Marine Force Recon Workout

Marine Force Recon are the tip of the spear and many times the first to hit the ground. They provide intel reports and give a picture of what is happening on the ground before other troops arrive.

Training is brutal and nearly half will not make it through Marine Force Recon training.

The Force Reconnaissance companies (FORECON), also known as Force Recon, (0358) are one of the United States Marine Corps’s special operations capable forces (SOC) that provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF).

If you click on any link we may get a commission from Amazon.com which helps keep gas in the truck and the lights turned on. So if you want to help a disabled veteran – click the link and buy toilet paper.

Marine Force Recon Workout #1
40 minutes of treading water with full battle fatigues with hands out of water. Only perform if you have a lifeguard or swim buddy at the pool with you.

Start with 5 minutes tread water without fatigues. Slowly add minutes and add pants and tshirt. Eventually build up to 40 minutes with full clothing. This is a hard evolution and you must be very comfortable in the water.

All Recon applicants must train at the Basic Recon Course taught at the School of Infantry (SOI) West RECON Training Company in Camp Pendleton, California.

The Basic RECON Course consists of three phases:
Phase 1 is 4 weeks and focuses on Marine individual physical skills such as running, high repetition PT, obstacle courses, ocean swims with fins, rucking, land navigation, helicopter rope suspension training, communications and supporting arms.

If I were training for a slot in the recon unit I would be rucking long distance. I used to ride my bike up around Camp Pendleton and I would often see Marines rucking long distance in the big hills around the camp.

Check out these Ruck March tips here:

Phase 2 is three weeks long and concentrates on small unit tactics, mission planning and includes a nine-day exercise in full mission profiles.

Phase 3 is 2 weeks long with an emphasis on maritime missions. This part takes place in Coronado, California. The trainees will conduct amphibious reconnaissance, boat operations and nautical navigation.

WORKOUT #2
combat swimming workout
swim 500 yards in the ocean
run 500 yards
5 rounds in under 90 minutes

Applicants must have at least 3 to 4 years of flawless service and be physically superior with very high PFT scores above (275 enlisted – 285 officer). Below scores represent a perfect 300 on the USMC PFT:

3 mile run (18:00min 100 points)
20 pullups (dead hang) 100 points)
100 crunches in 2 minutes (100 points)

WORKOUT #3
Marine Recon short card workout

WORKOUT #4:
Manion hero workout
7 Rounds For Time:
400m Run
29 Back Squats (135/95 lbs)
Take the back squats from a rack.

“First Lieutenant Travis Manion, 26, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, assigned to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, California, was killed by sniper fire on April 29, 2007 while fighting against an enemy ambush in Anbar Province, Iraq. He is survived by his father, Colonel Tom Manion, mother Janet Manion, and sister Ryan Borek.”

The United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance is also known as Force Recon. These special operations force units are under the command of the United States Marine Corps. These units are primarily found within the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) with the remaining operating within the Marine Corps.

The mission of MARSOC is to recruit, train, sustain, and deploy scalable, expeditionary forces worldwide. The goal is to accomplish special operations missions assigned by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). MARSOC trains Marines to succeed in bad conditions against all enemies.

Question: Where can I find out more info on signing up for the Marines?

Answer: Check out the main website here: