SOFREP's article on Recon.

SOFREP has an article on Recon.  Its a good read and worth your time.

But I have a bigger question if anyone will take me up on it.

By its very name Recon is outmoded and probably miss named. We use other means that don't risk life or limb to conduct recon now.  They should revert to the WW2 name of Marine Raiders.  But that's just ignoring the real issue.

The real question is this.  How does Recon fit into the modern Marine Corps.  These are Recon missions (via Wikipedia too late in the night to drag out manuals)....

These are the main missions that are outlined to some, or all of, the reconnaissance assets in the Marine Corps:

• Plan, coordinate, and conduct amphibious-ground reconnaissance and surveillance to observe, identify, and report enemy activity, and collect other information of military significance.

Done by drones and other means now. 

• Conduct specialized surveying to include: underwater reconnaissance and/or demolitions, beach permeability and topography, routes, bridges, structures, urban/rural areas, helicopter landing zones (LZ), parachute drop zones (DZ), aircraft forward operating sites, and mechanized reconnaissance missions.

The US Army calls this a pathfinder mission.  In US Army parlance this is specialized training...found in many if not all Infantry units. 

• When properly task organized with other forces, equipment or personnel, assist in specialized engineer, radio, mobile, and other special reconnaissance missions.

Again, the US Army would call the engineer function Sappers and is already present in our Combat Engineers.  Radio Recon does its thing too.  Special Recon Missions are beyond my knowledge.  I simply don't know what that would include. 

• Infiltrate mission areas by necessary means to include: surface, subsurface and airborne operations.

This is simply how they get to work but even this is duplicated to some extent by the conventional Marine Corps.  Scout Swimmers are found in every battalion.  And only Scuba and Airborne ops are unique to Recon/Force Recon.  But in the US Army these skill sets are found outside their Special Operations Forces.

• Conduct counter-reconnaissance.

Marine Snipers conduct this mission as well as regular Marine Units. 

• Conduct Initial Terminal Guidance (ITG) for helicopters, landing craft, parachutists, air-delivery, and re-supply.

Pathfinder by a different name.  Again found throughout the Army Infantry. 

• Designate and engage selected targets with organic weapons and force fires to support battlespace shaping. This includes designation and terminal guidance of precision-guided munitions.

ANGLICO, Terminal Air Control Party all do this.  Same skillset found throughout the DoD. 

• Conduct post-strike reconnaissance to determine and report battle damage assessment on a specified target or area.

Done by drones and other means without risking life or limb. 

• Conduct limited scale raids and ambushes.

A regular infantry mission.

Again I'm not trying to start a fight.

I don't need or want the drama but I would like an answer.  If you have one then feel free to post a comment or even hit me up on my e-mail.

This is an issue that won't be wished away and if you think that the last 12 years of conflict are going to change minds then you're wrong.  We were set on a path by Rumsfield that I don't think we're off yet.  He wanted a high tech force with far fewer people in the services.  That will include SOCOM and Recon unless a real answer to why we need them can be found.