How many men are in a Marine platoon

[Ramm]

I may be attending Marine ROTC after I get my associates degree this summer and I'm wondering how many guys I would have to take care of and worry about in a platoon. Because this may not be something I really want if its too many.
or

I might enlist/join in the Army, Air force, Marines, Navy, Merchant Marines but not Coast Guard because they are not taking any active duty as of a few months ago.

The good thing is you guys won't have to hear my annoying whiny posts for a while

[Imp]

I am going to stick my neck out here I have no military background think ROTC is reserve officer training. Are you sure this is what you want to do & that you have the right disposition for it. If you are questioning looking after a few men I think they might pick up on that, what happens if the senior officers go down & your now looking after several times that & making decisions you can't get wrong in a hostile enviroment. Not ordering enough Pepsi in a supermarket is no big deal getting it wrong on a battlefield is a life changing event that I would think will stay with you. Hell from people I know getting it right stays with you long enough.

[Ramm]

Thanks for the advice, but how many guys are in a real-life platoon?

I'm not sure I'm the right man for the job, but in the words of a famous man: "damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead". No one knows if they will fail in the military until they actually do it.

ROTC is for college, afterwords you can go in as an officer.

Something like 49 % of officers are ROTC not Academy.

I don't intend to go infantry or pilots, every Marine is a rifleman but not every Marine wears a flack jacket or flight suit to work.

[Ramm]

Originally Posted by Ramm

Thanks for the advice, but how many guys are in a real-life platoon?

I'm not sure I'm the right man for the job, but in the words of a famous man: "damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead". No one knows if they will fail in the military until they actually do it.

ROTC is for college, afterwords you can go in as an officer.

Something like 49 % of officers are ROTC not Academy.

I don't intend to go infantry or pilots, every Marine is a rifleman but not every Marine wears a flack jacket or flight suit to work.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlis.../a/0231new.htm

is one example among many

[Double_Deuce]

This may help. Its for rifle platoons but a platoon is pretty much the same size except for armor. Armor should have 15+ the platoon leader.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platoon

[Marek_Tucan]

Marine platoon would be larger than the rifle one, as rifle sections consist out of 2 fireteams+leader (9 men) while Marine sections are formed by 3 fireteams + leader.
... here. Weakipedia, I know... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organiz...ombat_Elements

So from various sources, a platoon has three sections, 13 men each, plus 4-man HQ element, ie all in all some 43 men counting yourself.

[Imp]

Andrew as I said sticking my neck out glad you did not take it the wrong way
I see others have managed to answer the question

[Ramm]

Originally Posted by Imp

Andrew as I said sticking my neck out glad you did not take it the wrong way
I see others have managed to answer the question

no worries mate.

[Apocal]

Depends on the platoon.

You have the basic rifle platoon, three squads of thirteen plus the command element. Then you typically have attachments, almost always a medic, machinegun squad (seven men), assault squad (four men), then the on-again, off-again types like FOs, additonal assault squads, intreperter, HET team, warlocks, mortarmen, Jav gunners, etc. The only reason it's somewhat unusual to see a rifle platoon turning out 55-60 is because that means everyone is fully manned. That being said, most platoons in the USMC aren't rifle platoons. Battalion mortar platoon is about 80-90 Marines. Various support elements can have platoons equally large.

If you're worried about leading large numbers, odds are the Marine Corps is not for you.