The successful collaboration between 2d Force Company as part of Task Force 61/2 and Sixth Fleet is a model for naval integration. As the Marine Corps refines its force structure, 2d Force Company’s recent deployment serves as a critical example of how Force Design 2030 (FD 2030) is driving the Marine Corps to remain a forward-deployed, agile force capable of meeting evolving security challenges globally.
The Marine Corps of the Future Will Be: The Force Design 2030 Way Ahead
In March 2020, then Marine Corps Commandant, Gen David Berger, published FD 2030, calling for the Marine Corps to evolve and adopt necessary changes to meet emerging threats in a near-peer environment with a specific focus on China. In a statement to the Senate Appropriations Committee in 2022, General Berger stated,
Winning the counter-reconnaissance fight means SIF [Stand-In Forces] make themselves difficult to find by maintaining a low signature, moving frequently and unpredictably, and using deception to impose costs on potential adversaries, forcing them to expend limited ISR [Intelligence-Surveillance, Reconnaissance] resources. In the context of a naval campaign, it also means that SIF will help screen for the fleet and joint force, protecting it and increasing the fleet commander’s freedom of action.1
All of this means that the SIF will operate in a battlespace where the United States military will operate in a contested environment within the adversary’s weapon engagement zone (WEZ).
To determine the capability of the Marine Corps to accomplish those tasks, Gen Berger told the Senate Armed Services Committee, II MEF and 2d Marine Division were tasked with “accelerating experimentation with maritime, multi-domain reconnaissance constructs and activities to enhance the ability of the stand-in force to dominate the information environment, sense and make sense of the situation, and win the reconnaissance vs. counter-reconnaissance competition.” Commander, Sixth Fleet, immediately volunteered TF 61/2 to support these broader Service experimentation efforts. During the next several weeks, TF 61/2 conducted training aboard both the USS Woody Williams (ESB-4) and USS Georgia (SSGN-729) and engaged in combined-arms training in both Greece and Turkey. Those initial exercises demonstrated that maritime expeditionary forces could increase surface, subsurface, and aerial domain awareness for the fleet commander—regardless of theater—and allowed us to focus on the information web required to create domain awareness in a contested space.2
Each year since 2020, the Marine Corps has published an FD 2030 Annual Update outlining amendments to the original report based on lessons learned during the transformation process. New guidance from the current Commandant, Gen Eric Smith, as well as lessons learned from past and current exercises and operations, will continuously adjust the details and development of FD 2030. However, the critical concepts driving its end state will likely endure because they are derived from durable characteristics of the threat environment, the national interest, and traditional Marine Corps roles and missions. The future Marine Corps will exhibit the following traits, which are closely aligned with the existing capabilities of 2d Force Company, as demonstrated during our recent deployment.
Expeditionary and Amphibious
Force Design 2030 emphasizes the Marine Corps’ commitment to remaining expeditionary and amphibious as well as to project U.S. power ashore and assist the Naval Force in gaining and maintaining sea control.
Naval Integration
A key goal of FD 2030 is to enhance Marine Corps-Navy integration. By working closely together, Marines and sailors can provide the Nation with capabilities that neither Service could provide on its own—thus demonstrating that collectively they are greater than the sum of their parts.
Sea Control
Command of the sea is the Navy’s vital role and FD 2030 emphasizes the Marine Corps’ responsibility to support the Navy’s sea control mission. The Navy relies on the Marine Corps’ inherent competence in littoral environments to dominate key maritime spaces in littoral regions by conducting reconnaissance to locate and identify targets and cue fires.
Small, Modular, Agile
A fundamental shift in FD 2030 involves the transition from larger, legacy formations to smaller, modular, and more agile units. Agility will define the future of warfare, and the Marine Corps epitomizes agility within the DOD. This transition enhances the Marine Corps’ flexibility and adaptability, allowing for rapid deployment and precise mission execution.
Generates Outsized Effects
The ability to generate outsized effects underscores the Marine Corps’ commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in the modern battlespace with a peer or near-peer adversary and where the United States military cannot simply assume that it has a materiel overmatch as it did in the past. The dilemma of weapon-to-target mismatches has impacted decision making throughout all major conflicts of the past 25 years. This concept is deeply embedded in FD 2030, which envisions highly trained Marines, operating with a minimal footprint, as a stand-in force from expeditionary advance bases inside the enemy’s WEZ to deter conflict or to decisively shape it if deterrence fails.
Reconnaissance/Counter-reconnaissance 23 Deployment
2d Force Company deployed to the USEUCOM area of responsibility (AOR) and was assigned to the Sixth Fleet from April through September 2023 in support of the Sixth Fleet Commander (C6F). This was the second consecutive year that 2d Force Company has conducted this deployment. Experience from the first iteration helped to shape the company’s concept of employment.
