The Marine is a lowly shamrock—three in one in that the Marine can perform duties equally well in the air, on land and sea. It is this simple yet aesthetically beautiful trinity that gives the Corps its basic, flexible and awesome operational structure for combat.
This trinity of leadership, command and structure is the basis for Marine units on patrol around the world’s littoral environs, forward-deployed to respond to our nation’s call. It starts at the most basic unit, the Marine fire team. The fire team leader commands three riflemen. The squad leader commands three fire team leaders; the platoon leader commands three squad leaders.
The triangular organization continues, more or less, but with exceptions, and becomes what is known today as the Marine Air-Ground Task Force or MAGTF, pronounced MAGTAF. The MAGTF is composed of task-organized units under a single commander, capable of responding rapidly to a contingency anywhere in the world. It is totally unique to the U.S. Marine Corps.
MAGTFs are combined-arms forces consisting of ground, air and combat support forces. A MAGTF takes maximum tactical advantage of the combat potential inherent in a closely integrated Marine air-ground team. It can operate as an independent unit, part of a joint or combined task force, or separate service component or uni-service forces and can deploy by sealift, airlift or both.
The smallest MAGTF is the Marine expeditionary unit or MEU, which is also usually capable of special operations. It maintains the triad organization with 1,500 to 3,000 Marines embarked aboard amphibious ships of a Navy expeditionary strike group or ESG. The MEU’s missions range from amphibious operations to peacekeeping and the rescue of American citizens endangered by civil strife in countries around the world. It is commanded by a colonel and is nearly self sufficient with a minimum of 15 days’ supplies. “The appearance of Marines on foreign soil has always in the past indicated the beginning of extremely dangerous military adventures,” stated the Soviets in 1965. This remains true today when amphibious ships of the Navy appear offshore with Marines aboard.
There are seven MEUs, with two forward-deployed at any time around the world: the 11th, 13th, and 15th are homeported at Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.; the 22d, 24th and 26th are homeported at MCB Camp Lejeune, N.C.; and the 31st MEU is homeported at Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan.
The MEU is also a shamrock with the command element acting as the stem.
The basic combat element is a battalion landing team, which is built around an infantry battalion. The infantry battalion is augmented with engineers, reconnaissance, intelligence personnel and systems, artillery, tank and headquarters units. The BLT’s arsenal is potent: 155 mm field artillery; M1A1 main battle tanks; light armored vehicles and amphibious assault vehicles.
The aviation combat element of the MEU, which brings its own air traffic control, is usually a composite squadron with contingents of AV-8B Harrier II short take off/vertical landing attack jets, CH-46 Sea Knight transport helicopters, CH-53 Super Stallion transport and heavy hauler helicopters, and UH-1 Huey and AH-1 Super Cobra utility/gunship/attack helicopters. They also are supported by separate, but nearby Marine detachments of KC-130 Hercules tanker/transport turbo-prop aircraft, EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare jets, and F/18-C/D Hornet strike fighter jets.
The third leaf of the shamrock is the combat service support element, which consists of a combat logistics battalion supplying the logistics: bullets, beans and bandages, as well as the administrative needs of the MEU.
It needs to be remembered that a MAGTF is organized, trained and equipped with narrowly focused capabilities. It is designed to accomplish certain missions, often of defined scope and duration. There also is a Special Purpose MAGTF or SPMAGTF, which, as its name implies, is for special missions and may be any size, but normally it is a relatively small force.
The structure of the MAGTF only describes the types of forces needed and not actual military units or command, which can and does change. The basic structure of ground, aviation, combat service support and a command element never varies, though the number, size and type of Marine Corps units comprising each element depends on the mission. The flexibility of the organizational structure allows for one or more subordinate MAGTFs to be assigned.
The Marine expeditionary brigade, or MEB, is formed when everything is kicked up a notch. A MEB is centered around a Marine infantry regiment, with larger air and support contingents. Usually commanded by a brigadier general, the MEB has between 3,000 and 20,000 Marines and can operate independently for as long as 30 days.
The 1st MEB is based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.; 2d MEB is based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.; and 3d MEB is based on Okinawa, Japan.
The largest MAGTF is the Marine expeditionary force or MEF, which consists of a MEF headquarters, a Marine division, a Marine air wing and a Marine logistics group. It is scalable, can include from 20,000 to 90,000 Marines equipped with 60 days worth of supplies, and is commanded by a lieutenant general.
There are three MEFs: I MEF, headquartered at Camp Pendleton, Calif., consists of the First Marine Division, Third Marine Aircraft Wing and First Marine Logistics Group.
II MEF, headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C., consists of the 2dMarDiv, 2d MAW and 2d MLG.
III MEF, headquartered at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, consists of the 3dMarDiv, 1st MAW and 3d MLG. The major parent commands that provide forces for the MAGTF units are U.S. Marine Forces Command, headquartered Camp Allen, Norfolk, Va.; and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific based at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii.
Under the Corps’ MAGTF concept, each individual and unit is capable of operating alone and yet each is part of a triad capable of quickly landing anywhere on the globe from the air, land and sea. It’s all based on the individual Marine, a lowly but powerful shamrock.
