Recondo

Recondo is an American military term for RECONnaissance and commanDO for highly specialized infantry training or a graduate of a Recondo School who led small, heavily armed long-range reconnaissance teams that patrol deep in enemy-held territory.

The 82nd Airborne Division was the only division in the Vietnam era that was made up completely of airborne qualified troops. 50,000 paratroopers form three airborne infantry brigades and a variety of other components of support. The Recondo School is located approximately 20 miles from the outer drop zones on the Fort Bragg military reservation in North Carolina. Five classes a year train about 50 students each in a grueling three week class. For the first two weeks, class begins at 4:00 A.M. with a five-mile run, physical training, breakfast and classes. In the final week, the day begins with a helicopter jump, with assessment of patrolling practically nonstop until students arrive back at the school. Graduates tend to lose 30 pounds or more of weight during that time.

In late 1958 Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, Major General William Westmoreland, noticed a lack of proficiency in squad, fire team and patrol leaders during the Exercise White Cloud. General Westmoreland was a veteran of the Normandy invasion and knew the importance of small unit leaders and individuals separated from their parent companies to take initiative against superior enemy forces.

The United States Army sent many of their officers and senior non-commissioned officers to the eight-week Ranger School. However, since not every unit leader could be sent to the course, Ranger School graduates were expected to train their platoon or squad members in Ranger tactics. Thus, when it was suggested to General Westmoreland that some of the 101st Airborne's Ranger trained personnel start a school for the entire division in Ranger tactics, Westmoreland recommended that Major Lewis Millett command the school.

The course stressed improvised demolitions, the art of patrolling and intelligence gathering, recognition of enemy vehicles, woodlands survival (including a segment on snake handling), land navigation, rappelling, firearms skills of allied and enemy weapons, and aggressive hand-to-hand combat drills. These skills were formerly part of the Airborne curriculum during World War II. They were dropped in favor of producing qualified paratroopers; it was seen as more effective to provide the extra training through other courses rather than fail candidates who had passed the main airborne portion.

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