While in Europe, 2d Force cooperated under a larger II MEF-sourced task force. Task Force 61/2 is staffed by the 2d MEB and commanded by a one-star general. 2d Force Company worked under TF 61/2 as an independent task group: Task Group 61/2.5. The purpose of our deployment was to enhance the C6F’s maritime domain awareness (MDA) and advance key FD 2030 concepts. Throughout our time working for the fleet, the company conducted a range of operations that demonstrated significant alignment between 2d Force Company capabilities and the key structural and employment concepts that will likely drive the future of the Marine Corps.
Although these operations were specific to 2d Force Company’s recent deployment to Europe, they illustrate ideas and capabilities that are broadly applicable to other AORs and reconnaissance units.
2d Force Recon Co 101
The primary objective of the reconnaissance/counter-reconnaissance deployment was to enhance the C6F’s MDA. In support of that goal, 2d Force Company deployed with 60 personnel, incorporating two of the company’s three platoons. The formation also included a robust company headquarters (HQ) integrated with the C6F maritime operations center. This HQ was comprised of a major as the company commander, a master sergeant as the operations chief, a first sergeant as the senior enlisted advisor, an operations officer, an air officer, a communications officer, an intelligence officer, and an assistant intelligence officer. This structure enabled the company HQ to integrate with the fleet HQ for planning and coordination while also maintaining the flexibility to surge enablers to the platoons and teams throughout the area of operations (AO) as needed.
To effectively conduct their mission, the company’s two platoons were organized into two to three teams each, creating four to six maneuver elements in total. The number and size of the teams varied throughout the deployment based on mission requirements. Each consisted of highly trained Marines, all of whom were military free fall and dive qualified. Notably, each team had organic joint terminal attack controllers, snipers, helicopter rope suspension techniques masters, small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) operators, and long-range photography equipment. These extensive skill and equipment sets were complemented by advanced communications suites, to include non-program of record equipment. This equipment included StarLink, commercial off-the-shelf LTE-enabled Wi-Fi pucks, MPU-5 radio sets, TraX software, and SPARTA targeting software developed and tested by the Marine Corps Software Factory for groundbased radars such as SIMRADs.
These communication capabilities allowed 2d Force Company’s teams to do the following: push live full-motion video to a variety of users, communicate over the horizon using commercial long-term evolution, utilize commercial and military satellite systems, operate across the spectrum to reduce the teams’ distinct military signatures, establish local mesh networks and over-the-horizon communications, and provide Link-16 connectivity. To take one example, this robust web of communications capabilities allowed Marines aboard combat rubber raiding craft (CRRCs) to publish high-quality target tracks and full-motion video directly to the C6F maritime operations center (MOC) floor.
During the deployment, 2d Force Company transited via CRRCs, rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), and aircraft organic to the naval vessels we embarked on and trained with. This diverse mobility toolkit ensured the adaptability of 2d Force Company, enabling operations across different environments and scenarios.
To enhance C6F’s MDA, 2d Force Company employed its large and mature company HQ, small teams of highly trained, task-organized Marines, advanced communications equipment, and a variety of mobility platforms. In so doing, 2d Force Company displayed the Marines’ ability to support naval forces in alignment with the evolving vision outlined in FD 2030.
Expeditionary and Amphibious Operations
The small size and light logistical footprint of 2d Force Company’s teams are ideal for expeditionary and amphibious operations. Unlike larger infantry units and other formations that lack organic amphibious mobility and are heavily reliant on ground vehicles for the movement of their equipment or whose movement will be constrained by burdensome logistical requirements, 2d Force Company’s teams can conduct expeditionary operations in austere environments with little external support.
In alignment with FD 2030’s focus on expeditionary and amphibious operations, 2d Force Company demonstrated the capability to insert into operational areas using a range of platforms, including submarines, guided missile destroyers (DDGs), their organic helicopters, and RHIBs. These mobility options allow 2d Force Company’s Marines to conduct a range of amphibious operations in littoral environments including amphibious raids, assaults, and reconnaissance.
Across all three MEFs, a key capability that Force Recon teams offer commanders while operating in challenging and varied terrain is the ability to provide observation, information, and targeting capabilities. Moreover, the teams are equipped with the capability to relay realtime data through Link-16-enabled devices and SPARTA targeting software, including live video feeds and tracks. This is a force multiplier for supported Navy commanders because it allows them to leverage Marines’ expeditionary and amphibious capabilities to gain critical information in environments that may be inaccessible to larger units and vessels.
Going forward, 2d Force Company will deploy with one platoon at a time versus the two that have been deploying over the past two years. While this reduces the capability in the short-term, allowing for only two to three maneuver elements, it affords the ability to maintain a persistent presence in Europe under TF 61/2 using the current table of organization, including a sustainable pre-deployment training program.
