Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) are United States Marine Corps reconnaissance units that provide deep ground and amphibious reconnaissance, surveillance, and limited-scale raids. They primarily support the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and other Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF). Although FORECON companies are conventional forces they share many of the same tactics, techniques, procedures and equipment of special operations forces. Though commonly misunderstood to refer to reconnaissance-in-force, the name "Force Recon" actually refers to the unit's relationship with the Marine Expeditionary Force or Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Since the mid-1980s, a force recon detachment has formed part of a specialized sub-unit of Marine Expeditionary Units known as the Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) or Maritime Raid Force (MRF).