Rifle squad composition

[jcustis]

The interesting this about firepower in a future distributed operations squad is that it does rely on fighting light, as the Rhodesians did. Lightening the load is one of the objectives clearly laid out on the document you graciously provided Norfolk (I had not seen that one before).

At 700 rds carried across a stick, that's close to what you might get out of an attached MG team anyway, and if the riflemen of a current squad are carrying extra belts, it's the age old problem of getting it to the team(s) or moving it once it's been dropped off. Similar issue with mortar rounds.

If I remember correctly, indirect firepower was achieved by the Rhodies through the use of rifle grenades, and Marine Gunner Eby wrote an excellent piece for the Marine Corps Gazette some years back that pushed for a rifle grenade capability. They've got bulk to them, but you're talking about a capability for all of the riflemen, not just you're M203 owners. I think better range and casualty radius were touted in the article as well. I don't believe accuracy is comparable though, but I'd have to research that a bit.

[Norfolk]

The interesting this about firepower in a future distributed operations squad is that it does rely on fighting light, as the Rhodesians did. Lightening the load is one of the objectives clearly laid out on the document you graciously provided Norfolk (I had not seen that one before).

At 700 rds carried across a stick, that's close to what you might get out of an attached MG team anyway, and if the riflemen of a current squad are carrying extra belts, it's the age old problem of getting it to the team(s) or moving it once it's been dropped off. Similar issue with mortar rounds.

If I remember correctly, indirect firepower was achieved by the Rhodies through the use of rifle grenades, and Marine Gunner Eby wrote an excellent piece for the Marine Corps Gazette some years back that pushed for a rifle grenade capability. They've got bulk to them, but you're talking about a capability for all of the riflemen, not just you're M203 owners. I think better range and casualty radius were touted in the article as well. I don't believe accuracy is comparable though, but I'd have to research that a bit.

What really bothers me most about the DO platoon organization isn't just cutting the USMC rifle squad back to 12 men; it's all the "C2". Out of the 12 man squad, there are just two 4-man Fire Teams, and an entire 4-man Command and Control Team (albeit fully-armed). And if that's not sick enough, then the Rifle Platoon HQ has no less than eight men in it, in two 4-man C2 Teams, one led by the Platoon Leader, and the other led by the Platoon Sergeant.

As for the matter of grenade launchers and rifle grenades, I wonder if bringing rifle grenades back and replacing the actual grenade launchers with an RPG-type rocket launcher wouldn't be a better way to go; but then that would make it that much more difficult to mark targets and lay smoke...hmmm.

[jcustis]

After acratching my head, it looks like the three additions to the Plt HQ (riflemen) came from cutting them out of the squad organization. While this is a doctrinal change that cements things, it reflects the likely reality of having a highly-trained linguist handler, data communications Marine, and even perhaps a mini-UAV operator.

These types of personnel are a personnel tax out of the organization, and in current operations there could be considerable shuffling going on to deal with the added equipment/roles.

I think "Squad C2" is a misnomer, because each of those fireteams are likely to be in a solid fight during distributed operations. The squad leader essentially becomes the TL for a team as well, so that sort of makes sense.

If the Corps continues to follow the fighter-leader concept as well as guiding/flowing off of the base unit in assaults, then it also makes some sense to simply incorporate the SL into a team structure. That is, so long as the SL is unot encumbered with a heavy reporting requirement to adjacent or higher headquarters. Who fights that team them? Does it fight as a 3-man element?

As peculiar as this all seems, I suspect it reflects the reality of what is happening in Iraq right now. There are probably a number of troops who are not stepping across the line of departure as straight trigger pullers, but rather as what I call enablers (like an RTO or UAV operator). This doctrinal structure seems to address this reality and make it a standing organization. It is still peculiar though without knowing all the brainstorming that went on behind the scenes.