The basic structure of Marine Force Recon companies was the same as others within the Marine Corps with the exception that they were made up of three platoons and not four. However, the very nature of their missions demanded a higher degree of autonomy, with the various platoons having their own numerical designation that others would not have received. The platoons were also slightly larger, with each squad being assigned a dedicated communications specialist in addition to the intelligence officer who advised the platoon's leader. In addition, these smaller units possessed little in the way of heavy firepower, instead relying on small arms and powerful explosives to facilitate their missions. Finally, Force Recon soldiers saw little, if any, shipboard combat.