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Old 03-17-2018, 09:36 PM
robert.munsey robert.munsey is offline
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Default Some notes on the USMC from the NATO1989 OOB

Just wanted to post the notes and unit data from the 1988/89 NATO OOB for the USMC;

Iwill note that this would be the start point for building the OOB for the '2nd MARDIV' for the Baltic campaign.

NATO OOB;
d. II Marine Expeditionary Force (MAGTF/CE)
1) 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MAGTF/CE), Amphibious, associated with Amphibious Group 2
2) 6th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MAGTF/CE), MPF, associated with MPS Squadron 1
3) 2nd Marine Division (Designated GCE for II MEF)
a) HQ Battalion
b) 2nd Marine Regiment (Designated GCE for 4th MEB)
i) HQ Company: 24 TOW (AT-platoon), 258 men
ii) 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment: 905 men
iii) 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment: 905 men
c) 6th Marine Regiment (Designated GCE for 6th MEB)
i) HQ Company: 24 TOW (AT-platoon), 258 men
ii) 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment: 905 men
d) 8th Marine Regiment (With Responsibility of sourcing 6th Fleet MEU)
i) HQ Company: 24 TOW (AT-platoon), 258 men
ii) 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment: 1103 men
iii) 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment: 1103 men
iv) 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment: 1103 men
e) 10th Marine Regiment (including 48 M101A1 for contingency purposes )
i) HQ Battery, 359 men
ii) 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment: 16 M198, 8 M114A1, 751 men (Direct Support for RLT 2)
iii) 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment: 16 M198, 8 M114A1 (Direct Support for RLT 6)
iv) 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment: 16 M198, 8 M114A1, 751 men (Direct Support for RLT 8)
v) 5th Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment: 12 M109A3, 12 M110A2, 709 men (General Support)
f) 2nd Tank Battalion
i) HQ and Service Company: 2 M60A1, 1 M88A1, 320 men
ii) AT (TOW) Company: 72 TOW HMMWV, 246 men
iii) 4 Tank Companies: 17 M60A1, 1 M88A1, 105 men each
g) 2nd Light Armored Infantry Battalion
i) HQ and Service Company: 4 LAV-25, 8 LAV-C2, 16 LAV-L, 2 LAV-R
ii) Weapons Company: 10 LAV-25, 16 LAV-AT, 8 LAV-M, 1 LAV-R
iii) 3 Light Armored Infantry Companies: 14 LAV-25, 1 LAV-R, 56 scouts each
h) 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion
i) HQ and Service Company: 102 men
ii) 3 Reconnaissance Companies: 79 men each (12 teams of 4 men each)
i) 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion
i) HQ and Service Company: 15 AAVP-7, 3 AAVC-7, 2 AAVR-7, 237 men
ii) 4 Assault Amphibian Companies: 43 AAVP-7, 3 AAVC-3, 1 AAVR-7, 226 men each
j) 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion
i) HQ and Service Company: 143 men
ii) Engineer Support Company: 259 men
iii) 4 Combat Engineer Companies (1 in cadre status): 114 men each
4) 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Designated ACE for II MEF)
a) Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron-2
b) Marine Air Control Group 28 – Cherry Point, NC
i) 3rd Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion: 18 I-Hawk, 751 men
ii) 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion: 90 Stinger, 377 men
c) Marine Air Group 14 – Cherry Point, NC (Designated F/W host MAG for 4th MEB ACE)
i) VMGR-252 “Otis”: 8 KC-130F, 4 KC-130R
ii) VMAQ-2(-) “Panthers”: 18 (of 19 authorized) EA-6B
iii) VMA(AW)-332 “Polka Dots”: 10 A-6E
iv) VMA(AW)-533 “Hawks”: 10 A-6E
v) VMGR-252 “Otis”: 4 (of 12 authorized) KC-130R, 9 KC-130F
vi) VMGRT-253 “Titans”: 6 KC-130F
d) Marine Air Group 26 – New River, NC (Designated R/W host MAG for 6th MEB ACE)
i) HMM-261(C) “Raging Bulls”: 12 CH-46E
ii) HMM-264 “Black Knights”: 12 CH-46E
iii) HMM-266 “Fighting Griffons”: 12 CH-46E
iv) HMH-362 “Ugly Angles”: 18 CH-53D
v) HMH-461 “Sea Stallions”: 12 (of 16 authorized) CH-53E, 4 CH-53D
vi) HMLA-167 “Warriors”: 13 AH-1T, 11 (of 12 authorized) UH-1N
vii) HMT-204 “Raptors”: 10 CH-46E
e) Marine Air Group 29 – New River, NC (Designated R/W host MAG for 4th MEB)
i) VMO-1(-): 8 OV-10A, 5 (of 14 authorized) OV-10D
ii) HMM-263 “Thunder Eagles”: 12 CH-46E
iii) HMM-365 “Blue Knights”: 12 CH-46E
iv) HMH-464(-) “Condors”: 12 CH-53E
v) HMLA-269(-) “Gunrunners”: 12 (+2 detached) AH-1T, 3 (+9 detached) UH-1N
f) Marine Air Group 31 – Beaufort, SC (Designated F/W host MAG for 6th MEB ACE)
i) VMFA-115 “Silver Eagles”: 12 F/A-18
ii) VMFA-122 “Crusaders”: 12 F/A-18
iii) VMFA-251 “Thunderbolts”: 12 F/A-18 (converted 86)
iv) VMFA-312 “Checkertails”: 12 F/A-18 (converted 86)
v) VMFA-451 “Warlords”: 12 F/A-18 (converted from F-4S in 87)
g) Marine Air Group 32 – Cherry Point, NC
i) VMA-223 “Bulldogs”: 20 AV-8B
ii) VMA-231 “Ace of Spades”: 20 AV-8B
iii) VMA-331 “Bumblebees”: 20 AV-8B
iv) VMA-542 “Flying Tigers”: 20 AV-8B
v) VMAT-203 “Hawks”: 16 AV-8B, 10 TAV-8B

