1st Reconnaissance Battalion
| 1st Reconnaissance Battalion | |
|---|---|
1st Reconnaissance Battalion insignia
|
|
| Active | March 1, 1937 – present |
| Country |
 United States of America
|
| Branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Type |
 Marine Division Recon
|
| Part of |
 I Marine Expeditionary Force 1st Marine Division
|
| Garrison/HQ |
 MCB Camp Pendleton, California
|
| Nickname(s) | Black Diamonds |
| Patron |
 LtCol William "Wild Bill" Whaling
|
| Motto(s) | "Swift, Silent, Deadly" |
| Colors | Black and Gold |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |
 Presidential Unit Citation  Navy Unit Commendation  American Defense Service Medal  Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal  World War II Victory Medal  Navy Occupation Service Medal  China Service Medal  National Defense Service Medal  Korean Service Medal  Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal  Vietnam Service Medal  Korean Presidential Unit Citation  Vietnam Cross of Gallantry  Iraq Campaign Medal  Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary  Global War on Terrorism Service |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
LtCol K. R. Root |
Korean War
Vietnam War
Operation Desert Storm
War on Terror
1st Reconnaissance Battalion (abbreviated as 1st Recon Bn) is a reconnaissance battalion in the United States Marine Corps. It falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).
1st Recon Battalion was reactivated on July 5, 2000, as part of Marine Corps Commandant General James L. Jones’ mission to revitalize Marine Corps reconnaissance.
The mission of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion is to provide task organized forces in order to conduct amphibious reconnaissance, ground reconnaissance, battlespace shaping operations, raids, and specialized insertion and extraction.
1st Reconnaissance Battalion currently consists of:
When the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions were created in 1941, each had a Scout Company 7 officers and 132 NCOs and enlisted men divided into a headquarters unit and three platoons. The unit had M3 Scout Cars and a motorcycle platoon.
In 1941, Lieutenant Colonel William "Wild Bill" Whaling, the executive officer of 5th Marine Regiment visualized and perceived the use for specialized missions encompassing reconnaissance at the division-level, which would be conducted above the normal infantry battalion-level in scouting and patrolling. He recommended to General Alexander Vandegrift the need of a special "Scout and Sniper unit" for the 1st Marine Division's operations on Guadalcanal. Upon approval, by February 1, each of the three companies were created for each regiment.
...
Wikipedia