United States Marine Corps Scout ( Tank ) and Sniper Company The United States Marine Corps Scout and Sniper companies and the Scouts ( Tank ) companies of the tank battalions were the first among the division ' s reconnaissance assets . They existed around the same exact moment when 1st and 2nd Marine Division were created . In 1941 , each regiment had a scout and sniper platoon . They were assigned to the regimental Headquarters and Service Company . These companies were used in variety of tasks and , on occasion in severe combat , were used as " spare " rifle companies . When 6th Marine Division deactivated after the end of World War II , its recon assets also deactivated . Only the current Marine Division Recon Battalions that exist today hold history reference to the Scout and Sniper Companies . Many of their scouts and snipers companies were reinforced with tanks for speed and added firepower . These later developed into the Division recon companies ( later battalions ) that are presently operating in the Marine Regiments today ; also forging the Marine Corps modern Scout Sniper teams that are existence . Later in the 1980s , the Light Armored Reconnaissance ( LAR ) battalions were born from reinforced light tank concept of World War II , remolding the mission plans for division recon . Although this has taken away their expedient armored reconnaissance roles , it was preserved and improved by the LAR battalions . Training . While the two Marine divisions , ( 1st and 2nd Marine Division ) , were still fresh , many of the regimental intelligence sections ( G - 2 ) approached reconnaissance differently than the VAC ' s FMF Amphib Recon Company . Each of the specialized schools were followed by individual training back in the Corps ' s parent organization . This was normally scheduled by the company commander or the battalion commander . Each unit had its own means of training its Marines from the lessons learned from previous organization ' s last recon entry behind enemy territory . They kept individual and unit training at a high level of proficiency . In general , all scout and snipers were trained in scouting and patrolling . This included escape and evasion , land / maritime orientation , knife fighting , close - quarter combat , weapons and demolition , combat swimming , compass swims , hydrographic surveying , etc . Many of these Marines were exceptional marksman and sharpshooters . Most of these courses and training were conducted within the Marine ' s own training function . However , some were sent to train with the Royal Marines in England , and other specialized schools developed around the areas of the Pacific . An eight - week course was set up at Mornington Peninsula in Australia , instructed by 1st Lieutenant Holly Whyte . Lt . Whyte gained his recon skills while serving with the 1st Marines on Guadalcanal . The first class of students were mostly combat experienced recon Marines from each of the division ' s infantry regiments that fought on Guadalcanal . Although scouting and patrolling , field sketching and land navigation were mostly refresher training ; rubber boats and amphibious reconnaissance was very new . The nearby Port Phillip bay was used routinely for rubber boat and training . 1st Marine Division ' s regimental intelligence officers , 1st Lieutenants R . B . Firm and John Bradbeer attended the United States Navy ' s Amphibious Scouts School . They learned in this eight week course in sophisticated ambushes and raids , and more rubber boat work . Bradbeer and Firm were pulled back to Guadalcanal to the Seventh Fleet ' s Amphibious component — the 3rd Marine Division . Retained by I Amphibious Corps ( I MAC ) , Bradbeer and Firm was briefed on the pending Treasury Islands missions by Marine Raider Major Richard T . Washburn , who was schooling Raiders and division scouts on amphibious reconnaissance . Washburn ' s teams were about to depart on an amphib recon mission of the Shortland and Treasury Islands . History . In 1941 , Lieutenant Colonel William " Wild Bill " Whaling , the executive officer of 5th Marine Regiment , 1st Marine Division , visualized and perceived the use for specialized missions encompassing reconnaissance at the division - level , which would be conducted above the normal infantry battalion - level in scouting and patrolling . He recommended to General Alexander Vandegrift the need of a special " Scout and Sniper unit " for the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal . Upon approval , by February 1 , each of the three rifle companies that were used during the Guadalcanal campaign were tasked in sending one their best field craft Marines to devise the scout - sniper unit with each regiment containing a Scout and Sniper Platoon within the regimental headquarters and service company . This was the birth of division reconnaissance . Most of these Marines were skilled marksmen and outdoorsmen . General Vandegrift appointed Lt . Colonel Whaling to start a school where the selected Marines received intense additional training . While some Marines weren ' t selected and were sent back to their units , others took their place and the " Whaling Group " was available to scout and spearhead operations . Initially , they acted as guides in movement of units from one area to another and were able to confirm unit locations in the thick jungle foliage . They later conducted independent patrols into areas of critical interests to the Division . It wasn ' t before long many of the regiments requested their scouts to be heavily reinforced with tanks . The mechanized recon scouts proved to be very efficient in reconnaissance in force ( RIF ) . They would ride on top the tanks and rapidly be inserted behind the enemy lines and " look " for the enemy . Whenever encountered , they would fall back and immediately report to the battalion commander of its new findings Although , the division commander retained the amphibious and ground reconnaissance to its company level and took advantage of its sniper development . Those scout and sniper platoons later formed the Marine Scout Sniper and Surveillance and Target Acquisition platoons . By 1944 , The Marine divisions contained elements of scout / snipers , armored recon teams , and ground and amphib recon platoons within the division . Marines from the recently disbanded Raider and the Paramarine battalions filled most of the vacancies . The division commander at that time reassembled the separate division assets . This formation consolidated collecting more efficiently under the Commanding General and his Intelligence ( G - 2 ) and Operations ( G - 3 ) staffs . World War II . Prior to the arrival of Marines in this area of the Pacific War , the Australians had already established a network of deep reconnaissance agents known as the Australian Coastwatchers . They operated not only on coasts , but deep in jungles as well . Initially , some Marines became part of the unit . The I Marine Amphibious Corps ( I MAC ) and III Marine Amphibious Corps ( III MAC ) approached its reconnaissance assets more differently than the V Amphibious Corps ' s ( VAC ) FMF Amphib Recon platoons