3rd Force Reconnaissance Company The Third Force Reconnaissance Company , or 3rd FORECON , are responsible in deep reconnaissance and direct action support , and largely tasked in remote sensor emplacement for ground combat elements of the Marine Air - Ground Task Force . Mission . 3rd FORECON are operationally committed in supporting the subordinate elements Marine Forces Command ( MarForCom ) or the II Marine Expeditionary Force for direct support of operations and personnel tempo relief . The company augmented active - duty forces or were mobilized to conduct pre - assault and deep post - assault reconnaissance and surveillance in support of II Marine Expeditionary Force and its subordinate elements ; 22nd , 24th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit s , and the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade . 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company : To conduct pre - assault and distant post - assault reconnaissance in support of a landing force . In addition , the company possesses the capability to perform the following tasks : Engage the enemy by supporting arms , Implant sensors , Capture selected prisoners , Conduct initial terminal guidance operations , Conduct specialized terrain reconnaissance , Conduct special missions requiring the use of entry capabilities . 4th SCAMP : Plan , control , and manage the employment of unattended ground sensor equipment in support of a MAGTF or other commands as directed . Organization . 4th Sensor Control and Management Platoon . The mission of the 4th Sensor Control and Management Platoon is to plan , control , and manage the employment of unattended ground sensor equipment in support of a MAGTF or other commands as directed . The 4th SCAMP was originally activated on 1 October 1986 as the 4th Sensor Control and Management Platoon ( SCAMP ) and co - located in Mobile with 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company . On 13 November 1990 , Det 1 , 4th SCAMP was mobilized in support of Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm . On 3 December 1990 , Det 2 , 4th SCAMP was mobilized in support of Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm . On 25 April 1991 4th SCAMP , Dets 1 & 2 , were demobilized and returned to the home training center in Mobile . 2004 3rd Force Recon deployed several platoons to operation Iraqi Freedom . Chronology . 2007 Last Force Recon detachment returns from OIF . 3rd Force Recon suffered Sgt . Foster Harrington KIA during combat operations in Al Anbar Province . 2009 Det Echo mobilized for Operation Enduing Freedom . 2010 Det Echo returns from OEF deployment . History . Vietnam , 1967 – 1971 . 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company was activated , trained , fought and deactivated during the Vietnam War . Activated in September 1965 as one of the first group of add on units to meet demands of operations in the Republic of South Vietnam , 3rd FORECON formed at Camp Lejeune , N . C . and satellite on 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company that was under strength due to the demands for trained Force Recon Marines assigned to 1st Force Reconnaissance Company in country . Facilities , cadre and equipment for training were provided by 2nd FORECON . Volunteers were solicited from throughout the Marine Corps and the first four months were devoted to bringing 3rd FORECON up to strength in personnel . Beginning in January 1966 all operational personnel departed Camp Lejeune to train in the Caribbean and Panama . Returning to North Carolina in March , final preparations were carried out to meet the projected deployment date in May 1966 . The expected deployment of the entire 3rd FORECON did not occur , but a two - platoon detachment embarked on the USS Boxer , transited through the Suez Canal , and arrived in country in time to be introduced to combat in Operation Hastings as part of the Special Landing Force Alpha in early July 1966 . 3rd FORECON ( - ) dropped to a not - combat - ready readiness status . Headquarters Marine Corps transferred several commissioned officers and numerous enlisted ( [ staff ] non - commissioned officers ) immediately after the Detachment departed . In mid - June , 3rd FORECON ( - ) was alerted to deploy immediately . Due to the reduced personnel readiness status , HQMC changed the deployment plan and ordered that a Platoon be assigned to deploy with 1st Battalion , 26th Marines ( 1 / 26 ) that had been activated at Camp Pendleton . The remainder of 3rd FORECON was ordered to move to Camp Pendleton to refit . At the conclusion of Hastings the Detachment was attached to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion that had just arrived in Phu Bai from Da Nang , having been replaced by the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion that had just begun arriving with the 1st Marine Division . Shortly , they were joined by the Platoon that had come in country with 1 / 26 . They patrolled in Thua Tin Province , until early January , 1967 , when a task - organized " Special Purpose group " carried out a prisoner rescue attempt . The remainder were sent to Khe Sahn where they developed the intelligence of a large enemy buildup , that was the prelude to the hill fights that occurred in April 1967 . Reunited , what was left of the three platoons , returned to Phu Bai to await the arrival of the 3rd FORECON ( - ) . Having been brought up to strength and operational readiness , 3rd FORECON was reunited on May 27 , 1966 , just in time for the North Vietnamese Army ( NVA ) offensive to seize Quang Tri Province . The logistics element arrive at the " Ramp " at Dong Ha just in time for the opening salvos of the NVA artillery attacks that would continue daily until late Autumn . The operational element experienced a mortar attack in Phu Bai at the same time resulting in several shrapnel wounds , only one of which , required evacuation . The new arrivals were integrated with combat veterans and the entire eighteen teams conducted a zone reconnaissance in the Cobi Than Tan Valley east of Quey City before displacing to Dong Ha . Upon arrival at Dong Ha in early May the Commanding Officer assumed command of 3rd Recon Battalion ( Forward ) , which had reconnaissance responsibility for all of Quang Tri Province except the Khe Sahn Tactical Area of Operations ( TAOR ) . 3rd FORECON patrolled the area north of Highway nine to the Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) , while a recon company from 3rd Recon Battalion was targeted south of Highway Nine to the Thua Tin border . Occasional circumstances caused deviation from that concept , but , for the most part , those deviations were rare . 3rd FORECON continued that operational commitment until the 3rd Marine Division left country in November 1969 . CORRECTION : 3rd Recon Battalion ran many patrols north of Hwy 9 ; including into the DMZ ! We were never limited to south of Hwy 9 before or after I was in Dong Ha with Charlie Company , 3rd Recon Battalion . I was on patrols north of Khe Sahn , east and west of Con Thien and everywhere in between . This was in 1967 and 1968 . 3rd FORECON was placed under command of the III Marine Amphibious Force ( III MAF ) and operated in general support of III MAF until deactivated in mid - 1970 .