While he was working on the immediately preceding article, Greg Novak asked me if I had any data on current/future USMC organizations, so I assembled the following document. Rather than combining the two into one article, Greg decided to leave his data from the 1992 book intact, and run my future changes as a separate bit so that players could add some of these modifications onto his baseline organization. Or not. This is really just a bunch of quick notes, so shoot me. Bear in mind that this new organization is to be achieved by 1997, as part of the planning to reduce the Corps to 159,100 Marines. This necessitates a reduction from three to two full Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEFs: a Marine Division-Air Wing team), and the loss of 21 battalions and 23 squadrons. The Marines don't like this new force structure very much: i.e., more commitments, fewer guys, meaning that they will all have to spend more time deployed "on float'--an estimated 200 days a year for each Marine--away from their families, so that the service will hemorrhage most of its best personnel-long live the Peace Dividend! So, this may all be changed (the number that the Marines would like is 176,644). Also, current organizations will presumably be transitional between old and future standards. Only the 1st (California) and 2d (North Carolina) MarDivs are equipped to standards below; 3d MarDiv (Okinawa) is to be filled with reserve elements and has been gutted to an almost skeletal organization. Caveat: The Marines are ferocious task organizers. While we might like to give you the "permanent" organizations of Marine units for Command Decision, this is not really possible. All Marine units are subject to task organization, and these organizations are based on the mission and the equipment available in the the MAGTF, whether it's a battalion-sized (Marine Expeditionary Unit-NEU), brigade-sized (Marine Expeditionary Brigade-MEB), or division-sized (NIEF) air-ground task force. It's all very well and good for us to talk abouta Marine Division, but Marines are hardly ever deployed in this fashion. If you want to understand how the Marines work, you have to understand the MAGTFs (now there's an idea for a future CPQ article ... ), and there is no standard organization for these; different MEUs or MEBs have different sizes and organizations. In Command Decision terms, here is a seemingly simple example: whatkind of command vehicle is used for the command stands and T`OCs of an infantry regiment? Sometimes Amtracs (AAVC7s), sometimes LAVs (LAV-C2s), sometimes radio-equipped HMMWVs, depending upon what the MAGTF commander has available. While this makes modeling the Marines tough on us poor wargamers, it clearly shows the Corps' dedication to flexibility and doing what needs to be done with the equipment at hand, no notice, no excuses, no C-5s. Semper fidelis, semper paratus. MARINE DIVISION (Divisional Headquarters and Headquarters support units should be takenfrom Greg's preceding article) 1xCombined Arms Regiment (CAR) Regimental Headquarters 1xTankBattalion 58xM1A1(HACT) (see vehicle notes at end of section), Antitank Platoon of 24xHMMWV-TOW (down from a company of 72) Battalion organization is supposed to be 4x14+2 command (identical to Army M1 battalions), although each battalion is currently one company short due to pre-po and reserve commitments (a total of 90 tanks out of the Marine total of 221 M1A1s are deployed to the MPS squadrons, 30 per brigade set, thus, each brigade has only the equivalent of half a tank battalion in place--the remainder of the battalion's tanks will have to arrive by sea aboard the amphibs; the two reserve battalions are also operating short, with only 16 tanks total), thus only 44 tanks [3x14+2] are actually available per battalion. However, many Marine documents list the TO&E as having the full 58, as they expect Congress to get them additional money for the two companies. Late-breaking newsflash: the Army has just transferred 50 M1A1s to the Marines (presumably M1A1 HACT) to meet these shortfalls. 