Force reconnaissance teams will continue to employ their expeditionary and amphibious operations capabilities to advance the Marine Corps’ commitment to maintaining a flexible and agile force capable of meeting the evolving challenges of modern warfare.
Integrated with the Navy (Study, Exercise, Execute)
Providing reconnaissance/counter-reconnaissance support to Navy commanders meant understanding the gaps in current Navy capabilities and limitations. Before deploying, we studied those vessels that we intended to support and operate from by reviewing historical after-action reports, conducting key leader engagements, and holding subject-matter expert exchanges with them. This helped us develop plans to integrate ourselves aboard Navy ships that do not typically host Marines. Working with the TF planners for each of those vessels, specifically TF 65 (destroyer squadron) and TF 69 (attack and guided missile submarine warfare), we then embarked on interoperability exercises to demonstrate how our forces could meet their needs and enhance their capabilities. As a result of this careful pre-deployment planning, 2d Force Company teams were able to embark on multiple DDGs, submarines, an expeditionary sea base, and NATO ally frigates. Each of these vessels had different tasks in support of the fleet and provided different challenges and opportunities for embarked 2d Force Co Marines providing support.
Pivotal to the successful integration was a profound understanding of the Navy’s needs and potential shortfalls in MDA capability. 2d Force Co recognized that naval operations required enhanced MDA and innovative solutions for extended-range observation. While deployed, we found ways to use Marine capabilities to close these gaps—enhancing MDA for both the commanders of Navy ships hosting 2d Force Company Marines, as well as C6F via data pushed directly to the MOC.
During competition, 2d Force Company mobility and UAS capabilities can increase MDA. During conflict, our use of small, low-signature surface craft and expendable UAS such as the RQ-20 Puma sUAS to conduct over-the-horizon reconnaissance can enable anti-ship fires while reducing the risk to large surface combatants and valuable maritime patrol aircraft. In this way, 2d Force Company looks to reduce risk to naval and Joint Force commanders by using tactical assets to drive decision making at the task force and fleet level while simultaneously denying the adversary attractive weapon-to-target matches. 2d Force Company adds a layer of capacity to MDA in the conflict continuum, operating within adversary WEZs during times of escalation and conflict while still providing enhanced situational awareness to commanders. An exemplary case of this concept was extending the range of vessel commanders’ situational awareness. While a ship’s surface search radar is capable, it is limited to radar returns displayed on a digital screen and requires confirmers such as the ship’s automatic identification system or airborne reconnaissance platforms to positively identify targets—for example, to distinguish an enemy ship from a tanker. This is especially true in densely trafficked maritime choke points.
2d Force Company augmented ship commanders’ organic radar capability by launching a team from a DDG on a RHIB with a CRRC, subsequently deploying the CRRC from the RHIB, and launching a sUAS from the CRRC (Figure 2). This innovative approach provided the ship, and the Sixth Fleet MOC floor with live video feeds and targeting data. Our team significantly expanded the ship’s sensor range and enhanced confidence in the identity of the (simulated) target with visual identification by more than fifteen nautical miles. The ability to visually identify and classify land or seabased points of interest without increasing the exposure of the vessel is vital at a time when gathering more information at a faster rate than the adversary is becoming increasingly important and increasingly difficult. It also demonstrates future capabilities provided to these vessels while conducting operations in the littorals.
2d Force Company provided similar support to a submarine commander conducting an important mission in support of C6F objectives. While working from a guided missile submarine in support of TF 69, 2d Force Company teams launched and recovered from the submarine to collect critical information and targeting data. These actions enabled the ship’s commander to prevent the submarine from unnecessarily unmasking and exposing itself to adversary observation while also receiving a more complete picture of the three-dimensional operating environment. The teams were able to transmit this data directly to the ship to support the commander’s decision making and to the MOC as well.
The guided-missile submarine captain recognized the teams and their efforts individually with letters of appreciation. Furthermore, he expressed his desire to continue this relationship for future iterations to maintain the capability for CTF 69. These enduring relationships, in line with the FD 2030 emphasis on naval integration, benefit both Services and the Nation by bringing the Marine Corps back to its naval roots.
Focused on Sea Control
While Navy ships can control the seas through physical presence, their presence in contested waters also makes them vulnerable. This is where 2d Force Company teams—either aboard on small craft or ashore—provided a layered detection and defensive capability that supports Navy sea control.
