Commar posted - The shift was part of what was Distributed Ops & has now shifted to Enhanced Company Operations.

"The Marine Infantry Platoon remains at 44, 43 Marines & 1 Corpsman.

3x 13 man Squad, + Radio Operator, Plt Guide, Plt Sgt, & Plt Cmdr.

What changes, is the ability to shift the Plt Structure to best exploit opportunities.

At that time one boot fr/ each squad will shift to the HQ section creating 2 Plt C2's.

C2-A: Plt Cmdr, RTO, Plt Gde, & 1 of the Rifleman.
C2-B: Plt Sgt, Corpsman, 2 other Rifleman.

3x 12man Squads: The Squad now becomes a 2 team Manuever element but the SqLdr technically doesn't join the 3rd team he still moves independently directing the actions of the 2 manuever tms.

The 3rd tm however form a C2 Cell: The Fire Team Ldr now becomes the Fires Coordination Chief, 1 of the Rifleman becomes the Squad Radio Operator, & the other Rifleman is the Combat Lifesaver.

There's even talk of bringing the Loose Rifleman in the C2 back as the Squad DM to provide overwatch.

This might really freak you out.

There's even talk of splitting the squad even further into 6 man elements to Operate like 6 man Sniper teams for tracking, disruption, & sabotage bringing back the Old "Hunter/Killer Teams" fr/ the Vietnam War."

Commar - No freaking out is allowed in the Marine Infantry!

Actually your telling me, nothing has changed. We always had the ability to reconfigure the platoons for different situations.

Pulling a single rifleman from each Squad doesn't disrupt the three manuever elements (Fireteams) at all. They still function as 3 fireteams under the direction of the Squad leader. They retain 3 automatic weapons and 35 rifles including the squad leaders rifle. The Marine Big 3 FT Squad was designed to accomodate casualties expected during the Island Campaigns in the Pacific during the beach assualt phase.

Your "The 3rd tm however form a C2 Cell: The Fire Team Ldr now becomes the Fires Coordination Chief, 1 of the Rifleman becomes the Squad Radio Operator, & the other Rifleman is the Combat Lifesaver." seems to me to be whimsical and a big reduction in the force application 12 man squad can provide. Fires Coordination Chief (What is the Plt. Cmdr. going to do. Or the SL himself? )

Squad Radio Operator. I suspect todays Squad Leaders can already communicate with their fellow Squad Leaders should the need arise. (Shouting useta work for me. or sending a rifleman as a runner if electronics are jammed, and hand and arm signals worked in the line of sight mode very well)

The SL might have helmet or handheld comm gear that can specify Company, Paltoon or Squad nets in todays world.

Explain what a Combat Life Saver is????. We useta call them Corpsmen.

And while some think the (DM) Designated Marksman is a new deal, the Marine Rifle Squad Leader knew who his best shots were and utilized them for long range killing fire when the opportunity presented itself. The DM designation today lets other Marines know that the new guy who transfered in from another Regt. or Division was rated a superior shooter.

When you said the third team becomes 3rd C2 Cel?

Is that the short team from each Squad? The numbers don't work if the third team becomes C2-C The Squad has become your standard 9 man Meck and Lite Infantry Squad
not two bigger elements of 6 and 5 + the SL = 12.

C2-A: Plt Cmdr, RTO, Plt Gde, & 1 of the Rifleman.
C2-B: Plt Sgt, Corpsman, 2 other Rifleman.
C2-C: Fires Coordinator Chief, Squad Radio Operator, Combat Life Saver.

Does this mean that the Right Guide can't be the Fires
Coordinator? Or the Plootoon Sgt.

Seems to me that the message may have gotten garbled during the sorce translation.

Perhaps someone can clairfiy the juggling!

Especially this description of the squad becoming two 6 man elements, er, one 6 and one 5 men elements with an independent SL, should he not want to join one of the elements.

The Irish have a new whiskey on the shelves now. It comes from County Down. It is called "Feckin Irish Whiskey" - I kid you not! That bottle sells in PA for $23.95

I will venture to guess that someone has been tasting that particular brand because as described above the is fecked up.

Does the US Army have people in the infantry who are called Fires Coordinators, Squad Radio Operators and Combat Lifesavers?

If this has been a test and I tripped the winning lever -

I will accept a bottle of Powers Gold Lable Irish Whiskey.
It is two bucks cheaper than Feckin Irish Whiskey and it is much smoother. Dangerously smoother!