Reconnaissance Jack Meaning
The Recon Jack gives meaning to the phrase “jack of all trades”, it is a term often used to describe the capabilities of a Recon Marine. The gold wings, in either a half or full wing span, describe the our jump capabilities. The diver either a half diver or full, is technically the other side of the wing or a rebreather worn on the skull represents the combat dive capability. A wooden paddle and Ka-Bar are usually crossed behind the skull. The wooden paddle represents the history of the Marine Raiders(explanation below). The Ka-Bar represents the history of Recon Marines being Swift, Silent and Deadly; being able to take out the enemy quickly and without alerting other enemy. The skull or “Roger’s Skull” taken from the image of pirate flags, it can either be a full skull or be half skull and half parachute. It may have on one side of its forehead 3 bullet holes and a crack, each with its own meaning. The bullet holes stand for “Pain, Suffering and Agony.” The crack in the skull stands for “Perseverance”, because a Recon Marine will always complete his mission no matter what. On some Recon Jacks you may see on the top of the skull a torch, flame and wing. This represents the Pathfinder Badge. Its the skill to be able to find and mark drop zones for parachute items and personnel, helicopter landing areas, and sling loads. The Pathfinder torch has a single wing, which represents the inherit airborne capability of a Pathfinder. The torch and flame identify that Pathfinders light the way for others to follow.
There are many many versions of a Recon Jack. Many platoons will make their own depicting the capabilities in each platoon. The featured image was my platoons Jack on my second deployment. Click on Recon Jack for more variations.
Down below is the traditional Amphibious Reconnaissance Jack.
Recon Road 