United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance

Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) are United States Marine Corps reconnaissance units that provide amphibious reconnaissance, deep ground reconnaissance, surveillance, battle-space shaping and limited scale raids in support of a Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), other Marine air-ground task forces or a joint force. Although FORECON companies are conventional forces they share many of the same tactics, techniques, procedures and equipment of special operations forces. During large-scale operations, Force Reconnaissance companies report to the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and provide direct action and deep reconnaissance. Though commonly misunderstood to refer to reconnaissance-in-force, the name "Force Recon" refers to the unit's relationship with the Marine Expeditionary Force or Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Force reconnaissance platoons formed the core composition of the initial creation of the Marine Special Operations Teams (MSOTs) found in Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Raider battalions, though Marine Raiders now have their own separate and direct training pipeline.

A force recon detachment has, since the mid-1980s, formed part of a specialized sub-unit, of either a Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) (MEU(SOC)) or a Marine expeditionary unit (MEU), known as the Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) for a MEU(SOC) and as the Maritime Raid Force (MRF) for a MEU.