RECONDO Recon Team Manual: Vietnam - 1970

This was a book I held close and brought back with me, only to have it destroyed via good intentions to move past this time frame in my life.The book is more sentimental, offering a guideline or outline of sound reconnaissance patrolling at ground level for jungle terrain. It is sterile, military field guide, heavy on communications of that time frame, offering a peek into foreign weaponry, organization of 6- and 12-men teams, intelligence gathering procedures, some tracking, infiltration and extraction methods of the time and common sense field craft.Reading this will not make the reader good at reconnaissance as this is an on-the-job, hands on career choice developed only in the field offering high risk opportunities. This book reflects the intensity of the RECONDO Program, slamming the operator with a massive amount of operational knowledge in a very short and deadly time frame for learning. This book was designed to help keep said "student" focused and on track with what was going on at this highest level of high risk training.This book will give the reader an idea of the planning, preparations, procedures and execution of skills needed to become RECONDO Proficient.It is interesting re-reading this manner and seeing how sound, on the ground, recon is more about individual intelligence and common sense molded around specific skill sets of communications, transportation, weapons handling, and tactical maneuvering coupled with a deep understanding of the operational environment (people, places, things) set to a strong strategic purpose, than anything "SPECIAL."A. Bodhi

I was a Sr. Aideman during Recondo School at Ft. Carson in the early 70's.I wanted to read the course that was being taught back then.Most of our students were U.S.Airforce Academy Cadets..It was basically a survival school for them in case they were shot down during VN

Great addition to anyone interested in small unit tactics of the Recon teams during the Vietnam War.

Good entry level book of learned lessons from Vietnam. If you're new to recon this will help you not make a bunch of mistakes since thee learning curve can be rather drastic. Worth the money and time to read it.

Great, as expected

It's a military manual not a thriller

Considered one of the toughest school in the military at the time

It's a good, older manual.

Great reference material for a Vietnam historian or a history nerd like myself. Great insight into what this period of human history was lived like, how they fought and what skills they were taught to survive and accomplish the mission they were given. It will not make you a "LuRP" (LOL). Just a little insight into a historical time. Very interesting for a history nerd but probably dry reading for many.

This book is exactly what it says on the cover - a Recondo Manual. More accurately it is a collection of lessons learned the hard way by LRP, LRRPs, SOG, Force Recon and other patrol units of US and Allied Forces in SE Asia until 1970. Having received some of this training in the 1990s I found this book invaluable in helping my research into NATO LRRPs.

An excellent reproduction, one of many titles that are available on the subject of the Vietnam war.

bought this for a friend... he has NOT carried out any recon, in vietnam, or elsewhere. epic fail, either as a curio, or a practical document.

Ce petit manuel, censé être un résumé des cours de l'école 'Recondo' (reconnaissance-commando) mise sur pied par les forces US au Vietnam afin de prodiguer deux semaines de formation à la patrouille profonde aux équipes de type LRRP ou RT a pour mérite de fournir un certain nombre de listes, de check listes et de procédures permettant de mieux comprendre les conditions dans lesquelles opéraient ces petits détachements.Les listes d'équipement, un peu de tactique, un peu de transmissions, un de guidage de voilures tournantes...rien de très révolutionnaire, mais pour le prix ce petit résumé demeure globalement valable.Au titre des regrets, des fiches d'information sur des armes étrangères (Sten Mk V par exemple...) ou toute une série de photos sur la mise en oeuvre de différents matériels d'aérocordage qui n'apportent pas grand chose tout en occupant beaucoup de place.