1xLAR (Light Armored Reconnaissance) Company Note: present in 2d MarDiv, Camp Lejeune, NC, only 3 Recon Platoons, each with 4xLAV-25 1 AT Section with 4xLAV-ATs (TOW) 1 Mortar Section with 2xLAV-Ms (81mm) 2xLAI (Light Armored Infantry) Battalion 3 LAI Companies, each with 14 LAV-25s and carried troops 1 Heavy Weapons Company with 16 LAV-ATs and4 LAV-Ms In Command Decision terms, the Combined Arms Regiment looks as follows (certain details are speculative; readers with further information are invited to please write): Combined Arms Regiment, with: Regimental Headquarters, with: Headquarters Company, with: (Use immediately preceding article, but substitute LAV-C2* for HMMWV) Service Company, with: (Use immediately preceding article) 1 Light Armored Reconnaissance Company (2d MarDiv only), with: 1 command LAV-C2* 3 recon LAV-25s 3 patrol stands 1 LAV-AT* Tank Battalion, with: Battalion Headquarters, with: 1 command M1A1 (HACT) (other items identical to preceding article) 3 (eventually 4) Tank Companies, each with: 1 command M1A1 (HACT) 2 M1A1 (HACT)s 1 Antitank Platoon, with: 1 command stand 1 HMMWV 6 HMMWVs with TOWs 2 Light Armored Infantry Battalions, each with: Battalion Headquarters, with: 1 command LAV-C2* 1 staff radio LAV-C2* 1 LAV-R* 2 support stands 1 HMMWV with field kitchen 1 maintenance truck with trailer 1 5-ton baggage truck with trailer 1 5-ton general supply truck with trailer 3 Light Armored Infantry Companies, each with: 1 command LAV-C2* 2 LAV-25s 2 Infantry stands 1 Heavy Weapons Company, with: 1 command LAV_C2* 4 LAV-ATs* 1 LAV-M* LAV-C2 is the command and control variant of the LAV-25, LAV-AT is the antitank variant, mounting the same hammerhead TOW launcher as on the Army's M901 Improved TOW Vehicle. LAV-M is the 81mm mortar carrier. LAV-L is the logistics variant, LAV-R is the maintenance/repair variant. 2 Infantry Regiments, each with 3 Infantry Battalions as before Note that each Infantry Battalion's Heavy Weapons company will now have a section of 8 HM1v1WV-TOWs, made available from the two deleted platoons from the Tank Battalion. 1 Anti-Tank Platoon, 24 HMMWV-TOWs 2 Recon Companies (not LAR Companies) for dismounted recon; can perform wheeled recon if provided with HMMWVs In Command Decision terms, each Infantry Regiment looks like this: Infantry Regiment, with: Regimental Headquarters, with: Headquarters Company, with: (Use immediately preceding article) Service Company, with:(Use immediately preceding article) 2 Recon Companies, each with: 1 command stand 3 recon infantry stands Antitank Platoon, with: 1 command stand 1 HMMWV 6 HMMWVs with TOWs 3 Infantry Battalions, each with: Headquarters Company, with: (Use immediately preceding article) Weapons Company, with: 1 command stand 2 81mm mortar stands (ds) 6 Dragon teams 2 HMMWVs with TOWs 3 or 4 Rifle Companies, each with: (Use immediately preceding article) Artillery Regiment Three Direct Support Battalions, 4x6, equipped with M198 towed 155mm howitzers. Each division is required to maintain 48 M101A1 105mm howitzers which can be substituted for M198s as mission requirements dictate. The self-propelled M109A3 sare being discarded. Note that plans originally called for a fourth, general support (GS) firing battalion, of MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System). This is no longer planned to happen (as of Colin Powell's defense review of this past March). It was intended that two batteries (9 launchers each) would go to the lst MarDiv and one battery (9) to the 2d. An additional battery's worth would be split up into three platoons (3 launchers each), one for each of the pre-po brigade sets. They are now supposed to somehow borrow MLRS assets from the Army when they need them. Good luck. This means that the former GS Battalion of M110s and M109s is gone without replacement.  