ARMY RANGERS
diver or a scout sniper, are offered by the Marine Corps. Oth-
ers involve different branches of the military. For example, the
army conducts a three-week Airborne School as well as Ranger
School, which GoArmy.com terms “the most physically andmen-
tally demanding leadership school the army has to offer.”
In the field, Force Recon missions are divided into green
operations and black operations. These are similar to the
Vietnam-era Key Hole and Sting Ray classifications. Green op-
erations involve a mixture of amphibious and ground recon-
naissance. There is no intentional enemy contact. Relying on
their stealth, the men go inland for many miles, well beyond
the reach of artillery support. Many missions are conducted in
advance of an attack by a Marine unit. Sometimes, Force Re-
con troops take soil samples of a proposed landing site. Other
times, they examine inland terrain with special emphasis on
roads, bridges, and other
infrastructure
. They also place re-
mote sensors to guide incoming troops and identify possible
areas for helicopter landings and airborne drop zones. Some
Helocasting requires
soldiers to jump out of
a helicopter into the
water and swim to shore
while fully clothed.
