Recondo School - Vietnam

Описание: Recondo is an American military term for a combination of RECONnaissance and DOughboy (or CommanDO) special training or a graduate of a Recondo school.

In 1958, the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division Major General William Westmoreland noticed a failing of proficiency and initiative in squad, fire team and patrol leaders during an exercise code named WHITE CLOUD. General Westmoreland was a veteran of the Normandy invasion and realized the importance of small unit leaders and individuals who had been separated from their parent units to take action against superior enemy forces. The General decided that his Division needed relevant training to rectify their deficiencies before their deployment.

The United States Army sent many of their officers and senior non-commissioned officers to the eight-week Ranger School. However not every unit leader could be sent to the course. One of the missions of a graduate of the Ranger School was to train his platoon or squad members in Ranger tactics. A 2nd Lieutenant Donald Bernstein suggested that some of the 101st Airborne's Ranger trained personnel start a school for the entire division in Ranger tactics. When the idea was brought to General Westmoreland he recommended that Major Lewis L. Millett command the two-week school.

To emphasize reconnaissance and doughboy (standard infantry) skills, the school was called "Recondo". The Recondo insignia of the graduates of the school would be an Indian arrowhead pointing downwards to symbolize assault from the sky to the ground in the colors of black and white for operation by day and night. The patch would be worn on the graduate's pocket. To avoid confusion, the graduate of the school would be considered a "Recondo" rather than "Ranger" trained; the latter being a graduate of the eight-week Army Ranger School.

Student selection was deemed to be critical to the success of the LRRP program and a result the school implemented the following stringent selection criteria:

Each student must:
Be a volunteer
Possess a combat arms MOS (Military Occupational Specialty)
Be in excellent physical condition
Have a minimum of one-month in-country
Have six months remaining in Vietnam
Have an actual or anticipated assignment to a LRRP unit
Be proficient in general military subjects

During the school’s 4-year existence a total of 5,626 soldiers, including 296 Koreans, 193 Thais, 130 Vietnamese, 22 Filipinos and 18 Australians, attended Recondo training. More than a third failed, but the 3,515 who graduated were authorized to wear the Recondo insignia in Vietnam and were assigned a Recondo number that was entered into the permanent section of their military 201 file. The honor graduate from each class also received a special knife.

The school was officially closed on 19th December 1970 by Westmoreland’s MACV successor, General Creighton Abrams.

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