page_title: United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Selection and Indoctrination
section_title: Accession Pipeline
hierarchical_section_title: United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Selection and Indoctrination / Accession Pipeline
caption_attribution_description: English: United States Department of the Navy Scuba Diver Badge
context_page_description: The two amphibious/ground reconnaissance assets of the United States Marine Corps, Division and Force Reconnaissance, are generally trained in the same aspect and environment of intelligence collection for a Marine Air Ground Task Force Commander, regardless of their difference in tactical area of responsibility. However, in light of their distinctive responsibilities in their assigned areas of operations—whereas Division Recon conducts close and distant operations, Force Recon conducts deep operations—these two separate reconnaissance assets manage their own training protocols to fit their mission-oriented objectives.
context_section_description: The  Accession Pipeline is a series of schools that the Marines attend before being assigned their designated reconnaissance MOS.  It may take one or two schools, or it may take several, before they are fully qualified in their described Military Occupational Specialty or MOS. On average, it will take 1.5 to 2-years to train a fully qualified Marine Reconnaissance Operator.  Since the Marine Corps lacks the facilities, they usually outsource their training to other cross-service schools sponsored by the United States Army and Navy.
  The 'primary' focus of qualifications is for Marines to be fully functional as the MOS 0321, Reconnaissance Man.  To obtain the proper designated MOS, they must attend the Basic Reconnaissance Course (BRC).  The BRC is required for both Division and Force Recon.
  Those recon Marines that complete the Basic Airborne Course retain the MOS 0323, "Reconnaissance Man, Parachutist Qualified", those that complete the USMC Combatant Diver Course, have the MOS 0324, "Reconnaissance Man, Combatant Diver Qualified" and those having both qualifications, the MOS 0326, "Reconnaissance Man, Parachutist and Combatant Diver Qualified".
  Before the Marine Corps adopted a new designated change of the billeted Reconnaissance MOS, the Marines retained a secondary (Special "B"-categorized) MOS that was to be implemented along with their primary MOS of 0321 (e.g. 0321/8654).  The MOS subtly changed respectively into primary designations over time (i.e. 8652 merged into 0323; 8653 into 0324; 8654 into 0326) without any further need to maintain a secondary MOS designation.
  Normally, the division reconnaissance assets do not have a large portion of parachute and combat diver qualified recon Marines, but do have some designated by the division commanders if the situation permits.  The FMF's recon operators, however, are required to be parachutists and combat divers, since they are required to insert deeper into the battlespace by parachute or submarine insertions.
  Division and Force Recon Marines must complete Level "C" of the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) School.  Level "C" SERE is a course intended for high risk personnel that are carrying top secret compartmented information and are of high risk of capture.
caption: USN SCUBA Diver Badge, 1980-2006
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