I recently saw something online about the reconissance operator which specialize in going behind enemy lines and are parachute trained but I never saw this on the royal marines website. I'm just curious if this is still a specialization or not because I know that mountain leaders are also classed as a reconissance troop. Cheers
I found it on this website don't know how reliable it is http://www.eliteukforces.info/royal-marines/recce-troop/
Within a Reconnaissance Troop it will be made of up Mountain Leaders and Sniper pairs. However, to bolster the troop you may have numerous “Reconnaissance Operators” who may or may not have a specialisation that have done specialist training to operate within a “Recce Troop”. Their course is solely Surveilliance and Reconnaissance and is set up to run similarly to the Mountain Leaders 3 course. However, the mountain leaders obviously also specialist in climbing and mountaineering thus giving them a wider skill set. They’re expected to have the same standard of fitness as a Mountain Leader and are often expected to learn to help set up rope stances etc in order to speed evolutions up when out on exercise or operations. Anyone can apply to be a Recce Operator it’s just a matter of speaking to your chain of command and showing interest in the relevant areas when on exercise.
Ah so is it like an extra skill set so you can apply for it even if your specialized in landing craft for example and is it true that they are parachute trained
As it currently stands getting parachute trained is run in priority order. Lads at SRS/30 Commando are first in line, then it moves to lead recce commando troop if there are spaces and so on. It can take years to under go parachuting training however I’ve known lads who have turned up to unit and there’s been vacancies available so they’ve been loaded straight on.
I can only comment from an Army perspective but going back forty years or so there may perhaps have been more opportunities for recce and observation duties (also known as shivering in a ditch). The tempo of operations in Northern Ireland in the 1970s meant that there was often a need for three man teams out on the ground for Close Observation purposes. In the Parachute Regiment the role was first covered by Patrols Platoon until the Close Observation Platoons were formed. The work could be stressful and the turnover rapid giving opportunities to youngsters who met the selection criteria.
