'Force recon' ready for risky jobs
By David J. Lynch
USA Today
CAMP COMMANDO, Kuwait — The first Marines to set foot inside Iraq will be members of an elite unit of lethal scouts equipped to roam battlefields miles ahead of other friendly forces.
Usually traveling in six-man teams, these Force Reconnaissance operatives will handle some of the riskiest assignments of the war's opening phase. "Force recon" units map enemy terrain, seize oil and gas platforms, direct laser-guided weapons to their targets and rescue downed pilots behind enemy lines.
"There's so many things that can go wrong," said Maj. Jeff Jewell, 39, executive officer for the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, from Camp Pendleton, Calif. "There's lots of bad guys and not a lot of your friendly troops around."
In this war, the Marines have assembled the largest Force Reconnaissance unit ever fielded. The company's three platoons have been augmented by five more under the same command.
In part, that recognizes the successes — and the celebrity — achieved by Army, Navy and Air Force Special Operations troops in the Afghanistan war. The troops are the military's hot commodity, and everyone wants in. After the war in Iraq ends, the Marine Corps plans to establish its own full-fledged special operations forces command.
Technological advances in the past decade offer this war's commanders a clearer view of the battlefield. Remotely piloted vehicles can fly over enemy territory providing live video of troops and tanks.
But men who drop from CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters behind enemy lines, then spend days in hiding often see things that cameras miss.
"A lot of the intell academic types will tell you human intelligence is an antiquated kind of thing," Jewell said. "Well, one of the things a (satellite) will never be able to do is give you the human aspect of seeing it on the ground. ... There really isn't a replacement for that."
Those who are selected for Force Recon are veteran Marines, often with combat experience, and graduates of the Corps' specialized training schools. All must also pass a rigorous course that teaches Marines how to survive and escape if captured.
On a typical mission, a six-man patrol — moving at night — walks, drives, sails or helicopters into enemy territory. Each man carries about 200 pounds of gear on his back. In the Iraqi desert, that load will include five gallons of water, plenty of ammunition and a special suit to protect against possible chemical weapons attack.
As daylight nears, the men will dig camouflaged "hide sites" nestled into the ground.
During the next week to 10 days, the men will monitor activity at an enemy military facility and, if ordered, capture individual soldiers.
The Washington Post contributed to this report.
