Marines streamline Recon transfers

Above: 'Recon' Marines are the Corps' version of Army Special Operations Capable forces. There are two types of recon Marines: Battalion Recon and Force Recon. Selected Marines are assigned to the Recon Indoctrination Platoon and undergo a new bootcamp where they have only supervised liberty, physical training and classes at all time of the day and night at the Amphibious Reconnaissance School in Little Creek, VA or Coronado, CA. The position is not open to women.

First-term Marines hoping to re-enlist for the $61,000 bonus offered for a lateral move into reconnaissance no longer have to pass a screening test with their local snake-eaters before shipping off to the toughest military occupational specialty school the Corps has to offer, according to a Corps-wide message released Wednesday.

The recon lat-move bonus, currently the highest offered to first-term Marines, speaks to the Corps’ need to draw personnel into a field that must grow on pace with the service’s efforts to add 22,000 Marines to the force by 2011.

Even with its increased need for recon Marines, the Corps isn’t lowering standards to meet personnel shortfalls in the recon field, and removing the first step in the screening process does not change the basic requirements, according to MarAdmin 417/07.

“The intent of these pending changes is to optimize 0321 entry-level training and to relieve operational units from physically screening and preparing Marines for [the basic reconnaissance course],” the message states.

Read the rest at Marine Corps Times