Marine Rifle Company Field Manual

Section I: Introduction

This manual sets forth doctrine, tactics, and techniques for operations and training conducted by Marine rifle companies and platoons. Information includes amphibious operations, helicopter-borne operations, offensive combat, defensive combat, patrolling, auxiliary operations, and counterinsurgency operations.

Marine rifle company and platoon commanders are required to have read and understood this information. In order for Marine forces on the battalion-level to operate smoothly, they must have some sort of guide to abide by. This manual asks a guide for reference and a source of instructional material.

Chapter I: General

This manual discusses the functions of the Marine rifle company and platoon in offensive and defensive operations. It is the basic company manual and is to be used in conjunction with the Infantry Fireteam Leader's Guide and the Marine Rifle Squad manual.

Missions

a. The primary mission of the Marine rifle company and platoon is to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver or to repel his assault by fire and close combat.

b. The primary mission of the weapons platoon of the rifle company is to provide supporting direct and indirect fires (including close-in antitank fires and demolitions) for maneuvering or defending elements of the rifle company.

Characteristics

a. The rifle company is the basic maneuver element of the infantry battalion and is capable of performing a variety of combat missions. Its basic organization permits the formation of internal temporary task organizations. It can control additional combat, combat support, and combat service support elements in accomplishing specific tasks.

b. The rifle platoon is the basic maneuver element of the rifle company. Its characteristics are essentially those of the rifle company.

c. The weapons platoon is the basic fire support element of the rifle company. Its organization and equipment permit maximum flexibility, control, and ease of employment in support of the rifle platoons.

Employment

a. Rifle Company. The rifle company normally operates as a maneuver element of the infantry battalion althoughit can be employed independantly for short periods when appropriately reinforced. The company is the nucleus to which appropriate supporting elements may be attached in forming a task component for the accomplishment of a particular mission.

• In an attack, the company's rifle platoons, assisted by organic and/or external supporting fires, maneuver to positions from which they can close with and destroy the enemy.

• In the defense, the rifle company defends as part of the battalion and exceptionally as an independant force. It organizes to deny the enemy access to terrain by destroying him with planned fires of all available weapons and close combat. The company can operate as part of the area defense or the mobile defense.

b. Rifle Platoon. The rifle platoon usually fights as part of the rifle company. When circumstances dictate, it can be appropriately reinforced to operate independantly for limited periods (e.g., patrol actions).

• In the attack the platoon's rifle squads, assisted by organic and/or external supporting fires, maneuver to positions from which they can close with and destroy the enemy.

• In the defense the rifle platoon defends as part of the rifle company. Assisted by nonorganic planned fires, it organizes to deny the enemy access to terrain by use of organic fires and close combat.

c. Weapons Platoon. The weapons platoon provides a main source from which rifle platoons may be reinforced for specific operations.

• In the attack, the platoon provides the maneuver elements of the company with machinegun, 60mm mortar, and rocket fire support as well as close-in antitank defense and limited demolitions support.

• In the defense, the weapons platoon defends as part of the rifle company. Its machinegun section, augmented by the fires of weapons not organic to the rifle company, establishes the principal component of the company's final protective fires. The assault section integrates rocket fire support and close-in antitank defense into the company's defensive fires. The 60mm mortar section provides close and continuous fires in support of the company in defense.

Weapons Platoon

The weapons platoon is the fire support element of the rifle company. It provides the company with organic machinegun fire, 60mm mortar, and rocket fire support and antitank defense. A weapons platoon headquarters controls and coordinates the fires of the machinegun, mortar, and assault sections. The machinegun section is composed of three machinegun squads of two teams each. Each team employs one machinegun. The 60mm mortar section consists of three mortar squads, with each squad employing one 60mm mortar. The assault section has three assault squads. Each squads consists one four-man multishot portable flame weapon/light antitank assault weapon (MPFW/LAAW) team and one two-man LAAW team each possessing a limited capability for demolition support.

Duties of Personnel

a. Company Headquarters Personnel

NOTE: The following information in this section can be found in the Band of Marines' Marine Handbook. Although, this provides a more detailed look into the positions.

1. Company Commander. The company commander is responsible for everything his company does or fails to do in combat and in garrison. He is responsible for the training, combat efficiency, discipline, administration, and welfare of his company.

2. Company Executive Officer. The executive officer is second in command of the company. He performs such duties as are assigned to him by the company commander. He supervises the activities of the company of the company headquarters both in garrison and in combat. He keeps abreast of the tactical situation in combat and assumes command of the company in the company commander's absence.

