USMC infantry questions

thatguy96 · #1 July 4th, 2005, 01:03 PM

I'll definitly look into it, but I do have a detail knowledge base, which is why I decided to start this project.

Thx for the reply.

...it says the Vietnam War Pack has been deleted by the uploader. Well, thanks anyhow.

kevin · #2 July 4th, 2005, 04:46 PM

As a former Marine, I can say that the fireteam is the basis of which the entire Marine Corps is organized.

I don't know what the organization was during Vietnam. but I can tell you what the Fireteam is all about.

The fireteam consists of 4 members, 1 SAW and 3 M-16s. The youngest member walks point and is trained as a scout. Next comes the assistant gunner. He carries an M-16 and extra ammo boxes for the SAW. The SAW gunner is 2nd in command and the Fireteam leader is a Corporal, w/ M-16 and an M203 Grenade launcher attached. (This is also the basis for Army Fireteams).

This provides a lot of firepower that is easily controlled by one person using just hand signals. Increasing the number of SAWs or Grenade launchers provides too much strain on the logistics train with very little in return. (Multiple SAWs are likely to attract Mortar fire)

3 Fireteams and a Sergeant make a Squad, 3 Squads a Platoon and so on up to 3 Regiments in each Division

thatguy96 · #3 July 4th, 2005, 05:59 PM

That's essentially how the Army treats it as well, but I've not heard of situations where individual fireteams were deployed, except on more specialist actions like reconaissance patrols and the like.

I guess the designs felt that by allowing people to deploy individual fireteams, and how this is not really inaccurate, that it would give a greater degree of flexability to play with. I had originally thought that were the same size as normal infantry units and went back and looked and they were not. It also gives the USMC OOB a sort of "Cav Scout" size unit too, where it might otherwise be without one.