⚙️ THE MORROW PROJECT

Recon Orientation Manual – Field Briefing Alpha

CLASSIFICATION: RESTRICTED – PROJECT USE ONLY
ISSUED BY: The Council of Tomorrow
SUBJECT: Pre-War Reconnaissance Doctrine & Post-War Implementation

I. BACKGROUND

In 1962, a man known as Bruce Edward Morrow appeared to possess the inexplicable ability to travel through time—transporting himself and small amounts of matter into the future and back. Through these journeys, he discovered that World War III would erupt in 1989, and that every attempt to prevent it only changed the cause, never the outcome.

Realizing the war was inevitable, Morrow shifted his focus from prevention to reconstruction. He gathered a circle of influential industrialists and scientists to form the Council of Tomorrow, a covert organization dedicated to ensuring the survival of humanity and the restoration of civilization after nuclear conflict.

This effort became known as The Morrow Project.

II. THE PROJECT MISSION

Thousands of volunteers were cryogenically frozen in concealed bunkers across the continental United States, each programmed to awaken 3–5 years after nuclear exchange—once radiation levels had diminished.

Every team received survival training, specialized equipment, and a clear operational directive:

“To rebuild civilization where it has fallen.”

Teams were divided into operational categories:

• Recon Teams: Conduct initial surveys, assess survivability, identify friendly survivors, and coordinate which other teams should awaken next.

• MARS Teams: (Military Armed Reconnaissance and Security) – the Project’s combat and security branch.

• Science Teams: Technical specialists trained in medicine, engineering, chemistry, radiation response, and environmental recovery.

III. RECON TEAM PURPOSE

Recon teams are the eyes and ears of the Morrow Project.
Their mission: observe, report, and rebuild.

Primary objectives:

1. Reconnoiter the countryside and document environmental and social conditions.

2. Locate survivor communities, determine their disposition, and offer assistance.

3. Train survivors in essential post-war skills.

4. Recommend suitable deployment sites for MARS and Science Teams.

Standard Civilian Training Program

When engaging survivors, Recon Teams are authorized to deliver Project curriculum in four stages:

1. Basic Survival: First aid, water purification, hygiene.

2. Defense: Basic combat instruction, construction of fortifications.

3. Sustainment: Farming, marksmanship, counter-sniper tactics.

4. Expansion: Long-range patrols, trade route establishment, and inter-settlement communication.

If stationed long-term, Recon Teams also initiate basic education (literacy, arithmetic, civic organization) for younger generations until a Science Team arrives.

They are also tasked with identifying hostile forces, enemy supply depots, and high-value strategic targets for later engagement by MARS units.

IV. RECRUITMENT CRITERIA

Each Recon operative was handpicked near the end of their Vietnam service. Selection criteria included:

• Combat veteran status

• No dependents or surviving family

• High adaptability under stress

• Clearance eligibility and psychological stability

These men were the elite among elites—handpicked not merely to survive, but to restart civilization.

V. VIETNAM RECONNAISSANCE ROOTS

For game continuity, all player characters served in specialized reconnaissance units during the Vietnam War. Each received extensive training in small-unit tactics, intelligence gathering, and survival operations.
Below is a historical summary of the units whose doctrines shaped Morrow Recon operations.

LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE PATROLS (LRRP)

Branch: U.S. Army
Alias: “Lurps”

An Army innovation during the Vietnam conflict, LRRPs conducted deep-penetration recon and later “hunter-killer” missions to secure intelligence behind enemy lines. These small, autonomous teams operated with minimal support and maximum risk.

FORCE RECON COMPANY

Branch: U.S. Marine Corps

The forerunner of the Army’s LRRPs, Force Recon operated in four- or six-man teams across South Vietnam, gathering intelligence and performing covert operations. Some were seconded to the Studies and Observation Group (SOG) for missions “over the fence”—outside the borders of South Vietnam.

NAVY SEAL TEAMS

Branch: U.S. Navy
Designation: Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams

Trained in reconnaissance and counter-insurgency warfare, SEALs conducted operations in coastal and riverine regions, particularly the Mekong Delta. Some teams were absorbed into SOG for deep-penetration missions.

Unlike other branches, SEALs often reported directly to MACV or the CIA, executing missions denied by their own command.

STUDIES AND OBSERVATION GROUP (MACV-SOG)

Designation: Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observation Group
Nickname: “SOG”
Affiliation: Joint MACV / CIA Operation
CIA Cover Name: Combined Studies Group

From the earliest stages of U.S. involvement, the CIA employed Special Forces for covert operations. This partnership evolved into SOG, a joint effort for intelligence gathering and clandestine warfare across Southeast Asia.

In 1965, Special Forces Detachment B-52 initiated Project Delta, targeting Viet Cong sanctuaries in neutral Laos. The project’s success gave rise to sister programs Omega and Sigma, later reorganized as the three command centers of SOG:

Command Base Area of Operations Team Designation CCN – Command & Control North Da Nang / Phu Bai North Vietnam & Northern Laos RTs named after snakes (RT Python, RT Cobra, etc.) → “Snake Bite Teams” CCC – Command & Control Central Kon Tum Central Laos RTs named after U.S. states (RT Tennessee, RT Arkansas, etc.) CCS – Command & Control South Ban Me Thuot Cambodia RTs named after tools (RT Hammer, RT Fork, etc.)

All SOG reconnaissance units were also known as Spike Teams or simply Recon Teams.

VI. LEGACY

When the Morrow Project began selecting personnel, the SOG, LRRP, Force Recon, and SEAL communities provided ideal candidates—battle-tested operators accustomed to autonomy, secrecy, and impossible odds.

You are one of them.

Frozen in time, your war never truly ended—it just waited for the world to catch up.

“You were trained to scout the jungle.
Now you’ll scout the ruins of civilization.”