1st Force Reconnaissance Company - History

History

See also: FMF Amphib Recon Battalion and Marine Corps Test Unit #1

First Force Reconnaissance Company was activated on 19 June 1957 at Camp Margarita (Area 33), Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It was formed from the Reconnaissance Platoon of Marine Corps Test Unit#1 that was assigned to take over the guideon of 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company, that was under command of Captain "Cycle" Michael Sparks. Many Marines from the amphib recon company and 1st Reconnaissance Battalion augmented the new Fleet Marine Force-level reconnaissance capabilities to force commanders.

The Company's first company commander was Major Bruce F. Meyers, with Captain Joseph Z. Taylor as his executive officer. Meyers was MCTU#1's project test officer that led the development and refinement of submarine insertions/extractions techniques, low level static line and military free fall parachute insertion, the closed-circuit SCUBA procedures and capabilities developed the initial deep reconnaissance capability within the Department of Defense.

By 1958, approximately half of the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company was reassigned and transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to form the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company; under command of Joseph Z. Taylor, promoted to Major.

On 26 October 2006, 1st Force Reconnaissance followed the same footsteps as the 2nd Force Recon Company, also too becoming deactivated. The remaining force recon Marines either integrated into the Deep Recon Platoons (DRP) of 1st and 3rd Division Recon Battalions, or folded into 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion (1st MSOB) of the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

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