Recondo
Encyclopedia
Recondo is an American military
term for a combination of RECONnaissance and DOughboy (or CommanDO
) special training or a graduate of a Recondo school.
Major General
William Westmoreland
noticed a failing of proficiency
and initiative
in squad
, fireteam
and patrol
leaders during an exercise code named WHITE CLOUD. General Westmoreland was a veteran of the Normandy invasion and realised the importance of small unit leaders and individuals who had been separated from their parent units to take action against superior enemy forces. The General decided that his Division needed relevant training to rectify their deficiencies before their deployment.
The United States Army
sent many of their officers and senior non-commissioned officers to the eight week Ranger School
. However not every unit leader could be sent to the course. One of the missions of a graduate of the Ranger School was to train his platoon or squad members in Ranger tactics. A 2nd Lieutenant Donald Bernstein suggested that some of the 101st Airborne's Ranger trained personnel start a school for the entire division in Ranger tactics. When the idea was brought to General Westmoreland he recommended that Major Lewis L. Millett
command the two-week school.
To emphasise reconnaissance
and doughboy
(standard infantry
) skills, the school was called "Recondo". The Recondo insignia of the graduates of the school would be an Indian arrowhead pointing downwards to symbolise assault from the sky to the ground in the colours of black and white for operation by day and night. The patch would be worn on the graduate's pocket. To avoid confusion, the graduate of the school would be considered a "Recondo" rather than "Ranger" trained; the latter being a graduate of the eight-week Army Ranger School.
A February 1960 article in Army magazine described Recondo tactics as "dedicated to the domination of certain areas of the battlefield by small aggressive roving patrols of opportunity which have not been assigned a definite reconnaissance or combat mission". The mission of a Recondo type patrol was to cause as much havoc to the enemy as an opportunity presented itself.
A Recondo patrol could be used
Impressed by the concept and results of the Recondo programme, other U.S. Army divisions adopted the concept.
In 1960, General Westmoreland became Superintendent
of the United States Military Academy
at West Point where he created a Recondo school for the cadets.
in 1964. He ordered his pet project, the creation of a MACV
Recondo school in 1966 to replace Project LEAPING LENA, later Project DELTA
. It consisted of Ranger-trained 5th Special Forces Group
instructors who trained American soldiers and Marines as well as members of other Allied forces in Reconnaissance and Patrolling
techniques. The course required a high level of physical fitness and concluded with an actual combat patrol prior to completion of the course to demonstrate the students' knowledge and capabilities.
The 20 day course had a failure rate of one third. It was disbanded once General Westmoreland was replaced by General Creighton Abrams
in 1970, who favored a more conventional approach to the war. The course graduated over 3,000 American and 333 Allied troops.
82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION RECONDO SCHOOL at Ft. Bragg, NC near Holland drop zone.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
term for a combination of RECONnaissance and DOughboy (or CommanDO
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
) special training or a graduate of a Recondo school.
History
In 1958 the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne Division (United States)
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
William Westmoreland
William Westmoreland
William Childs Westmoreland was a United States Army General, who commanded US military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak , during the Tet Offensive. He adopted a strategy of attrition against the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and the North Vietnamese Army. He later served as...
noticed a failing of proficiency
Proficiency
Proficiency may refer to:* Language proficiency, the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language* Expertise* Skill, the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both...
and initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
in squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
, fireteam
Fireteam
A fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. It is the smallest unit in the militaries that use it and is the primary unit upon which infantry organization is based in the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Air...
and patrol
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
leaders during an exercise code named WHITE CLOUD. General Westmoreland was a veteran of the Normandy invasion and realised the importance of small unit leaders and individuals who had been separated from their parent units to take action against superior enemy forces. The General decided that his Division needed relevant training to rectify their deficiencies before their deployment.
The United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
sent many of their officers and senior non-commissioned officers to the eight week Ranger School
Ranger School
The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
. However not every unit leader could be sent to the course. One of the missions of a graduate of the Ranger School was to train his platoon or squad members in Ranger tactics. A 2nd Lieutenant Donald Bernstein suggested that some of the 101st Airborne's Ranger trained personnel start a school for the entire division in Ranger tactics. When the idea was brought to General Westmoreland he recommended that Major Lewis L. Millett
Lewis L. Millett
Lewis Lee Millett, Sr. was a United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor during the Korean War for leading the last major American bayonet charge....
command the two-week school.
To emphasise reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and doughboy
Doughboy
Doughboy is an informal term for an American soldier, especially members of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. The term dates back to the Mexican–American War of 1846–48....
(standard infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
) skills, the school was called "Recondo". The Recondo insignia of the graduates of the school would be an Indian arrowhead pointing downwards to symbolise assault from the sky to the ground in the colours of black and white for operation by day and night. The patch would be worn on the graduate's pocket. To avoid confusion, the graduate of the school would be considered a "Recondo" rather than "Ranger" trained; the latter being a graduate of the eight-week Army Ranger School.
Training and missions
The two-week day and night course included training in- PatrollingPatrollingPatrolling is a military tactic. Small groups or individual units are deployed from a larger formation to achieve a specific objective and then return. The tactic of patrolling may be applied to ground troops, armoured units, naval units, and combat aircraft...
- Land NavigationOrienteeringOrienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
- River Crossing
- MountaineeringMountaineeringMountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
to include abseilingAbseilingAbseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :... - Hand to hand combatHand to hand combatHand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...
- Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape
- Code of Conduct
- HelicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
and Liaison aircraftLiaison aircraftA liaison aircraft is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. The concept developed before World War II and included also battlefield reconnaissance, air ambulance, column control, light cargo delivery...
operations
A February 1960 article in Army magazine described Recondo tactics as "dedicated to the domination of certain areas of the battlefield by small aggressive roving patrols of opportunity which have not been assigned a definite reconnaissance or combat mission". The mission of a Recondo type patrol was to cause as much havoc to the enemy as an opportunity presented itself.
A Recondo patrol could be used
- immediately after the seizure of an objective when the enemy was disorganised
- as a screen for retrogradeWithdrawal (military)A withdrawal is a type of military operation, generally meaning retreating forces back while maintaining contact with the enemy. A withdrawal may be undertaken as part of a general retreat, to consolidate forces, to occupy ground that is more easily defended, or to lead the enemy into an ambush...
operations - to eliminate guerrilla activity
- to develop a situation in front of a rapidly advancing larger force
- to conduct feints
Impressed by the concept and results of the Recondo programme, other U.S. Army divisions adopted the concept.
In 1960, General Westmoreland became Superintendent
Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
The commanding officer of the United States Military Academy is its Superintendent. This position is roughly equivalent to the chancellor or president of an American civilian university. The officer appointed is by tradition a graduate of the United States Military Academy, commonly known as "West...
of the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point where he created a Recondo school for the cadets.
Vietnam War
General Westmoreland became commander of the American forces in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1964. He ordered his pet project, the creation of a MACV
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
The U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, MACV, , was the United States' unified command structure for all of its military forces in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.-History:...
Recondo school in 1966 to replace Project LEAPING LENA, later Project DELTA
Project DELTA
Project DELTA was one of three Greek letter special forces reconnaissance projects formed by the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, MACV during the Vietnam War to collect operational intelligence in remote areas of South Vietnam....
. It consisted of Ranger-trained 5th Special Forces Group
5th Special Forces Group (United States)
The 5th Special Forces Group is a United States Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 21 September 1961 during the Cold War.-Unit history:...
instructors who trained American soldiers and Marines as well as members of other Allied forces in Reconnaissance and Patrolling
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols, or LRRPs , were special small four to six-man teams in the Vietnam War on highly dangerous special reconnaissance missions deep into enemy territory....
techniques. The course required a high level of physical fitness and concluded with an actual combat patrol prior to completion of the course to demonstrate the students' knowledge and capabilities.
The 20 day course had a failure rate of one third. It was disbanded once General Westmoreland was replaced by General Creighton Abrams
Creighton Abrams
Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. was a general in the United States Army who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968–72 which saw U.S. troop strength in Vietnam fall from a peak of 543,000 to 49,000. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1972 until shortly...
in 1970, who favored a more conventional approach to the war. The course graduated over 3,000 American and 333 Allied troops.
Other Recondo training
- The French ArmyFrench ArmyThe French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
offers a similar type CommandoCommandoIn English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
training within each Regiment. The graduate wears a Commando badge on his or her pocket.
External links
- 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION RECONDO SCHOOL http://www.lcompanyranger.com/101recondo/101recondpage.htm
- Green Beret magazine feature http://www.281stahc.org/DELTA/DeltaMag1.htm
82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION RECONDO SCHOOL at Ft. Bragg, NC near Holland drop zone.