In Command Decision terms: Artillery Regiment, with: Regimental Headquarters, with: Headquarters Company, with: (Use immediately preceding article) 3 Artillery Battalions, each with: Headquarters Company, with: (Use immediately preceding article) 4 Firing Batteries, each with: 1 command stand 1 HMMWV 1 gun crew stand (ds) 1 towed M198 155mm howitzer 1 5-ton truck 1 5-ton truck with trailer Assault Amphibian Battalion Four companies totalling 208 AAV-7A1s of various stripes (187xAAVP7A1, 15xAAVC7A1, 6xAAVR7A1) Use organizational data from immediately preceding article for this battalion. Combat Engineer Battalion 3 Combat Engineer Companies: Use data from immediately preceding article for this battalion, but reduce to only 3 Combat Engineer Companies. Light Armored Recon Battalion 3 LAR Companies, identical to one above in the Combined Arms Regiment It is thought that the sixth and final HMMWV-TOW Platoon (from the broken up AT Company formerly included in the Tank Battalion) will wind up here, and this is assumed in the Command Decision organization below: 1 Light Armored Recon Battalion, with: Headquarters Company, with: 1 command LAV-C2 1 staff radio LAV-C2 2 LAV-Ls 1 LAV-R 1 LAV-M 1 support stand 1 HMMWV withfield kitchen 1 maintenance truck with trailer 1 5-ton general supply truck with trailer Antitank Platoon, with: 1 command stand 1 HMMWV 6 HMMWVs with TOWs 3 Light Armored Reconnaissance Companies, each with: 1 command LAV-C2 3 recon LAV-25s 3 patrol stands 1 LAV-AT  AA Battalion The LAV-ADs (LAV with GE [now Martin Marietta] Blazer turret [8xStinger, 1x25mm Gatling gun]) just selected in June, 1992 are intended to be attached to the division in 3 (2d MarDiv) or 4 (1st MarDiv) AA companies (and not the air wing, unlike the other AD assets). Some sources have these companies attached to the LAR Battalion. Each of these companies will consist of 8 LAV-ADs and headquarters elements. In Command Decision terms: 3 or 4 AA Companies, each with: 1 command LAV-C2 2 LAV-ADs Vehicle Notes Vehicle Characteristics Night Vision NBC MG AA MG Turret Main Gun Missiles Weight Speed Armor Type ROF Ammo Type ROF Ammo LAV-AD M 125/30A W:2/1 P - - - 25 VAD 5x5 48 Stinger 2 4 Weapon Ammo 5" 10" 20" 30" 40" 50" 60" HE Effect Vulcan Air Def. APDS 9:6 8:5 5:3 3:1 1:-2 - - SA:20+1 Vulcan Air Def. AP/HE 8:0 6:-1 4:-2 2:-3 - - - SA:20+1 Note that total number of HMMWV-TOW launchers in the division remains unchanged at 144, although they are organized differently: 4 platoons of 24 (tank battalion, 2 infantry regiments, LAR battalion) and 6 sections of 8 (each infantry battalion), rather than the old three platoons of 24 (one with each of 3 infantry regiments) and one company of 72 (with the tank battalion). Marine tank is the M1A1 Common Tank, built to provide Marine features(such asprovision forwading triniks toallow the Links to wade ashore from landing craft) on an otherwise standard M1A1. It does have depleted uranium armor, the package is called HACT, for Heavy Armor, Common Tank. For all intents and purposes, these tanks are identical to the M1A1(HA), see the immediately following article. Marine acquisition of 221 M1A1s was completed in February 1992. The breakdown goes like this: 44 Links for each of two active battalions, 16 tanks for one of the two reserve battalions (4th), 90 for the three UPS sets, 8 for the ARGs (Amphibious Ready Groups, one four-tank platoon for each coast), and 19 in maintenance float. In order to fill out the two active battalions (14 each) and reserve units, they are asking for 60 more. The M60A1 used by the Marines is the M60A1 (RISE Passive), sometimes called the M60A1RP. RISE, for Reliability Improvement of Selected Equipment, involved the installation of a new improved engine, and the Passive part indicates the installation of passive night sights (note that these are not the TTS Tank Thermal Sights as installed on the M60A3) and deep fording equipment. These are the ultimate M60A1s, having also received the earlier improvements from the M60A1 (AOS) (Add-on Stabilization) program, which included the top-loading air filter, gun stabilization system, and new T142 track pad. By FY 1994 the Marines willretain only 125 M60A1s for various purposes. Presumably most of these will be used for the reserve tank battalions, which are short of M1A1s (8th Tank is all M1A1s, and 4th Tank has to fill out above its 16 M1s). 4th Tank, as a mixed M1A1/M60A1RP battalion is presumably organized as a 4x14+2 M1-type Battalion, rather than as a 4x17+2 M60-type Battalion. Marine Inventory contains 1323 AAV7s, broken down as follows: 1153 AAVP, 106 AAVC, 64 AAVR. Note that the A1 AAVs are armed with the up-gunned turret with M2 .50 cal. and Mk 19 40mm AGL. MARINE AIR WING (MAW) Note that these numbers are funky because some sources list asymmetrical assignments between 2d (North Carolina) and 3d (California) MAW (with the lst [Okinawa/Japan/Hawaii] MAW being gutted), while others simply divide the total assets by two and assign them evenly to 2d and 3d MAWs. Also, some possibly more recent reports list fewer overall squadrons available to the air wings, which probably has to do with the fact that some Hornet squadrons are being permanently assigned to Navy Carrier AirWings (CVWs). 