Size of the Platoon and Company

[Ken White]

was more like Forrest Tucker's role in Sands. The perennial Corporal, I screwed off a lot unless I really had to do sumpn...

Semper Fi, yourself. Guns up...

P.S.

I'm with you; seen a lot of different organizations and the old K Series Marine Rifle Company worked as well as any and better than most. Great for training young NCOs, the Army squad with two fire teams doesn't do as well. We also agree on MG Platoons...

[Rifleman]

was more like Forrest Tucker's role in Sands. The perennial Corporal, I screwed off a lot unless I really had to do sumpn...

But you saw the light and was born again.....as a paratrooper NCO!

[RJ]

Tankersteve posted -

Question: Where are the FO/ANGLICO the company uses, or is the platoon commander/platoon sergeant and squad leaders expected to do all their own call for fires? Are they in the weapons platoon or attached from a supporting artillery unit, as the Army does? Corpsmen the same way or within the battalion? When scheming my company structure, without attachments such as a commo guy for the HQ and 5 medics and the forward observer element, the total size is 184, right in line with what the Marines are at now.

Back in the day FO's and Anglico teams were attached to the CO. HQ. Today, Squad leaders and even Fire Team leaders are trained to communicate with Artillery and FAC's. I have read about junior NCO's handling communications often enough that they could tell who the pilots were by their voices as well as their "handles" in the march up the Bagdad.

Rifleman,

The old ratio was one Corpsman for each platoon, with a Senior Corpsman atttached to the Company. 5 per company. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since Vietnam and a lot of communication gear has been introduced to the rank and file. Attaching a Corpsman to a specific Squad is how it is done. I don't think they would become a member of the squad T/O.

Tanker Steve,

One of the Marine Infantry NCO building blocks has always been the Squad Leader position. This is the first major step in developing Junior NCO to grow up to become Marine Gunnery Sargents. I don't think the ARMY has a corresponding rank that compares to Gunnery Sgt. They have the same pay grade, of course, but the responsibility and efficiency levels are much different.

Ken White posted -

"P.S.

I'm with you; seen a lot of different organizations and the old K Series Marine Rifle Company worked as well as any and better than most. Great for training young NCOs, the Army squad with two fire teams doesn't do as well. We also agree on MG Platoons... "

Thanks, Ken. I firmly believe the early responsibility for 12other Marines is the keystone of every senior Marine NCOs career. It teaches you the importance of discipline and how to think fast and outside the box when under great stress. And I believe the Big Marine Squad will remain a cornerstone in the Afghan War for applying power and absorbing punishment while coninuing the fight.

[Ken White]

But you saw the light and was born again.....as a paratrooper NCO!

I just grew up.

A teeny bit.