Note 1: The infantry battalions have rifle companies, a HQ and service company, including a reconnaissance platoon in HMMWV, a weapons company with a heavy machine gun (6 .50-cal M2), a grenade launcher (40mm Mk19), a antitank (24 Dragon ATGM) and a mortar (8 81mm M252) platoon. The rifle companies are organized in three rifle platoons and a weapons platoon with 6 M60E3 machine guns, 6 83mm Mk153 SMAW and 3 60mm M224 mortars. In 1988/89 three infantry battalions were placed in cadre (3/4, 2/1, 2/6) and a fourth rifle company was added to the structure of the eight infantry battalions assigned to the MEU(SOC) rotation. There were plans to have a Reserve rifle company affiliate to fill out the four company battalion structure for the 16 remaining active duty infantry battalions.

Note 2: Battalions, companies and squadrons rotate for 6-month periods to MEU(SOC) deployments and to Okinawa, under the Unit Deployment Program (UDP).

Note 3: The Tank Battalions were the controlling headquarters for the TOW vehicles, but the ATGMs would have generally been farmed out to other commands and not used en masse. The Tank Battalion had 3 “platoons” of TOWs, each with 24 launchers.

Note 4: The peacetime organization and garrrison distribution of the Marine Corps units does not reflect the wartime organization. Marine formations deploy as integrated Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs) of various sizes: Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) commanded by a colonel, Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) commanded by a brigadier or major general, and Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) commanded by a lieutenant general. Each has a Command Element (CE), a Ground Combat Element (GCE), an Aviation Combat Element (ACE), and Combat Service Support Element (CSSE, not shown).

Note 5: A Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is the smallest of the three Marine air/ground task forces. MEUs are made up of about 1,900 Marines and are transported on three to five amphibious ships. They have weapons, helicopters, and AV-8B attack jets, but no fighter aircraft. In contrast to the larger task forces, MEUs are deployed routinely in peacetime. Two MEUs are always forward deployed: one in the Mediterranean and one in the Western Pacific or Indian Ocean. These units form, train, deploy, and then disband to ensure rotations of people and equipment about every six months.

