Standard operation procedures of a reconnaissance platoon a good example of decentralized leadership. When a reconnaissance platoon is ran the right way it is one of the most effective force multipliers on the battlefield with little to no input above the team level. A reconnaissance team is the only unit that can operate outside the wire without the presence of an officer. The best reconnaissance platoons I have seen were ran by the team leaders. Reconnaissance operators promote faster than most military occupational specialties, but with this quickly comes increased at a young age. By doctrine a reconnaissance platoon operates independently in three teams of six with the headquarters unit in the Reconnaissance Operations Center. The only time that the teams will have an officer with them is if they are doing platoon operations, which typically consists of the headquarters element and one of the teams patrolling straight towards the objective and the other two teams conducting a satellite patrol in support of the first element. Your typical reconnaissance team is made up of a tea...
Staff Sergeant (SSGT) Louis Moeller shaped me into the Recon Marine I wanted to be and the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) that I am now. By embodying the Recon Creed and always setting the example, he made me want to be an NCO that my troops would look up to and want to follow. Even when not in charge he was constantly the one peers and junior Marines alike, turned to for guidance and inspiration. To this day, I still find myself asking “What would Louis do?” when confronted with a leadership dilemma