Activated at Camp Lejeune as 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion and assigned to 2d Marine Division.
Unit History / Ground & Amphibious Reconnaissance
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion is the site’s primary reconnaissance battalion reference page. Its published mission centers on ground and amphibious reconnaissance and surveillance in support of 2d Marine Division while also providing reconnaissance forces to meet II MEF requirements.
Activated22 January 1958 · Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Parent Formation2d Marine Division · II MEF
HISTORY
Public Historical Breakdown
Historical lineage records participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis, elements in the Dominican Republic intervention, Lebanon peacekeeping, and Grenada-Carriacou.
Elements participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Southwest Asia.
Redesignated as Reconnaissance Company, Headquarters Battalion, then combined with Force Reconnaissance Company in 1996 to form a provisional reconnaissance battalion. Redesignated again as 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion on 1 January 1998.
Lineage records Operation Iraqi Freedom participation across multiple rotations, as well as Operation Secure Tomorrow in Haiti.
Inside the site archive, 2d Recon is used as the source unit for Helmand reconnaissance actions, recon officer leadership, SARC support, and attached Force Recon capability.
MOS
Common MOS Lanes
Reconnaissance battalion pages focus on reconnaissance officers, recon Marines, recon snipers, amphibious/diving and airborne-qualified personnel, communicators, scout observers, and Navy corpsmen trained for recon support.
PIPELINE
Training Pipeline Overview
Recon Marine
The public Basic Reconnaissance Course preparation guide describes BRC as a 12-week course teaching tactics, techniques, and procedures for amphibious reconnaissance and qualifying Marines for MOS 0321.
Follow-On Skills
Recon-qualified Marines may later attend courses aligned to airborne, combatant diver, military free fall, surveillance, communications, sniper/observer, and small-team reconnaissance capability.
Recon Officer
Officers normally complete accession, The Basic School, and infantry/reconnaissance-related officer training before serving as platoon commanders or staff officers in reconnaissance units.
Recon Corpsman / SARC
Navy FMF Recon corpsman programs screen applicants for physical fitness, water confidence, medical standards, and suitability before initial training and assignment to recon medical duties.
PROFILE USE
Assignment Lane
Current Assignment Only
This unit lane controls background art, insignia, and active-unit identity for profiles assigned here. Individual names stay inside the Chain of Command system.
Clean Historical Page
Unit history pages focus on lineage, mission, MOS lanes, training pipeline, and public references. Personal biography details stay on the member profile.
COMPANIES / TEAMS
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion Task Organization
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion is the deep reconnaissance and long-dwell surveillance lane: early warning, route and area reconnaissance, target development, and actionable intelligence for commanders.
Reconnaissance Command Element
Provides planning, reporting discipline, command-and-control, intelligence handoff, communications architecture, and coordination with supported ground and aviation elements.
Easy Company
Conducts reconnaissance-in-force, advance-force operations, route reconnaissance, and area reconnaissance to confirm enemy dispositions and protect maneuver elements.
Recon Platoons
Execute patrol insertions, surveillance positions, hide-site operations, observation/reporting, linkup, exfiltration, and fieldcraft-heavy reconnaissance tasks.
Combat Controller Attachment
USAF combat control support integrates terminal control, joint fires, assault-zone coordination, and air-ground effects with Marine reconnaissance elements.
Green-Side / Recon Corpsmen
Provides field medical care, CASEVAC coordination, prolonged-field-care awareness, and medical coverage for reconnaissance patrols and training lanes.
Communications / Sustainment
Maintains long-range communications, report flow, mission equipment readiness, and sustainment support needed for reconnaissance teams operating away from the main body.
SOURCES