115 GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT (GCE), INFANTRY FUNDAMENTALS

Question 1

What is the mission of a Marine division?

Answer 1

To execute amphibious assault operations and other directed operations, providing ground forcible-entry capability to an amphibious task force and conducting subsequent land operations in any environment using combined-arms tactics tailored to each mission.

Question 2

How is a Marine division employed within the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF)?

Answer 2

As the Ground Combat Element (GCE) or to provide task-organized forces for smaller Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs).

Question 3

What units make up a Marine division?

Answer 3

3 Infantry Regiments, an Artillery Regiment, a Headquarters Battalion, a Tank Battalion, an Assault Amphibian Battalion, a Combat Engineer Battalion, and a Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

Question 4

What is the primary mission of the Headquarters Battalion in a Marine division?

Answer 4

To exercise command, control, and administration of the division.

Question 5

What companies and sections are included in the Headquarters Battalion?

Answer 5

H&S Company, Reconnaissance Company, Special Security Communications Team, Communications Company, Military Police Company, Division Band, and Truck Company.

Question 6

What functions does the H&S Company of the Headquarters Battalion perform?

Answer 6

Command, administrative, security, and organic supply support.

Question 7

What is the role of the Reconnaissance Company in the Headquarters Battalion?

Answer 7

Provides ground reconnaissance and surveillance for the division or its subordinate elements with a headquarters section and six platoons, emphasizing directed reconnaissance.

Question 8

What tasks does the Military Police Company of the Headquarters Battalion handle?

Answer 8

Route reconnaissance, enemy prisoner of war evacuation and control, beach and perimeter defense, area security, crowd control, and investigative services.

Question 9

What does the Communications Company in the Headquarters Battalion do?

Answer 9

Installs, operates, and maintains multi-channel radio, wire, and communications center facilities for the division headquarters.

Question 10

What support does the Truck Company provide to the Marine division?

Answer 10

General support motor transport.

Question 11

What is the primary mission of the Marine Corps Infantry Regiment?

Answer 11

To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver or repel enemy assaults by fire and close combat.

Question 12

What are the components of an Infantry Regiment?

Answer 12

A headquarters company and typically three infantry battalions, forming a Regimental Landing Team with combat support and CSS units.

Question 13

What is the basic means of ground mobility for an Infantry Regiment?

Answer 13

Foot, with all elements helicopter transportable and compatible with AAVs, motor transport, fixed-wing aircraft, and ships.

Question 14

What medical support does the Infantry Regiment provide?

Answer 14

Preventive medicine, treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, emergency lifesaving, and preparation for evacuation through a regiment aid station and headquarters company medical personnel.

Question 15

What does the Headquarters Company of an Infantry Regiment consist of?

Answer 15

A regimental headquarters and a reconnaissance platoon.

Question 16

How does the command group of the Infantry Regiment function?

Answer 16

Through a compact operational command group with the commander and executive staff integrating attached and supporting units across tactical, main, and rear echelons.

Question 17

What is the mission of the Infantry Battalion within an Infantry Regiment?

Answer 17

To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver or repel enemy assaults by fire and close combat.

Question 18

What units form an Infantry Battalion?

Answer 18

An H&S Company, a Weapons Company, and three Rifle Companies, forming a Battalion Landing Team with combat support and CSS units.

Question 19

What is the tactical role of the Infantry Battalion?

Answer 19

The basic tactical unit of ground combat power and nucleus of the Battalion Landing Team, capable of independent, sustained operations and coordinated defense.

Question 20

What sections are included in the H&S Company of an Infantry Battalion?

Answer 20

Company Headquarters, BLT Headquarters, Communications Platoon, Service Platoon, Medical Platoon (2 Medical Officers and 65 Corpsmen), and Chaplain Section (1 Chaplain and 1 Religious Programming Specialist).

Question 21

What platoons make up the Weapons Company of an Infantry Battalion?

Answer 21

Company Headquarters, Mortar Platoon, Anti-Armor Platoon, and Heavy Machine Gun Platoon.

Question 22

What weapons are assigned to the Mortar Platoon in the Weapons Company?

Answer 22

8 M252 81-mm mortars.

Question 23

What equipment does the Anti-Armor Platoon in the Weapons Company use?

Answer 23

12 M47 Dragons and 8 TOW missiles.

Question 24

How many and what type of weapons are in the Heavy Machine Gun Platoon?

Answer 24

Six M2 .50-cal machine guns and six MK19 40-mm grenade machine guns.

Question 25

What is the structure of a Rifle Company in an Infantry Battalion?

Answer 25

Company Headquarters, Weapons Platoon, and three Rifle Platoons, each with three squads of three four-man fire teams.

Question 26

What sections are included in the Weapons Platoon of a Rifle Company?

Answer 26

Mortar Section, Assault Section, and Machine Gun Section.

Question 27

What weapons does the fire team leader in a Rifle Company carry?

Answer 27

M16A2 rifle and M203 grenade launcher.

Question 28

What is the squad automatic rifleman in a Rifle Company equipped with?

Answer 28

M249 squad automatic weapon (SAW).

Question 29

What rifles do most personnel in a Rifle Company carry?

Answer 29

M16A2 rifles, including assistant automatic riflemen, squad leaders, and platoon headquarters personnel.

Question 30

What weapons are assigned to the Machine Gun Section of a Rifle Company’s Weapons Platoon?

Answer 30

Six M240G machine guns.

Question 31

How many mortars are in the Mortar Section of a Rifle Company’s Weapons Platoon?

Answer 31

Three M224 60-mm mortars.

Question 32

What equipment does the Assault Section of a Rifle Company’s Weapons Platoon use?

Answer 32

Six MK153 83-mm SMAWs.