Note 6: The Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) is a MAGTF built around a reinforced infantry regiment and an aircraft group composed by both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Notionally, there were nine MEBs in the active force structure, although only six MEB headquarters were permanently staffed in peacetime. During a war in Europe, the Marines would send a brigade to Norway and thirty days of supplies and the equipment for one MEB are located in central Norway. The MEB deploys with 30 days of accompanying supplies and is capable of conducting combat operations of limited scope. The Amphibious MEB embarks aboard Naval ships to destinations throughout the world, where it can make an amphibous assault, take a beachhead and open a lane to project offensive combat power ashore. An Amphibious MEB would deploy aboard Naval vessels with more than 4,000 Marines. About 20 amphibious ships would be required to transport a brigade. An Maritime Prepositioning Force MEB can be much larger, and project offensive combat power throughout its theater of operation. An MPF MEB would deploy to a theater where it would offload the required equipment from an MPF ship. Because this is a land-based force, it can be much larger than an amphibious MEB, bringing more than 16,000 Marines and Sailors to the theater of operation quickly. One MEB per MEF is required to be ready for embarkation within four days of notification.

Note 7: A Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) consists of about 50,000 Marines. It also has a substantial number of weapons including tanks, light armored vehicles, howitzers, helicopters, and fighter and attack aircraft. About 55 amphibious ships would be required to transport a
MEF. The size and composition of a deployed MEF can vary greatly depending on the requirements of the mission. It can deploy with not only its own units but also units from the other standing MEFs, the Marine Corps Reserve, or the other Services and the Special Operations Command. A MEF typically deploys by echelon with 60 days of sustainment. The MEF is required to be ready for embarkation within ten days of notification.

Note 8: Marine Corps and Navy planners divide MEFs and MEBs into three parts or echelons. The assault echelon (AE) comprises the troops and equipment that would be needed to sustain the task force for an amphibious landing and the first 15 days of combat. It consists of about two-thirds of all troops in the task force and about half of all vehicles, but only one-quarter of needed cargo. The assault follow-on echelon (AFOE) and the fly-in echelon (FIE) carry enough supplies to support the task force for an additional 15 to 45 days, after which the landing force would require further reinforcement.

Note 9: The most likely role of the Marine Corps Reserve upon mobilization will be to augment or reinforce an active duty MEF. "Augmentation" refers to filling the unmanned structure of a MEF while "reinforcement" adds additional capabiltties to a MEF. The remainder of 4th Marine Division and 4th Marine Air Wing could be mobilized to field a Marine Expeditionary Brigade to
reinforce a MEF or to provide a nucleus to reconstitute a division and airwing. If augmentation or reinforcement is not ordered, the Reserves could be used to field a division and a wing with reduced capability.

Note 10: Each active-duty Marine Division previously had five artillery battalions: three direct support with M198s, one General Support with M198s and one mixed mechanized artillery battalion. In 1987-1989, however, the M198 General Support battalions were transferred to the Reserves.

Note 11: Marine Fixed Wing Aircraft Holdings (some deliveries ongoing): 120 F-18A, 20 F-18B, 36 F-18C, 10 F-18D, 134 AV-8B (plus 5 in storage), 7 TAV-8B, 21 RF-4B, 98 A-4M, 15 OA-4M, 9 TA-4F, 54 A-6E, 4 EA-6A, 18 EA-6B, 36 OV-10/A/D, 13 F-21, 42 KC-130 (Flight International reports 50+ F-4S, 25+ RF-4B, 20+ A-4E/F, 130+ A-4M/OA-4M, 20+ TA-4F, 75+ A-6E, 6 EA-6A, 12 EA-6B, 64+ OV-10A/D)

Note 12: Marine Rotary Wing Aircraft Holdings (some deliveries ongoing): 84 AH-1J/T/W, 80 UH-1N, 206 CH-46E, 94 CH-53A/D, 76 CH-53E (Flight International reports 165+ AH-1J/T/W (deliveries ongoing), 50+ CH-53A, 85 CH-53D, 98 CH-53E (deliveries ongoing), 300+ CH-46E (may also include CH-46F, other models), 92+ UH-1N, 40+ UH-1E)

Note 13: Marine Equipment Holdings: 716 M60A1, 416 LAV-25, 96 LAV-AT, ~190 other LAV variants, 1,323 AAVP-7A1 (may include command and recovery variants), 54 AAVP-7R recovery vehicles, 143 M109A3, 108 M110A2, 335 155mm M101A1, 468 155mm M198, 438 81mm mortars, 1,117 TOW (generally HMMWV mounted), 1,700 Dragon, 1,929 SMAW, Redeye, Stinger, IHAWK
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