United States Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion

FMF Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion
Battle Blaze of Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, FMFPAC (August 1944–September 1945)
Active	January 7, 1943 – June 19, 1957
Country	United States
Allegiance	War Department Department of the Navy
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Special Operations
Role	amphibious reconnaissance
Part of	Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet (January 1943–August 1943) V Amphibious Corps (August 1943–April 1944) Fleet Marine Force (April 1944 – 19 June 1957)
Nickname(s)	"Jones's Group" (World War II-era)
Patron	James L. Jones, Sr. Observer Group
Motto(s)	Celer, Silens, Mortalis ("Swift, Silent, Deadly")
Colors	Marine Corps Colors
Engagements	World War II

The United States Marine Corps's Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, formerly Company, was a specialized team of Marines and Navy Corpsmen that performed clandestine preliminary pre–D-Day amphibious reconnaissance of planned beachheads and their littoral area within uncharted enemy territory for the joint-Navy/Marine force commanders of the Pacific Fleet during World War II. Often accompanied by Navy Underwater Demolition Teams and the early division recon companies, these amphib recon platoons performed more reconnaissance missions (over 150) than any other single recon unit during the Pacific campaigns.

They are amongst the patriarch lineage of the Force Reconnaissance companies which still continue providing force-level reconnaissance for the latter Fleet Marine Force. Their countless efforts have contributed to the success of the joint-Marines/Army maritime landing forces assigned under the Navy fleet commanders during the island-hopping campaigns of the numerous atolls in the Pacific.

Their trademark of amphibious techniques utilized insertion methods under the cover of darkness by rubber boats, patrol torpedo boats, Catalina flying boats, converted high speed destroyer transport ships, or APDs, and submarines for troop transports. These Marines applied skills in topographic and hydrographic surveys by charting and measuring water depths, submerged coral heads, and terrain inland; taking photographs and soil samples for permeability for amphibious tractors and landing craft parties.