Question 33

What is the mission of a Marine Corps rifle squad?

Answer 33

To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver or repel enemy assaults by fire and close combat.

Question 34

How is a rifle squad organized?

Answer 34

Three fire teams, each built around an automatic weapon and led by a fire team leader.

Question 35

What are the responsibilities of the squad leader in a rifle squad?

Answer 35

Discipline, appearance, training, control, conduct, welfare, weapon and equipment care, and tactical employment, fire discipline, fire control, and maneuver in combat, positioned to execute platoon commander orders and control the squad.

Question 36

What duties does the fire team leader/grenadier perform?

Answer 36

Executes squad leader orders, ensures fire discipline and control, manages weapon and equipment use, positions to control the team and automatic rifleman, and employs the grenade launcher and rifle effectively.

Question 37

What is the role of the automatic rifleman in a fire team?

Answer 37

Executes fire team leader orders, employs the automatic rifle effectively, and maintains its condition and care.

Question 38

How does the assistant automatic rifleman contribute to the fire team?

Answer 38

Assists with the automatic rifle, carries additional ammunition, prepares to assume automatic rifleman duties, and maintains weapon condition and care.

Question 39

What are the duties of a rifleman in a fire team?

Answer 39

Executes fire team leader orders, employs the rifle effectively, maintains its condition and care, and is trained as a scout.

Question 40

What is the primary fighting position?

Answer 40

The best available position to cover the assigned sector of fire, assigned to individuals, fire teams, squads, and crew-served weapons.

Question 41

What characterizes an alternate fighting position?

Answer 41

Used mainly by crew-served weapons to continue their mission if the primary position becomes untenable, not typically assigned to individuals or units within the platoon.

Question 42

What defines a supplementary fighting position?

Answer 42

A secondary position prepared to guard against attacks from directions other than the main expected attack, providing security and not covering the same sector as the primary position.

Question 43

What should be avoided when clearing fields of fire to maintain concealment?

Answer 43

Excessive or careless clearing that discloses the squad’s fighting position.

Question 44

How should clearing fields of fire begin and progress?

Answer 44

Start near the fighting position and work forward to the limits of effective small arms fire.

Question 45

What natural cover should be preserved when clearing fields of fire?

Answer 45

A thin natural screen of foliage to hide fighting positions.

Question 46

How should large trees be handled in sparsely wooded areas when clearing fields of fire?

Answer 46

Remove lower branches and possibly entire trees that could serve as enemy reference points.

Question 47

What is the approach to clearing fields of fire in heavy woods?

Answer 47

Thin undergrowth and remove lower branches of large trees, clearing narrow lanes for automatic weapons, as complete clearing is neither possible nor desirable.

Question 48

What structures should be demolished when clearing fields of fire, if practical?

Answer 48

Buildings and walls that obstruct fields of fire or provide enemy cover and concealment.

Question 49

Where should cut brush be moved during field of fire clearing?

Answer 49

To locations where it won’t provide enemy concealment or disclose the squad’s position.

Question 50

Why must fire team leaders take care when clearing fields of fire related to M203 projectiles?

Answer 50

To ensure obstructions don’t cause premature detonation.

Question 51

What does FPF stand for in the context of a rifle squad?

Answer 51

Final Protective Fires, the final attempt to stop an enemy attack before reaching the platoon’s battle position with all squad members firing in assigned sectors.

Question 52

What are the five types of patrols used by a Marine Corps rifle squad?

Answer 52

Raid, Contact, Economy of Force, Ambush, and Security patrols.

Question 53

What is the purpose of raid patrols?

Answer 53

Destroy or capture enemy personnel or equipment, destroy installations, or free captured friendly personnel.

Question 54

What do contact patrols aim to achieve?

Answer 54

Establish and/or maintain contact with friendly or enemy forces.

Question 55

What is the objective of economy of force patrols?

Answer 55

Perform limited objective missions like seizing and holding key terrain to allow maximum forces elsewhere.

Question 56

What do ambush patrols target?

Answer 56

Enemy patrols, carrying parties, foot columns, and convoys for ambushes.

Question 57

What is the role of security patrols?

Answer 57

Detect infiltration, kill or capture infiltrators, and protect against surprise or ambush.

Question 58

What is a checkpoint in the context of a patrol?

Answer 58

A predetermined point on the ground used to control movement, selected and numbered by the patrol leader and coordinated with the parent unit.

Question 59

What defines a rally point for a patrol?

Answer 59

An easily identifiable, defensible point with cover and concealment where the patrol can reassemble if dispersed, designated by the patrol leader.

Question 60

What is an initial rally point?

Answer 60

A point within the friendly area for reassembly if dispersed before departing or reaching the first en route rally point, coordinated with the area commander.

Question 61

What are en route rally points?

Answer 61

Points selected along the patrol’s route to and from the objective for reassembly as needed.

Question 62

What is the objective rally point?

Answer 62

The rally point nearest the objective for reassembly after the mission, possibly used as the final preparation point.

Question 63

How does a patrol react to a near ambush (within 50 meters)?

Answer 63

Men in the killing zone assault the enemy position immediately with maximum fire, grenades, and yelling, while others maneuver against the ambush force, continuing the assault or breaking contact based on enemy response.

Question 64

What actions are taken in a far ambush (beyond 50 meters)?

Answer 64

Men in the killing zone return fire and seek cover, while others maneuver as directed, either firing and maneuvering against the ambush force or breaking contact based on the patrol leader’s assessment.

Question 65

What determines the success of counter-ambush drills?

Answer 65

Well-trained Marines recognizing the ambush type, rehearsed in proper actions, and confident in their abilities and those of their team, acting without hesitation even if leaders become casualties.