What Is a Marine?
Created by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke on Wed Oct 20th, 2021 @ 8:22am
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Each and every Marine is first trained as a disciplined warrior, regardless of their occupation or specialty. This training is key to the SFMC’s philosophy of maneuver warfare, which combines operational positioning with firepower; this demands agile forces capable of quick decision-making and employs the most human elements of war - boldness, creativity, intelligence and the warrior-spirit. The SFMC’s combined arms approach multiples their strength’s by bringing land, aerospace and space forces together to achieve every mission. This organization creates a scalable force with incomparable warfighting abilities. It is the key to winning every battle.
It is something that Starfleet doesn’t understand, and probably never will. A Marine may be a Scientist, Doctor or Engineer but they are always first and foremost a Marine - a warrior trained in the art and science of combat and prepared to do whatever is required of him/her to defend the Federation and her interests at home and abroad.
Regiment - Approx: 3,150 Marines Commanded by a Colonel, comprises three battalions.
Battalion - Appox: 1,052 Marines Commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, consists of three rifle companies, one weapons company, and one Headquarters and Service Company.
Rifle company - Approx: 116 Marines Led by a Captain, typically with a 1st Lieutenant as Executive Officer and second in command. Consists of three rifle platoons, a weapons platoon, and support staff.
A weapons company will substitute for the rifle platoons a mortar platoon, an anti-armor platoon, and a heavy weapons platoon. A Headquarters and Service Company consist of a headquarters platoon, a communications platoon, a service platoon, and the Battalion Aid Station.
Rifle platoon - Approx: 38 Marines Led by a 1st or Second Lieutenant with a Staff or Gunnery Sergeant as Platoon Sergeant to advise the commander. Consists of three squads, and a headquarters element made up of a Platoon Commander, a Platoon Sergeant and a Starfleet Corpsman (there may be two Starfleet Corpsmen in larger platoons).
Weapons platoon - Approx: 38 Marines Led by a 1st or 2nd Lieutenant, the weapons platoon will substitute for the squads:
● A mortar section (three squads, each of one mortar and three Marines, all led by a section leader);
● an assault section (three squads, each of two teams, which each consist of an SMAW and two Marines), led by a section leader (thirteen Marines total); and
● a medium assault gun section (three squads, each of a squad leader and two teams, which each consist of one assault gun and three Marines).
Squad - Approx: 12 Marines Led by a Coproral or Sergeant, consists of three fire teams. A squad is capable of integrating a variety of attachments from a weapons platoon.
Fire team - Approx: 4 Marines Led by a Lance Corporal or Corporal team leader, this is the basic element of the GCE. It consists of four Marines: the team leader/grenadier, one rifleman, one assistant light machine gunner, and one light machine gunner.
Group Led by a Colonel, consists of 4–6 squadrons.
Squadron Led by a Lieutenant Colonel, consists of 6–15 aircraft in 7–8 sections.
The size of a LCE unit is directly proportional to the size of the unit it is supporting, and is formed on the basic SFMC structure (Platoon, Company, Battalion, etc.)
The FORECON companies, detachments and platoons perform deep reconnaissance and direct action intelligence gathering operations as well as Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) specialized raid missions. FORECON is responsible for operating independently behind enemy lines performing unconventional special operations, in support of conventional warfare.
Deep Reconnaissance patrols are designed purely around reconnaissance and surveillance; usually lightly equipped and armed with defensive weapons. Patrols attempt to avoid contact with the enemy wherever possible and if necessary using evasive tactics to break off engagements and slip away.
Deep Reconnaissance operate farther away from support units than their standard Division Recon counterparts, penetrating much deeper into enemy territory. Silence and stealth are vital in reducing chances of compromising their position.
Objectively, their roles are an abstract of preliminary assault and post-assault reconnaissance missions, some examples are provided as such:
Remote Sensors Operations – placing remote sensors to gather information and beacons marking friendly/hostile boundaries and routes around areas dangerous to assault or infantry transports.
Initial Terminal Guidance – setting up/preparing Landing Zones (LZ) and Transporter Zones (TZ) for transports delivering units or those beaming into forward operating sites.
Terrain Battle Damage Assessment missions – these missions involve witnessing and reporting collateral damage of targets caused by heavy support fire measure from artillery or starships.
Direct Action operations are missions designed in the line of offensive strikes; the FORECON operators are heavily armed and use heavy weapon or starship weapon support if available.
They are the direct opposite of Deep Reconnaissance mission in that the patrol deliberately go out to "look for trouble", seeking contact with the enemy instead of avoiding it. Depending on the situation and the target location, these operations deliver "small-scale" shock and awe designed to cause maximum disruption to the enemy by a fast and heavy hitting short duration mission.
Additionally FORECON units carry out Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) of ships during Starfleet Interdiction and Blockade operations.
In order to qualify for Force Recon, candidates must have already completed an extensive list of training courses that includes reconnaissance school, SERE school (survival, evasion, resistance, escape), combat diving school, HALO and free fall courses. Marines then go on to undertake an arduous thirty four week course at a Special Operations Training School which teaches them the skills needed to undertake their mission, including Long Range Patrolling; Advanced Long Range Communications; Mobile reconnaissance; Close quarters combat; Urban Environments Combat; Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) and shipboard assaults.
FORECON Marines undergo a constant and arduous training regimen, even after they’ve completed their initial training course. After graduating from the course, Marines must continue to hone their skills by attending advanced specialized courses in their assigned area of expertise.
Categories: USS Pioneer