Usmc Infantry Battalion Breakdown
From smallest unit to largest.
1. Fire team: 4 man team broken up by billets.
Riflemen: Usually a private-PFC(E1/E2). Your point man, basically a scout, equipment is Usually their issued weapon and basic gear. Normally the first one into a room during a room clearing operation. Pointmen are 70% more likely to get killed or injured than anyone else. Responsibilities include: Understanding of military patrols, map reading/land navigation, being observant and looking for anything on the direct front.
Assistant automatic riflemen: He is the direct supporting marine to the Automatic riflemen. He will aide the Automatic riflemen in getting his rounds on target, as well as carry any extra ammunition needed for the Automatic riflemen. If the gunner does go down, the A gunner is the one to pick up the SAW\automatic weapon.
Automatic Riflemen(When I was in it was a SAW gunner, we no longer use the m249 in that capacity, it is now the M27): Suppression expert. This marine carries over 80% of the teams total firepower. He carries more ammunition than anyone else, usually slower due to the added weight. His responsibilities include; supressing the enemy and preventing him free movement accross the battle space, allowing for friendly forces to out flank and maneuver on the enemy. The gunner will post up in areas that give him the best line of sight, usually allong roadways, valleys, dried out river beds, anywhere where he thinks people may group together and become channelized. As told to me once a double single file line is a machine gunners wet dream.
The automatic rifleman is the 2nd in command of the team.
Team Leader: as it sounds, he leads the team, usually a Corporal. Armed with an M4 w/M203 or M16 w/ M203. Normally the team leader does not expend as many rounds as the rest of the team, he spends his time bridging the gap between the team and the squad leader. Primarily the team leader ensures his men are fighting fit, know their jobs, and have all their equipment. During engagements he will comand and control his squad accordingly. MAking sure proper use of cover is used, and at the same time looking beyond his rifle and scanning for anything his team needs to be wary of.
Squad leader: usually a sergeant, writes up the warning order, and the patrol order. Plans out the mission, figures out witch team is tasked with what(assault team, supression team, support team) and the order in which they move. During engagements the squad leader can mostly be found behind his guys, directing the team leaders, calling out rates of firea, and using comms with command, calling air strikes, casualty evac etc.
2. Squads: Are broken into three 4 man teams plus the squad leader and a corpsmen(medic).
Platoon: 3-4 squads plus 3-4 corpsman, platoon sergeant , and platoon commander, make a platoon. Commanders are 2nd and 1st lieutenants
Company: 3 platoons plus 2 support platoons make a Company. Companies include 3 line platoons( as described above) and a weapons platoon and headquarters and service platoon.
Weapons platoon is made up of 3 sections(section is bigger than a Squad) of mortarmen, machinations, and assaultmen(rockets and breach explosives). This platoon will be broken down and intergrated into the three other companies, except for the mortarmen. Mortarmen usually stay inside the wire, their range doesn't need them to leave. However they can be attached periodically if they are needed for an assault.
H&s platoon are basically all the people that work inside the company office, admin stuff. Glorified secretarial work.
At the company command level you have your:
Company Gunner Sergeant(e7). Funny is your logistcal master, he makes sure you have your food, ammo, weapon, gear and water neccessary to get you through a deployment.
Next is your 1st sergeant. E8. Your administrative official. He is in charge of scheduling training, approving/denying leave requests, and discipline. 1st Sgt never smiles. And uses the work fuck in place of commas.
Lastly for the company, is your XO and CO. your executive officer is Usually a 1st lieutenant(O2) and the CO is almsot always a Captain(O3).
As you can guess they lead the company, the set the standards and the company strives to meet them. When it comes to combat scenarios they oversee everything, without micromanagement,
Overall mission planning, unit readiness, morale, pay etc.
Up from the company we get into our battalion.
3 line companies plus weapons company and h&s company. Just like platoons, weapo s company will be broken up and attached to the three other companies. Weapons company are, heavy machine gunners(M2, and MK19) heavy mortarmen(120 mm mortars) and the heavy assaultmen(TOW, Javelin etc)
H&S company, near the same as the company level, except they also have the s-2 through 6 shops.
Real quick:
S1 is Admin
S2 is Intel
S3 is Operations
S4 is Supply
S5 Security and Badging
S6 is Com
For battalion command, just about emulates company, however think bigger picture.
As far as comanding officers, there is battalion Sgt major, the XO which is almost always a Major(03). And lastly your BC, or Battalion Comander. Normally its a Liutenant Colonel(04).
From smallest unit to largest.
