You want Marines on that wall, Admiral, Marines to keep their eyes sharp for when the enemy comes to get you. But if you want to see what's behind the enemy's wall, you want my Force Recon boys.
—Commander Hestus Jessup, prior to his Force Recon troopers' first war game
Republic Marine Force Reconnaissance, or Force Recon for short, was the specialized reconnaissance branch of the Republic Marines. First formed in 3,985 BBY by Commander Hestus Jessup during the overall reorganization of the Corps, they were organized into semi-autonomous companies that were attached to the regular Marine divisions. Though in theory they were directly overseen by the admirals commanding their parent units, in practice they were deployed in platoon strength only. Their primary missions involved being sent into hostile territory in order to gather intelligence and taking out targets of opportunity, either by wiping out isolated pockets of troops, seizing supplies, or sabotaging defenses. Force Recon troopers were considered to be the elite of Marine Corps field units.
Organization and deployment[]
The basic structure of Marine Force Recon companies was the same as others within the Marine Corps with the exception that they were made up of three platoons and not four. However, the very nature of their missions demanded a higher degree of autonomy, with the various platoons having their own numerical designation that others would not have received. The platoons were also slightly larger, with each squad being assigned a dedicated communications specialist in addition to the intelligence officer who advised the platoon's leader. In addition, these smaller units possessed little in the way of heavy firepower, instead relying on small arms and powerful explosives to facilitate their missions. Finally, Force Recon soldiers saw little, if any, shipboard combat.
| Unit | Constituent units | Attached to |
|---|---|---|
At any one time, an operational battalion would have a forty-five strong platoon of Force Recon troopers attached to it. These troops were among the first to land in any planetary assault, and typically maintained a state of closed communications in regards to the larger units they accompanied, breaking comm silence only if help was urgently needed or the recon platoon itself spotted an imminent threat. During the Mandalorian Wars, a Force Recon platoon infiltrated Zeltros, where they seized a Mandalorian troop transport that was later assigned to Viridian Squadron. As a part of the Republic's effort to liberate Alderaan during the Great Galactic War, a number of Force Recon platoons were involved in gathering field intelligence that proved useful when the time came to begin the operation. This intelligence included keeping tabs on Sith troop movements, allowing such Republic units as Havoc Squad to ambush them.
Behind the scenes[]
Much like its parent organization, this elite arm of the Republic Marines is based on the real-world Force Reconnaissance branch of the United States Marine Corps.
Appearances[]
- Tales from the Corps, Vol. 1 (Mentioned only)