6/8/9xl2 CH-46 (or replacement) (72/96/108 total) 2/4xCH-53E (32/64) 2/3/4x18 AH-1, 9 UH-1 (36154n2 AH-1, 18/27/36 UH-1 total) 2/3x20 AV-813 (40/60 total) 3/4/5x12 F/A-18C (36/48/60 total) 2/3xF/A-18D (24/36 total) 2x5 EA-613 (10 total) 1xl2 KC-130 (12 total) 16 HAWK Launchers 90-120 Stinger teams plus assorted headquarters, etc. In Command Decision terms: 6 (2d MAW) to 9 (3d MAW) Marine Medium Helicopter Squadrons (HMM), each with: 3 CH-46H Sea Knights or Medium Lift Replacements 2 (2d MAW) to 4 (3d MAW) Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadrons (HMH), each with: 4 CH-53E Super Stallions 2 (2d MAW) to 4 (3d MAW) Marine Light and Attack Helicopter Squadrons (HMLA), each with: 4 AH-1W SeaCobras 2 UH-1N Hueys 3 Marine Attack Squadrons (VMA), each with: 5 AV-8B Harriers 5 (2d MAW) to 3 (3d MAW) Marine Fighter-Attack Squadrons (VMFA), each with: 3 F/A-18C Hornets 3 Marine All Weather Fighter-Attack Squadrons (VMFA [AW]), each with: 3 F/A-18D Hornets 2 Marine Electronic Warfare Squadrons (VMAQ), each with: 1 EA-613 Prowler Marine Refueler-Transport Squadron (VMGR), with: 3 KC-130FAW Hercules Plus a total of 4 IHAWK launchers (organized as in previous article) and Stinger teams, organization unknown. Note that all A-6Es and OV- 10 Broncos are gone from the Marine Corps. Note also the following typical organization of a Marine composite squadron, which forms the air component of the Marine Amphibious Unit (MEU-a reinforced battalion-size MAGTF). 4xCH-53E, 12xCH-46E, 4xAH-1W, 2xUH-1N. In Command Decision terms: Marine Composite Squadron, with: 1 CH-53E 3 CH-46Es 1 AH-1W MarDiv/MAGTF locations: Location MarDiv MAW NC 2nd MarDiv 2nd MAW CA 1st MarDiv 3rd MAW Okinawa 3rd MarDiv 1st MAW *Units of the MAW are forward-deployed at Okinawa or Iwakuni Japan from permanent bases in Hawaii or the continental US. MPSRON (Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadrons) Locations and their associated Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEB) Location Squadron Eastern Atlantic MPSRon 1 (4 ships: SGT Matej Kocak T-AK 3005, PFC Eugene A. Obregon T-AK 3006, Maj. Stephen W. Pless T-AK 3007, 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo T-AK 3008, 6 MEB) Diego Garcia MPSRon 2 (Five ships: Cpl. Louis J. Hauge Jr. T-AK 3000, PFC William B. Baugh Jr. T-AK 3001, PFC James Anderson Jr. T-AK 3002, 1st Lt. Alex Bonnyman Jr. T-AK 3003, Pvt Harry Fisher T-AK 3004, 7 MEB) Guam MPSRon 3 (Four ships: PFC Dewayne C. Williams T-AK 3009, 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez T-AK 3010, 1st Lt. Jack Lummus T-AK 3011, Sgt. William R. Button T-AK 3012, 1 MEB) Note that although the Marines have three of everything, the numbers 1, 2, and 3 are independently assorted among Atlantic, Pacific, Forward Deployed, etc. BIBLIOGRAPHY "AirLand Operations," Bo Eldridge, Command, Nov-Dec 1992. "Getting Marines to the Gulf," BG Edwin H. Simmons USMC (Ret.), US Naval Institute Proceedings, May 1991. "Reorganizing the Corps," Norman Polmar, US Naval Institute Proceedings, Jan 1993. Ships and Aircraft of the US Fleet, 15th Edition, Norman Polmar, US Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1993. Briefing: "USMC 2001: A Concept for the Employment of Marine Corps Total Force in Joint Operations into the 21st Century," US Marine Corps, Sept. 1991. 1993 Sea Power Annual, Navy League of the United States, Arlington, Virginia, 1993. For Your Eyes Only, various issues, Tiger Publications, Amarillo, Texas. Various personal sources. More S-2 Intelligence Introduction WWII: 2nd Armored Div., 82nd Airborne Div., and 1st Engineer Battalion New World Order Part 1: US Marine Corp Semper Fi, Mac: US Marine Corp Air-Ground Task Force Heavy Metal Revisited: Gulf War Armor Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly #3 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com