1st Reconnaissance Battalion

1st Reconnaissance Battalion (commonly abbreviated as 1st Recon) is a sharpshooter-skirmisher battalion of the New California Republic Army.

Background
The battalion is one of the finest combat units in the army of the New California Republic, drawing its members from soldiers of exceptional marksmanship talents. Usually this happens on firing ranges. Though transfer is voluntary, members of 1st Recon also earn a better pay than regular troops, as an extra incentive. The battalion has a distinguished combat history, with their most notable deployment being the Mojave Campaign. During the First Battle of Hoover Dam in 2277, the battalion played a vital part, as its sharpshooters together with the NCR Rangers were instrumental in destroying the cohesion of Legion forces on the rim of the Dam, allowing them to be drawn into Boulder City and routed. The Courier: "So what happened at Hoover Dam and Boulder City?" Hanlon: ''"In big battles, Caesar deploys his legionaries in waves. Recruits up front, prime soldiers behind the recruits, old guard bringing up the rear. Opponents wear themselves out dealing with the first two waves, if they survive that long. When the veterans step up, there's not much fight left. Caesar can adapt, though, and when required, he can run any mix of legionaries as skirmishers and still retain order in the ranks. Joshua Graham, Caesar's old legate, he's wasn't so flexible. When the Legion attacked Hoover Dam, General Oliver ordered his troopers back to the middle ground just after first contact. Graham pushed all of the legionaries onto the dam, filling the east side with recruits up front and veterans in the back, by the book. But once they were in, they were stuck there. Oliver's troopers were entrenched and wouldn't give a foot. That's when we ordered the rangers and 1st recon sharpshooters to start picking off veteran legion officers from a high ridge west of the dam. That only lasted about a minute before Graham ordered the back ranks to push through to the front and rush the ridge. Caused total chaos among the younger legionaries, and Oliver's troopers fell back to the side walkways and stayed out of the veterans' way. By the time the veterans got to the ridge, we were already in Boulder City. They followed us down there, but we were out before they realized what was happening. We had packed the old city with C4 and dynamite. Crude, but it did the job. Those who didn't die in the blast were in no position to mount a defense. The ones left on the dam didn't know what to do. The troopers routed them. Graham pulled the remaining legionaries back, but the battle was over. He went south, back to the Grand Canyon, back to Caesar. And that was the last we saw or heard from Joshua Graham."'' (Hanlon's dialogue)

However, their combat history has been blemished by the Bitter Springs Massacre a year later, 2278. 1st Recon sharpshooters were stationed on Coyote Tail ridge outside the Khan encampment at Bitter Springs. Ordered to cover a vital flank and kill anyone who enters their sights, the 1st Recon members inadvertently ended up gunning down unarmed civilians that attempted to flee the camp down the canyon passage they were ordered to watch. Though the event went unreported in the press and the military immediately attempted to repair the damage they caused, the event caused long lasting trauma among the members of the battalion and the Great Khans, in addition to souring the already strained relations between the Republic and the Khans.

Organization
1st Recon teams operate in two-man pairs, a spotter and a shooter. The battalion's troops can be distinguished from regular soldiers by their distinctive red berets and occasionally special uniforms for survival and assault missions.

Beyond hunting down critical targets like Nephi, 1st Recon is also called in to mercy kill NCR personnel taken as prisoners of war, used by the enemy (especially Caesar's Legion in the Mojave) to demoralize NCR troops. However, mercy killing is still seen as a last resort if getting the prisoners back would prove too costly.

Alpha Team
As of 2281, Alpha Team of 1st Recon has been stationed at Camp McCarran for six months to help with the local Fiends harassing NCR's western flanks. Should their target, Driver Nephi, be eliminated, their standing orders are to transfer to Camp Forlorn Hope and reinforce its defense against the Legion. The current roster has 10 of Spades and Betsy as one pair and Sterling with Bitter-Root as second, with Gorobets leading the entire team. Two former members of 1st Recon, Craig Boone and Manny Vargas, live in Novac and used to work as a pair.

Outside relations
As an extension of the New California Republic Army, 1st Recon holds contempt for the NCR's enemies, including, but not limited to, Caesar's Legion, the Great Khans and the Fiends. They also frequently buy sniper rifles from the Gun Runners.

Interactions with the player

 * Alpha Team of 1st Recon is part of the quest Three-Card Bounty and can provide the Courier assistance in hunting down Driver Nephi. The sharpshooters can die on the way if the player follows them. If enough time passes, they will simply appear at the target location without harm.
 * A 1st Recon veteran, Craig Boone, is a potential companion.

Technology
By and large, 1st Recon sharpshooters use .308 caliber hunting rifles to execute their orders. An exception is Corporal Sterling, a former NCR Ranger who uses a modified .357 caliber lever-action rifle. In addition, the sharpshooters wear standard issue NCR body armor, but are distinguished by a red 1st Recon beret.

Bugs

 * After arriving at Camp Forlorn Hope, the members of the 1st Recon may not realize they have moved and still speak as if they were battling the Fiends in the ruins of the city.
 * Sterling's dialogue doesn't update when they move, allowing the player to ask him about lights in the McCarran control tower.

Behind the scenes

 * 1st Recon are named after the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps.
 * The majority of their dialogue was written by George Ziets.
 * The motto for 1st Recon was made by either Eric Fenstermaker or Robert Chang.

Appearances
The 1st Reconnaissance Battalion appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.