Reconnaissance Pull . . . the Marine Corps Way

Marine Corps doctrine establishes reconnaissance pull as the preferred method [of reconnaissance] during offensive operations (it takes advantage of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force s inherent flexibility and reconnaissance capabilities). ^[5] Given this doctrinal preference, the Marine Corps has devoted considerable resources to developing and refining a wide range of capabilities related to reconnaissance pull. Moreover, it has made the human investment necessary to ensure the efficient flow of information from reconnaissance elements to key decision makers , and it has embraced flexibility as a key part of its culture. We believe the Marines practices to be directly applicable to the business environment.

A Full Bag of Tricks

According to General Al Gray, former commandant of the Marine Corps and champion of modern-day Marine Corps maneuver warfare doctrine, reconnaissance pull should be called integrated intelligence pull to better reflect the the influence of the full bag of your intelligence resources. ^[6] And the Marines, believing that a diverse set of capabilities enhances the effectiveness of reconnaissance pull, certainly employ a full bag :

• Recon ”Highly skilled special operators responsible for conducting reconnaissance and surveillance missions forward of frontline infantry units and sometimes far behind enemy lines.

• Scout Snipers ”Expert marksmen that, in addition to their primary mission, observe extended battlefield areas and collect intelligence.

• Radio Battalion ”Specialized communications units that intercept radio signals, locate enemy transmission sites electronically , and jam enemy communications.

• Intelligence Battalion ”Secretive counterintelligence and interrogator-translator teams that gather information by questioning enemy prisoners of war and interacting with local informants.

• Light Armored Reconnaissance ”Swift, eight-wheeled light armored vehicle (LAV) units that conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, and screening missions and provide firepower (as necessary) forward of the main fighting force or on its extreme flanks.

• Air Assets ”Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), F/A-18 Hornets, and EA-6B Prowlers. UAVs enable remote-controlled enemy surveillance and target acquisition, F/A-18s provide all-weather imagery collection, and EA-6Bs locate, intercept, and jam enemy signals from the air.

Integrating the information collected by this diverse set of capabilities are several specialized information systems. Most notable and modern is the Joint Maritime Command Information System (JMCIS), a distributed information system designed to provide a common collection point for real-time decision support.

Human Investment

While the role of the intelligence officer is by no means a novel concept, the Marine ground intelligence officers, who undergo both infantry and intelligence training, are dedicated full time to thinking like the enemy and determining potential enemy courses of action. Commanding recon and scout sniper platoons early in their careers, they enjoy direct reporting relationships to senior field commanders and serve as information conduits that enable real-time reaction to emerging opportunities.

Semper Gumby and Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

From day one, flexibility is reinforced in Marines psyches. Drill instructors at boot camp and Officer Candidates School intentionally and constantly change plans in an effort to accustom aspiring Marines to perpetual flux. Active duty in the Fleet Marine Force is a never-ending series of surprises , both intentional and unintentional. In light of the drill instructors well-intended harassment and the trials and tribulations of active duty, some junior Marine somewhere coined the phrase Semper Gumby , a play on the motto Semper Fidelis that means always flexible.

Another common maxim in the Marine Corps is Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. Long before Hollywood popularized it, Marines used the phrase to reflect their preference for being a fluid, loosely reined force that could spontaneously react to rapidly changing situations, rather than a rigid outfit that moved in a specific direction with a precise plan.

^[5] United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps Operations , MCDP 1-0, 2001, 10-11.

^[6] Scharfen, John C., Tactics and Theory of Maneuver Warfare (Tactical Fundamentals ”MCI 7401) , 30.