens pilot positions to women.
1994 --Brigadier General Mutter became the first woman major general in the Marine Corps and the senior woman on active duty in the armed services
1995 --The first female Marine pilot pins on Naval flight wings.
1996 --Lieutenant General Mutter became the first woman Marine and the second woman in the history of the armed services to wear three stars
Today --Women serve in 93 percent of all occupational fields and 62 percent of all billets. Women constitute 6.2 percent of the Corps end strength and are an integral part of the Marine Corps.


]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:22:26 -0700 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.62.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.61.1

A unique aspect of military courtesy is the salute. It is a gesture of respect and sign of comradeship among military service personnel. Accordingly, the salute is a uniform gesture; meaning that the highest man in rank returns the salute in the same form in which it is rendered to him. By saluting first, no officer implies that he is in any sense inferior to the senior whom he salutes.

The origins of saluting, like so many military customs and traditions, is shrouded in the past, but there are several possibilities concerning its beginnings. In the medieval days of chivalry, mounted knights in mail raised their visors to friends for the purpose of identification. Because of strict adherence to rank, the junior was required to make the first gesture.

Another possibility concerning the origins of saluting comes from an age when assassinations by dagger were not uncommon. It became the custom in such times for potential adversaries to approach each other with raised hand, palm to the front, showing that there was no concealed weapon.

It seems reasonable to assume, however, that the hand salute as now rendered in the military, evolved to some degree from the British navy. There is general agreement among scholars that the hand salute is actually the first part of "uncovering" in front of a senior. That practice gradually evolved over time into merely touching the cap, and became the present salute.



There are several types of military salutes - the hand salute, the rifle salute at order arms, a rifle salute at right shoulder, and still another rifle salute at present arms. "Eyes Right" is another type of military salute which is rendered by troops in rank when passing in review.

A unique type of salute is the respect that is rendered over a grave by a military honor guard. Originally, three rifle volleys were fired into the air over the grave of a fallen soldier. This custom may well have originated in a perceived need to scare away evil spirits "escaping" from the dead. As in ancient times, it was believed that the hearts of the recently deceased were ajar at such times, allowing the devil to enter! Today, the homage and respect displayed at military funerals is a visible final tribute to those individuals who have served their country.

The various forms of military hand and gun salutes are administered by an individual or group as a sign of respect. Originating in customs, traditions, and even superstitions from our distant past, the salute has evolved from ancient times to become an important part of military etiquette.



]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:13:39 -0700 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.61.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.60.1

The Kevlar PASGT helmet was first fielded to U.S. military units in the early 1980s. The helmet, available in five sizes, provides ballistic protection for the head from fragmenting munitions. It is a one piece structure composed of multiple layers of Kevlar 29 ballistic fibre and phenolic PVB resin.

The PASGT helmet came from research by the U.S. Army Natick Research Lab. Beginning in the early 1970's Natick was looking for lighter materials to reduce the weight of the Vietnam era flak jacket and the World War II M-1 Helmet a.k.a the "steel pot". They eventually decided that a Kevalr helmet and vest would provide increased protection at an equivalent, but not a reduced, weight. Kevlar vests and helmets were issued during the 1980s as the Personnel Armor System, Ground Troops (PASGT).



PASGT Kevlar Helmet: Personal Armor System Ground Troops


Many of the problems with the M-1 steel helmet had to do with the fact that it only came in one size. The Kevlar helmet is made in five sizes, including an XS (intended primarily for women) and an XL (rare, suitable only for men with a very large head). The unit weighs between 3.1 pounds (size XS) to 4.2 pounds (size XL).

The nylon webbing inside the Kevlar helmet is functional but not comfortable. There is a foam helmet insert, a "comfort pad" or "donut", used by most soldiers. The inner web suspension system, including a sweatband, is olive drab in color but outer components such as the chin strap or cover and cover band are issued in camouflage pattern cloth or camo-compatible colors such as olive drab or desert tan. The photo at top shows a camo cloth cover with an olive drab band and chinstrap. Unit patches and rank insignia are attached to the cover. Each helmet has its size molded into the unit and nomenclature, contract, NSN information printed near the inside rim.

In 2000, Army safety engineers tested whether the weight of the Kevlar helmet increased neck injuries or caused other problems in accidents. The evidence from real-world analysis shows that Kevlar helmets appear to protect against head injury, and are not necessarily associated with neck injuries in motor vehicle accidents.

The Kevlar helmet is fitted with expendable components: headband; chin strap; center webbing suspensions assembly and screws that can be individually replaced for maintenance. Each helmet is issued with an instruction booklet that includes a size chart and other data. The PASGT system has been subject to a number of modifications over its lifetime, including a newer lightweight version of the helmet shell and changes in the suspension system and straps. The photo at left is of the newer-style suspension.


The PASGT style helmet has been widely imitated and is now standard issue in many countries around the world.
Kevlar is a Dupont product, a manmade organic fiber that combines high strength with light weight.

]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:09:39 -0700 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.60.1 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.59.1

The term "grunt" is used in the military as a general term for someone who's MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) is "Infantry". In the Marine Corps all MOS' preceeded by the number "03" are Infantry. About as "grunt" as you can get in the Corps is "0311 - Basic Rifleman".



The opposite of a "grunt" is a "pougue", which is a derogatory reference to pretty much anyone who isn't a grunt, but normally reserved for Marines who work in an office or some other rear-echelon job as part of their regular duties ("In the rear with the gear"). Call a pougue a "grunt" and they love it, but call a grunt a "pougue" and see what happens.

]]> thesquadbay@nospam.com (admin) Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:37:01 -0700 http://thesquadbay.com/news.php?item.59.1