Light Armored Reconnaissance: Misunderstood and Underemployed in Deep Operations

This paper is designed to explain the capabilities of the LAR battalion, and how it can be used to operate for an extended period behind enemy lines or in denied enemy territory in order to shape the battlefield for commanders. It begins with the Marine Corps' acquisition of the LAV platform, covers the various initial concepts of employment, then discusses the current organization of the battalion, followed by a description of the current doctrine. The paper then describes the deployments and combat operations of LAR units, discusses the origins of modern operational maneuver groups, details LAR's role in testing a concept of deep maneuver during Operation DEEP STRIKE, and discusses the employment of LAR as a deep maneuver element in Iraq and Afghanistan. It concludes with a future concept of employment in irregular warfare offering a way forward for the LAR community to realize its maximum potential and advocate to break away from unimaginative, and doctrineally incorrect, modes of employment while still maintain a solid I grounding in providing its supported commander a tactically and operationally mobile reconnaissance asset.