Recondo.

LRRP, LRP, RRD, LRSD, LRSU, etc...
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JoBa
US Army Veteran
Posts: 38
Joined: November 19th, 2012, 1:40 am

Recondo.

Post by JoBa »

I had to do some serious thinking about making such a controversial post on the open forum, my being so new around here and all, along with the fact that I am not a combat vet, but I would like your thoughts. I did run this past one of the Rangers on this board as a PM first, he suggested I make the post.

Recondos were trained by Rangers, as were Rangers. Recondos had three weeks to learn under extreme duress what Rangers were given three months to learn. I am assuming that a large portion of Ranger School was also conducted under extreme conditions.

Westmorland's order was that every time he saw a trooper wearing the Recondo Brand, he would know that he was looking at a Ranger qualified man.

It was a division run school, so there were no criteria as to the percentages of each class that must graduate as there are ( or were) on Army run schools. My class started out with 145, but only 14 graduated. This was in 1962.

The whole purpose of forming the Recondo school was to gain more Ranger trained personnel, all the way down to the platoon level in a much shorter period of time. In those days, the division was short way too many troopers and Westmorland did not want to sacrifice his combat readiness for the time it took to send troopers down to Ranger School.

Millett devised the whole program with Westmorland in cahoots from what I understand. The emphasis was on LRP, with a thirty mile night patrol, fully planned and executed by the student. using whatever means necessary to accomplish the mission.

Then a fun, very long, day in a POW stockade to wind it up. Anyone who said anything other than name, rank, or serial # failed the entire course. They used electricity, cramp boxes, tanks of sewage, and of course snakes in order to motivate us to chat with them. They even had an aid station to get your owies taken care of, staffed by some very hot looking little honeys. If they asked you how you were feeling, or where you were from, and you answered with anything beyond NRS, you failed the course.

The three week course covered much, much, more than the above, but I'm sure you are familiar with the rest of it.

As with Rangers, a Recondo's diploma states that they have earned the title.

-JoBa
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Jim
Rest In Peace Ranger
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Re: Recondo.

Post by Jim »

During that era, we had a number of schools that prepared soldiers to be leaders. Then, Major Lew Millett, organized the RECONDO course at Fort Campbell. The 101st Airborne Division led the way, the 82d had the Raider Course (two wees for SP4s). 5th Mech at Fort Carson had MECHONDO (OK, they were a mech division), In Panama, we had JOTC, In Korea, 2ID had their own 2 week course. And in Europe they had 7th sarmy NCO Academy. All of them aspired to greatness -- but, the Ranger Course remains the standard.
Ranger Class 13-71
Advisor, VN 66-68 69-70
42d Vn Ranger Battalion 1969-1970
Trainer, El Salvador 86-87
Advisor, Saudi Arabian National Guard 91, 93-94
75th RRA Life Member #867
JoBa
US Army Veteran
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Joined: November 19th, 2012, 1:40 am

Re: Recondo.

Post by JoBa »

Jim wrote:During that era, we had a number of schools that prepared soldiers to be leaders. Then, Major Lew Millett, organized the RECONDO course at Fort Campbell. The 101st Airborne Division led the way, the 82d had the Raider Course (two wees for SP4s). 5th Mech at Fort Carson had MECHONDO (OK, they were a mech division), In Panama, we had JOTC, In Korea, 2ID had their own 2 week course. And in Europe they had 7th sarmy NCO Academy. All of them aspired to greatness -- but, the Ranger Course remains the standard.
Ranger, you are 100% correct, Ranger School is the standard, and always has been. It was Rangers who ran those little two and three week courses.

Looking at your credentials, I doubt if anyone on this board would want to challenge you in any way, shape, or form, on that, or very few other issues. Not necessarily out of fear, but more out of respect.

I think what I was trying to say is that it would be fairly unlikely that anyone who graduated from the original 101st, or MAC V, Recondo courses, would have had any trouble at all with making it through Ranger School.

I will guarantee you, all Recondos are as proud of our Recondo titles as you are of your Ranger title.

But what I am really trying to figure out is do I even belong on this board with such an esteemed group of soldiers as Rangers?

Do you guys want an old Recondo running about stirring things up?


-JoBa
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Steadfast
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Re: Recondo.

Post by Steadfast »

JoBa, an old Recondo Vet is always welcome to stir the pot.

We all learn a lot from each other.
RLTW
Steadfast

4/325 82d DIV 68-69
2nd Bde HHC (LRRP), 4 ID
K Co (Rgr), 75th Inf (Abn), 4 ID
69-70
I cooked with C- 4
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Jim
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Re: Recondo.

Post by Jim »

JoBa, you are welcome here...
Ranger Class 13-71
Advisor, VN 66-68 69-70
42d Vn Ranger Battalion 1969-1970
Trainer, El Salvador 86-87
Advisor, Saudi Arabian National Guard 91, 93-94
75th RRA Life Member #867
JoBa
US Army Veteran
Posts: 38
Joined: November 19th, 2012, 1:40 am

Re: Recondo.

Post by JoBa »

Thanks for the welcome, I appreciate that. I am an active member of a paratrooper forum that went overboard on the vetting process. I'll give you the link if you want to see what a whack job you are welcoming here. I'm also on a pilots forum as well, but under a different handle.

I'm way too old to try and kick anyones butt, I'd probably pull something and hurt myself more than I'd ever hurt any of you, so do not worry about calling me out if I get out of line..... or you (gasp) think I might be in the wrong in some obscure way.





-JoBa
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