Choke points and archipelagos are critical geographical locations that offer significant strategic advantages because they channel naval traffic. Controlling choke points and archipelagos allows naval forces to control and monitor maritime traffic. Examples include the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, the Danish Straits or the Stockholm Archipelago, and the numerous archipelagos that litter the western Pacific. Sixth Fleet strategically utilizes choke points in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to maintain sea control within its AOR. Sixth Fleet employs a combination of presence, partnerships, and strategic positioning to ensure sea control in these vital areas. This positioning ensures that naval forces are well-placed to respond to any threats and maintain control of critical maritime passages.
While deployed in Europe, 2d Force Company demonstrated its ability to support sea control surrounding a critical choke point in Europe. Using long-range photography, sUAS, and other equipment, 2d Force Company teams conducted focused collections on transiting high-priority vessels while maintaining a small footprint and signature in a politically sensitive environment. 2d Force Company teams were able to bring a separate and distinct information-gathering capability to the fleet in support of MDA and—if required—targeting.
Composed of Small, Modular Units
2d Force Company teams’ ability to disassemble into smaller, highly specialized elements allows them to excel in a range of tasks, particularly when integrated into an intelligence support team for focused-collection operations (FCOs)—higher echelon collection opportunities that support strategic decision making. This ability to support strategic as well as tactical decision making not only underscores 2d Force Company teams’ adaptability but also enhances their overall effectiveness in diverse operational scenarios.
Among the capabilities that were most sought after for FCOs were force protection, overwatch, denial of terrain using snipers, precision targeting, directing/coordinating deep air support targeting, and weather-agnostic collection capability via long-range photography. Despite adverse weather conditions, the deployment of advanced photography equipment allowed these teams to capture high-resolution imagery. This capability proved invaluable in scenarios where traditional aerial or satellite imagery intelligence-gathering methods were hindered by weather constraints, providing the intelligence support team with a reliable and comprehensive visual intelligence capability.
Equipped to Generate Outsized Effects
Broken down into six to eight-Marine-sized units, teams retain all their capabilities and advanced communications, making them ideally suited to be rapidly deployable and mobile throughout the entire AO. 2d Force Company was able to integrate live video feeds with the ability to pull targeting data to create tracks directly from the feeds, which, when paired together, provided commanders with much higher confidence in their target identification. While these small forces are rapidly deployable and mobile, they can update and receive the fleet’s common operational picture in realtime via multiple redundant Link-16 connection pathways. This capability pushed down to the team level enables low-risk targeting for the fleet commander with multiple targeting assets that are significantly offset by distance through the AO. The ability to provide a plethora of low-visibility targeting assets anywhere within the AO with very low visibility or probability of detection is a force multiplier for the Navy.
Conclusion
The deployment of Force Recon exemplifies a strategic alignment with the Commandant’s FD 2030 initiatives. The successful collaboration between TF 61/2 and the Sixth Fleet is a testament to the value of the ideas in FD 2030 and how they contribute to the Naval Service. TF 61/2, with its focus on maritime security and amphibious operations, aligns with FD 2030 initiatives and serves as a force multiplier for the Sixth Fleet. 2d Force Company’s role within this collaborative framework and integration into the C6F MOC extends beyond reconnaissance and surveillance to include direct support for naval operations, contributing to the overall effectiveness of joint maritime forces in maintaining regional stability.
The successful deployment of 2d Force Recon provides a framework for what a successful table of organization and concept of employment for reconnaissance Marines looks like and how small and uniquely capable formations are going to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Marine Corps. Moreover, the TF 61/2-Sixth Fleet relationship further underscores the Marine Corps’ commitment to naval integration and its role as a forward-deployed, agile force capable of meeting the challenges of an evolving security landscape.
This concept’s utility does not need to become isolated to the Sixth Fleet and EUCOM AOR. The same basic framework—with modifications to reflect different theaters and commander requirements—is applicable across the globe. Force Recon Marines are a small, flexible, highly capable Marine Corps asset that fleet commanders are already leveraging. Going forward, 2d Force Company will continue to refine these capabilities with TF 61/2 and will expand their support into CENTCOM with TF 51/5 as well. Force Recon companies and battalion reconnaissance companies across all MEFs can and should look to expand upon this capability as the role of reconnaissance in the future battlefield continues to evolve.
As the Marine Corps continues to refine its force structure and capabilities, the deployment of Force Recon remains a critical component in ensuring the readiness and effectiveness of the Marine Corps in the years to come.
>Maj Pack’s bio was unavailable at the time of publication.
This article originally appeared in the Marine Corps Gazette. Copyright Marine Corps Association. Reprinted with permission.
Notes
1. Commandant of the Marine Corps Testimony on the Posture of the United States Marine Corps Testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, 117th Congress (2022), (Statement of David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps).
2. Commandant of the Marine Corps Testimony on the Posture of the United States Marine Corps before the Senate Armed Services Committee, 118th Congress (2023), (Statement of David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps).
