Upon completion of the basic AIRBORNE course, a Marine is
awarded the basic parachutist insignia, (we refer to these
as "Lead Sleds"). To go Gold, the Marine must be
in a jump billet (Recon Battalion, Force Recon Company, SOTG),
be in that billet for at least ninety consecutive days, and
have completed five additional jumps to include two day hollywood’s,
one day combat, two night combat, and must have used two different
types of airframes. The jumps had to be done in that order.
A Marine could have done his two-day Hollywood’s, one
day combat, one night combat, and then another day combat.
This equals the ten jumps for gold, but he will not get to
pin them on and get his page 11 entry in his SRB stating that
he rates to wear the Navy/Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia
until the Marine knocks out that final night combat. (Note:
Gold Wing pining ceremonies no longer exist).
Photos
of Reconnaissance Indoctrination Program (RIP 1-88'), Desert
Storm/Sheild and routine Deployments & Operations. Just
click on the individual photos for larger versions to view.
Within the United Stated Marine Corps exists a small group
of highly trained and superbly competent Marines; those assigned
as "operators" to the Reconnaissance community.
Relatively unknown outside of the Department of Defense (DOD),
they neither seek nor suffer the publicity of others in this
business.
"Neither the United
States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department
of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this product/service/activity."