3. First Sergeant. The first sergeant is the senior enlisted man in the company. He assists the company commander by performing such duties as are assigned. He is the principal enlisted assistant to the company commander in supervising the administration of the company. In combat, the first sergeant operates the company command post under the general supervision of the executive officer in the absence of the command group. He closely supervises the members of the service group in supporting combat operations.

4. Training NCO. The training NCO is the man responsible for maintaining the overall combat readiness and alertness of the unit. He is to schedule all training events within the company; including referring individuals to specific vocational schools (such as NCO School and/or Leadership School) when they become eligible for the aforementioned programs. He closely supervises his fellow NCO's to ensure that all Marines are trained and prepared properly for combat.

5. Gunnery Sergeant. The gunnery sergeant assists the company commander by performing such duties as are assigned. He is the principal enlisted assistant to the company commander in supervising the training of the company. While the training NCO schedules and ensures all training events are attended, the gunnery sergeant directly supervises all events directly. He ensures that high standards of police and conduct are maintained in the company.

He assists the company commander in training and in combat by supervising the displacement, positioning, and arrangement of the company command group when it operates separately from the command post. He assists, and his duties complement those of the first sergeant.

b. Rifle Platoon Headquarters

1. Platoon Commander. The platoon commander is responsible to the company commander for the training, combat efficiency, discipline, administration, and welfare of his platoon. Everything that the platoon commander does or fails to do in garrison or in combat is the platoon commander's responsibility. He is also responsible for the first echelon maintenance, safeguarding, and economical use of all equipment on charge to the platoon and its individual members.

2. Platoon Sergeant. The platoon sergeant, as second in command, performs the duties assigned by the platoon commander. He assumes command in the absence of the platoon commander. He assists in all aspects of supervision and control of the platoon.

c. Weapons Platoon Headquarters

1. Weapons Platoon Commander.

a. The weapons platoon commander is responsible to the company commander for the training, combat efficiency, discipline, administration, and welfare of his platoon. Everything that the platoon commander does or fails to do in garrison or in combat is the platoon commander's responsibility. He is also responsible for the first echelon maintenance, safeguarding, and economical use of all equipment on charge to the platoon and its individual members.

b. In combat, the weapons platoon commander makes timely recommendations to the company commander concerning the most efficient employment of the platoon and its subordinate elements. He exercises direct control over his platoon to the degree consistent with the methods of employment of its elements.

2. Weapons Platoon Sergeant.

a. The weapons platoon sergeant, as second in command, performs the duties assigned by the platoon commander. He assumes command in the absence of the platoon commander. He assists in all aspects of supervision and control of the platoon.

b. The platoon sergeant further performs such administrative functions as the platoon may direct. He is responsible to the platoon commander for the supply and timely resupply of the platoon in combat compatible with the method of employment and maintains a casualty record. He also prevents straggling.


Section II: Organization for Combat

The basic rifle company organization does not contain medical or communication personnel, forward observers, forward air controllers, naval gunfire spotters, motor transport equipment, and other specialists and equipment necessary for combat operations. The rifle company must be augmented by additional personnel and equipment prior to entering combat.

Certain augmentations such as medical, communications, and forward observers are required for combat missions. Other specific missions would require the rifle company to be augmented by additional units such as reconnaissance, LVT's, tanks, etc.

a. Standard Augmentations. The parent infantry battalion's SOP's usually specify what organic medical, communications, and motor transport augmentation will be assigned to the rifle companies. The company commander exercises tactical control over the augmentation personnel and is responsible for their billeting, messing, and general military training. The parent organization (headquarters and service (H&S) company) is responsible for providing the individual equipment (including special equipment and weapons), conducting specialty training, and administration.

1. Medical. Normally, each rifle company is augmented by a medical team of 11 corpsmen from the battalion medical platoon during combat. A lesser number may be assigned while in garrison. The corpsmen are then usually further assigned by the company commander to subordinate company units--three with each rifle platoon, one with the weapons platoon, and the senior corpsman with the company commander group (Company Chief Medical Officer).

2. Motor Transport. All motor transport equipment used by the company must be provided external sources. Normally, the parent infantry battalion provides each rifle company one 1/4 ton. 4x4 truck with trailer and two light infantry weapon carriers (MULES). The rifle company normally has to furnish the drivers.

3. Forward Observers. Forward observers teams from the 81mm mortar platoon and supporting artillery units are assigned for major training exercises and combat operations to the rifle company by infantry battalion and artillery unit SOP's.

