MARINE CORPS REGIMENTAL STRUCTURE
and
ORGANIZATION

 

 

REGIMENTAL LANDING TEAM
Regimental Landing Teams consisted of three Battalion Landing Teams with attached Combat Support elements.

RLT's were numbered by their Regimental designation, as RLT-7, which consisted of the 7th Marine Regiment including all supporting elements.

 

 

REGIMENT

Consisted of Three Battalions and One Headquarters Battalion

 

BATTALION LANDING TEAM

BLT's were numbered, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. They also included their Regimental designation as BLT 1-7 or 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.

Consisted of a Headquarters and Service Company, and four Rifle [lettered] Companies including supporting elements. An attached artillery battery [105mm Howitzers), a Tank Platoon [M48A1), an Amtrac Platoon [Amphibious Tractor or Track Vehicle LVPT-5, capable of mounting a Rifle Company], an Anti-Armour Platoon [*ONTOS these saw limited action in Viet Nam].

 

 

BATTALION

Consisted of four Rifle Companies [lettered Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta in the 1st Battalion. Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, and Hotel in the 2nd Battalion, and India, Kilo, Lima, and Mike in the 3rd Battalion.] Each Battalion also had a Headquarters and Service Company, which included a Communications Platoon, a M29 81mm Mortar Platoon, a 106mm Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Flame Thrower Section, Scout Section, Medical Section, Motor Transport Section, Supply and Support Personnel [Operations, Intelligence, Civil Affairs etc.].

 

COMPOSITION OF COMPANY

One Company HQ

Three Rifle Platoons [each with one Platoon HQ, and three Rifle Squads]

Weapons Platton

 

COMPANY COMMAND STRUCTURE

Company HQ

  • Company Commander
  • Executive Officer
  • First Sergeant
  • Gunnery Sergeant
  • Chief Clerk
  • Supply Sergeant
  • Administrative Personnel
  • Messenger
  • Two Radiomen [one for the Artillery FO]
  • Two Riflemen [Runners]
 
  •  

Rifle Platoon HQ

  • Platoon Commander
  • Platoon Sergeant
  • Platoon Guide
  • One Radioman

 

Rifle Squad

  •  
  • One Sergeant [Squad Leader]
  • Three Corporals [Fire team Leaders]
  • Three Riflemen/Grenadier [Armed with M-16 and a 40mm M203 Grenade Launcher Attached]
  • Three Automatic Riflemen

 

Weapons Platoon HQ

  • Weapons Platoon Commander
  • Weapons Platoon Sergeant
  • Weapons Platoon Messenger
  • Two Radiomen [one for the Mortar FO]
  • One Mortar FO

Weapons Section Mortars

  • One Sergeant
  • Three Corporals
  • Nine Riflemen
  • Three Mortar Squads One 60mm Mortars

Weapons Section Anti-Tank

  • One Sergeant
  • Three Corporals
  • Eighteen Riflemen
  • Six 3.5 M-20 Rocket Launcher [Replaced by the LAW]

Weapons Section Machine Gun

  • One Sergeant
  • Three Corporals
  • Eighteen Riflemen
  • Six 7.62mm M-60 Machine Guns

 

 

NOTES:

Unit strength in personnel outlined above existed "on paper" only, in fact it is safe to say that Marine Units that participated in the Vietnam War never were at full strength but never-the-less performed at their optimum. It was common practice to attach the Machine Gun and Antitank elements of the Weapons Platoon amongst the Rifle Platoons within the Company so that each Platoon would have the firepower of two M-60 Machine guns and two Rocket Launchers which were often deployed against fortifications.

The Rifle Squad
The Rifle Squad consist of Three (3) Rifleman/Grenadiers armed
with a M16 Rifle with a 40mm M203 Grenade Launcher attached.

Weapons Platoon
All troops were armed with the standard M-14 later replaced by the M-16.

M-60 Machine Gun Section
Machinegun Section  3 Machinegun Squads of two teams each.

Anti-Tank Section
Commanded by a Sergeant, and at times referred to as the Assault Section consisted of three squads. Each had two weapons teams armed with an M-20 3.5 Rocket Launcher commanded by a Corporal, and a Gunner, Loader and Ammo Carrier.

By 1969 most M-20's had been replaced by the lighter M-72 LAW.

 

Mortar Section
3 Mortar Squads of one 60mm mortar each

 

ATTACHED UNITS
At the Platoon level there could be from two to five M-48A1 Tanks, two to four Amtrac's [LVPT-5's]), a 81mm FO from the Battalion 81mm Mortar Platoon and/or Artillery Forward Observer from the supporting Artillery Battery.

At Company level frequently a 81mm Section was [permanently] attached as well as a Tank Platoon, an Amtrak Section of 10 Tracks, an ONTOS section [2 vehicles armed with six 103mm Recoilless Rifles], Engineers and Forward Air Controllers.

 

 

Information From Magnificent 7 Site

With updated information from Sergeant Major Larry E. Gugle USMC Retired