Seven Elements of the Marine Corps Mission

PPD P DEP

Provide Fleet Marine Forces with combined arms and supporting air components for service with the United States Fleet in the seizure of defense of advanced naval bases.

Provide detachments and organizations for service on armed vessels of the Navy and security detachments for the protection of naval property at naval stations and bases.

Develop, in coordination with the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the doctrine, tactics, techniques, and equipment employed by lading forces in amphibious operations.

Provide Marine forces for airborne operations, in coordination with the Army, Navy, and Air Force, according to the doctrine established by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Develop, in coordination with the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the doctrine, procedures, and equipment for airborne operations.

Expand Peacetime components to meet wartime needs according to the joint mobilization plans.

Perform such other duties as the President may direct.

What are the two parallel chain of command?

Service chain: President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Operational Chain: President, Secretary of Defense, directly to commanders of combatant commands.  

The Marine Corps operating forces:

MARFOR: Marine Corps Forces

MCSF: Marine Corps Security Forces

MSG: Marine Security Guard

MARFOR: organized as MAGTFs and are either employed as part of naval expeditionary forces or separately as part of larger joint or combined forces.

MCSF: include approximately 3,400 Marines who protect key naval installation and facilities worldwide.

MSG: guard battalion to the Departement of State for embassy security. Marines are currently assigned to 121 diplomatic posts in 115 countries throughout the world.

Headquarters Marine Corps purpose

consists of the Commandant of the Marine Corps and those staff agencies that advise and assist the Commandant in discharging those responsibilities prescribed by law and higher authority.

Commandant of the Marine Corps, is directly responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the administration,discipline, internal organization, training, requirements, efficiency, and readiness of the Marine Corps.

Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF)

Components of the Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEF)

MHG: provides command and support functions for the MEF Headquarters Group and provides administrative and logistical support functions for the MEF command element and supported units to enchance the war fighting capabilities of the MEF.

ACE:  is task-organized to support the MAGTF mission by performing some or all of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation.

GCE: is task organized to conduct ground operations in support of the MAGTF mission.

LCE: is task organized to provide the full range of Combat Service Support (CSS) functions and capabilities needed to support the continued readiness and sustainability of the MAGTF as a whole.

Location of the three MEFs

I MEF: southern California and Arizona

II MEF: North and South Carolina

III MEF: Japan and Hawaii

Explain a Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEB)

is a MAGTF built around a reinforced infantry regiment, an aircraft group, and logistic combat element. BGen normally commands the MEB. Capable of rapid deployment.

CE: exercises command and control, commanded by a general, contains a Surveillance Recon Intelligence Group (SRIG) detachment.

ACE: Marine Aircraft Group (MAG)

GCE: reinforced infantry regiment, Regimental Combat Team (RCT)

LCE: Combat Logistics Regiment (CLR) 

Explain a Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) [MEU (SOC)]

standard forward-deployed Marine expeditionary organization. MEU (SOC) mission is to provide a forward deployed, sea-based, rapid crisis response capability to execute a full range a military operations.

Operations include: recon and surveillance, specialized demolition, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP), seizure/recovery of offshore energy facilities, seizure/recovery of selected personnel or material, VBSS of vessels, in-extremis hostage.  

MEU (SOC) components

CE: command and control. Sections - command deck (CO, XO, SgtMaj), headquarters commandant, public affairs, chaplain, medical, and S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4, and S-6.

ACE: a reinforced helicopter squadron

GCE: a BLT (battalion landing team)

LCE: Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 

Where are the seven standing MEU (SOC) CEs

I MEF: 11th, 13th, and 15th

II MEF: 22d, 24th, and 26th

III MEF:31 MEU

What is a SPMAGTF?

Used for special missions (disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, noncombatant evacuation operation, or security operations) or in unique instances (Exxon Valdez oil spill containment) where employment of one of the three basic MAGTFs would be inappropriate.

Components of a SPMAGTF

CE: command and control of operational functions and is tailored to the mission and task organization of the SPMAGTF.

ACE: task-organized detachment of aircraft.

GCE: at least a platoon-sized infantry element.

LCE: task-organized to meet the specific service support requirements of the SPMAGTF and is centered on the unit designated to provide most of the service support.