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The Marine Forces are the amphibious assault component of what now are called Naval Expeditionary Forces---Marine assault units, amphibious ships, supporting carrier task forces, and other forces required to project U.S. military power by sea.

The combined arms MAGTF---pronounced “MAG-taf”---can be tailored to the size and composition required to meet a broad range of operational requirements and for transport by various methods.

There are three generic types of MAGTFs:

Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU): Total personnel: 30-60,000. Commander: Lieutenant General. Ground combat element: one or more divisions. Aviation combat element: aircraft wing. Combat service support group: force service support group. Self-sustainment capability: 60 days. Amphibious lift: approx. 50 ships. Major equipment: 70 tanks, 108 155mm howitzers, 12 203mm howitzers, 72 81mm mortars, 81 60mm mortars, 288 Dragon ATGM, 144 TOW ATGM, 208 assault amphibian vehicles, 147 light armored vehicles, 24 HAWK SAMS, 72 Stinger MANPADS, approx.150 fixed-wing aircraft. Approx. 150 helicopters

Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB): Total personnel 4/18,000. Commander: Brigadier General Ground combat element: infantry regiment. Aviation combat element: aircraft group. Combat service support group: brigade service support group. Self-sustainment capability: 30 days. Amphibious lift: 21-26 ships. Major equipment: 17 tanks, 24 155mm howitzers, 6 203mm howitzers, 24 81mm mortars, 27 60mm mortars, 96 Dragon ATGM, 48 TOW ATGM, 47 assault amphibian vehicles, 36 light armored vehicles, 6 HAWK SAMs, 15 Stinger MANPADs, approx. 75 fixed-wing aircraft, approx. 100 helicopters.

Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF): Total personnel: 1-4,000. Commander: Colonel. Ground combat element: infantry battalion. Aviation combat element: composite squadron (helicopters + STOVL). Combat service support group: MEU service support group, Self-sustainment capability: 15 days. Amphibious lift: 4-6 ships. Major equipment: 5 tanks, 8 155mm howitzers, 8 81mm mortars, 9 60mm mortars, 32 Dragon ATGM, 8 TOW ATGM, 12 assault amphibian vehicles, 5 Stiner MANPADS, 6 fixed-wing aircraft (STOVL), approx. 20 helicopters.

MEUs are now special operations qualified and are considered capable of carrying out six missions: amphibious raids, security operations, noncombatant evacuation operations, direct action, humanitarian/civic assistance and tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel.

The buildup of MAGTFs from the is not linear. For example, while a Marine regiment and aircraft group are the ground and air elements of a MEB, a division-wing team cannot form three MEBs, because of the shortfall of command and support units. Thus, the Marine Corps---with three divisions and three wings---can effectively deploy two MEFs or perhaps four MEBs plus some smaller units.

MAGTFs are not intended to be permanent organizations, but are to be “task organized for a specific mission and, after completion of that mission, dissolved.” Because of commitments to “marry” Marine combat units with weapons and material in Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS) deployed in various ocean areas and prepositioned ashore in Norway has led to the reduction in the flexibility of Marine units.

Currently, there are 14 permanent MAGTF command elements---3 MEFs, 4 MEBs and 7 MEUs including the 4th MEB(AT), which is not a “line” organization.

The MEUs are sized to be carried by a Navy Amphibious Squadron (PhibRon) which, when combined with the Meu and other naval forces, forms an ESG.