1. Fire team: 4 man team broken up by billets.
Riflemen: Usually a private-PFC(E1/E2). Your point man, basically a scout, equipment is Usually their issued weapon and basic gear. Normally the first one into a room during a room clearing operation. Pointmen are 70% more likely to get killed or injured than anyone else. Responsibilities include: Understanding of military patrols, map reading/land navigation, being observant and looking for anything on the direct front.
Assistant automatic riflemen: He is the direct supporting marine to the Automatic riflemen. He will aide the Automatic riflemen in getting his rounds on target, as well as carry any extra ammunition needed for the Automatic riflemen. If the gunner does go down, the A gunner is the one to pick up the SAW\automatic weapon.
Automatic Riflemen(When I was in it was a SAW gunner, we no longer use the m249 in that capacity, it is now the M27): Suppression expert. This marine carries over 80% of the teams total firepower. He carries more ammunition than anyone else, usually slower due to the added weight. His responsibilities include; supressing the enemy and preventing him free movement accross the battle space, allowing for friendly forces to out flank and maneuver on the enemy. The gunner will post up in areas that give him the best line of sight, usually allong roadways, valleys, dried out river beds, anywhere where he thinks people may group together and become channelized. As told to me once a double single file line is a machine gunners wet dream.
The automatic rifleman is the 2nd in command of the team.
Team Leader: as it sounds, he leads the team, usually a Corporal. Armed with an M4 w/M203 or M16 w/ M203. Normally the team leader does not expend as many rounds as the rest of the team, he spends his time bridging the gap between the team and the squad leader. Primarily the team leader ensures his men are fighting fit, know their jobs, and have all their equipment. During engagements he will comand and control his squad accordingly. MAking sure proper use of cover is used, and at the same time looking beyond his rifle and scanning for anything his team needs to be wary of.
Squad leader: usually a sergeant, writes up the warning order, and the patrol order. Plans out the mission, figures out witch team is tasked with what(assault team, supression team, support team) and the order in which they move. During engagements the squad leader can mostly be found behind his guys, directing the team leaders, calling out rates of firea, and using comms with command, calling air strikes, casualty evac etc.
2. Squads: Are broken into three 4 man teams plus the squad leader and a corpsmen(medic).
Platoon: 3-4 squads plus 3-4 corpsman, platoon sergeant , and platoon commander, make a platoon. Commanders are 2nd and 1st lieutenants
Company: 3 platoons plus 2 support platoons make a Company. Companies include 3 line platoons( as described above) and a weapons platoon and headquarters and service platoon.
Weapons platoon is made up of 3 sections(section is bigger than a Squad) of mortarmen, machinations, and assaultmen(rockets and breach explosives). This platoon will be broken down and intergrated into the three other companies, except for the mortarmen. Mortarmen usually stay inside the wire, their range doesn't need them to leave. However they can be attached periodically if they are needed for an assault.
H&s platoon are basically all the people that work inside the company office, admin stuff. Glorified secretarial work.
At the company command level you have your:
Company Gunner Sergeant(e7). Funny is your logistcal master, he makes sure you have your food, ammo, weapon, gear and water neccessary to get you through a deployment.
Next is your 1st sergeant. E8. Your administrative official. He is in charge of scheduling training, approving/denying leave requests, and discipline. 1st Sgt never smiles. And uses the work fuck in place of commas.
Lastly for the company, is your XO and CO. your executive officer is Usually a 1st lieutenant(O2) and the CO is almsot always a Captain(O3).
As you can guess they lead the company, the set the standards and the company strives to meet them. When it comes to combat scenarios they oversee everything, without micromanagement,
Overall mission planning, unit readiness, morale, pay etc.
Up from the company we get into our battalion.
3 line companies plus weapons company and h&s company. Just like platoons, weapo s company will be broken up and attached to the three other companies. Weapons company are, heavy machine gunners(M2, and MK19) heavy mortarmen(120 mm mortars) and the heavy assaultmen(TOW, Javelin etc)
H&S company, near the same as the company level, except they also have the s-2 through 6 shops.
Real quick:
S1 is Admin
S2 is Intel
S3 is Operations
S4 is Supply
S5 Security and Badging
S6 is Com
For battalion command, just about emulates company, however think bigger picture.
As far as comanding officers, there is battalion Sgt major, the XO which is almost always a Major(03). And lastly your BC, or Battalion Comander. Normally its a Liutenant Colonel(04).
Whew that was alot. I honestly could have gone on way longer, but I feel like I touched all the major points. I hope this helps you out, at the very least you got a quick lesson on usmc battalion structure lol.