Overview
- The Marine Corps has started the first Ground Reconnaissance Course at Camp Pendleton as the new entry to its recon pipeline.
- The service replaced the 12-week Basic Reconnaissance Course with two nine-week programs, and the amphibious course will award the 0321 Reconnaissance Marine specialty.
- Recon candidates will now take the Infantry Rifleman Course after boot camp instead of Marine Combat Training to fix weak infantry baselines and cut wait times.
- The ground course covers land navigation, demolition and call-for-fire, radio and imaging gear, live-fire marksmanship, and a final patrol phase with new training on robotics and sensors.
- The follow-on amphibious course will focus on aquatic operations and advanced communications and sensors, and leaders said they are studying whether to make the scout role a primary job field.