4. Forward Air Control (FAC) Party. A forward air control party may be assigned to the rifle company for training exercises and is generally assigned to an attacking company during combat operations. The assignment is made by the battalion from its organic tactical air control party (TACP).

5. Naval Gunfire Spotters. Naval gunfire spot teams from the shore fire control party (SFCP) may be assigned to the rifle company for amphibious training exercises and during combat operations.

b. Combat, Combat Support, and Combat Service Support. There exists within the Marine Corps a wide variety of combat, combat support, and combat service support units that could support the rifle company. In the Band of Marines, these units could range from sub-divisions in the clan to other clans in general.

Normally, such support is not assigned directly to the rifle company, but is rather assigned to the parent infantry battalion who then determines the requirements for further assignment to the companies. The rifle company is capable of employing and controlling such supporting units.

• Combat units are considered to be those units organic to the infantry regiments.

• Combat support units organic to the Marine division are the artillery, reconnaissance, combat engineer, tank, and assault amphibian battalions.

• Combat service support units organic to the Marine division are found in the headquarters battalion.

• Force troops and aviation units may be either combat support or combat service support units depending on the type of support or service provided.

Methods of Employment

a. Methods. There are three different methods of employment of supporting units, each method differing in the tactical, administrative, and/or logistic relationships between the supporting and supported units.

1. General Support. General support is that support which is given the supported force as a whole. When a unit is employed in general support of an infantry command, it supports the entire force rather than a specific subordinate unit. The supporting unit leader retains tactical, administrative, and logistic control of his/her unit.

2. Direct Support. Direct support is a mission requiring a force to support another specific force and authorizing it to answer directly the supported force's request for assistance. A supporting element is in direct is in direct when its leader is given responsibility for control of the support rendered to a specified supported command.

The direct support element receives its request for assistance (which the direct support leader will translate into a mission and assign the subject mission to his unit) from the supported unit commander. The supporting element leader exercises tactical control by taking action to accomplish the mission assigned by the supported unit commander. Administrative and logistic control is retained by the supporting unit from which the supporting element originated.

For example, a Dragon section is placed in direct support of a rifle company. The company commander has the use of Dragon and assigns missions to the section. Tactical control of the squads is exercised by the section leader. The antitank assault platoon from which the section originated is responsible for administrative and logistics control of the squad.

3. Attachment. Attachment is the placement of units or personnel in an organization where such placement is relatively temporary. When an element is attached to an infantry unit, the infantry unit commander assumes tactical, logistic, and administrative control of the attached element. His responsibility for attached elements is the same as for organic subordinate units. Attachments to lower units are never made arbitrarily, but must meet a specific tactical requirement for the duration of the attachment.

b. Operational Control. In organizing for combat, the commander may find it necessary or desirable to place units or elements under the operational control of other units. Operational control may be defined as those functions of command involving composition of subordinate forces, the assignment of tasks, the designation of objectives, and the authoritative direction necessary to accomplish the mission. Operational control should be exercised by the use of the normal organizational units through their responsible commanders or through the commanders of subordinate forces established by the commander exercising operational control. It does not include such matters as administration, discipline, internal organization, and unit training, except when a subordinate commander requests assistance. (The term is synonymous with operational command.)

c. Combination of Methods. A commander may use a combination of methods to suit a particular tactical situation. An element may be attached to a subordinate command. The remaining portion of the unit from which the attached element is derived may be used in general support. For example, one machinegun squad could be attached to a rifle platoon while the remaining two squads in the machinegun section remain in general support of the company.

Task Organization

a. General. Task organization is the assignment to a responsible commander of the means with which to accomplish a specific mission. In organizing the battalion for a specific combat mission, the battalion commander may attach additional units to the rifle company. Attachments are not made arbitrarily, but are effected to provide the company commander with the means and degree of control over those means which the battalion commander deems necessary to the success of the company's mission.

By attaching units to the rifle company, the battalion commander has temporarily organized the rifle company for conducting a specific operation. In so doing, he has task organized the battalion internally into the task components he believes necessary for the accomplishment of the battalion mission.

b. Rifle Company Reinforced. When attachments are made to the rifle company's basic tactical organization, the company is a reinforced company. The reinforced company is a temporary task component of the battalion organized to execute a specific mission or operation. It tactically groups units under the control of one company commander for the planning and conduct of the operation. The rifle company is the infantry nucleus upon which the additional elements of its task organization are imposed.

NOT COMPLETED; DO NOT EDIT!