119  GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT (GCE) INFANTRY FUNDAMENTALS

 

119.1  Discuss the mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad.

           The mission of the rifle squad is to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by

           Fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy’s assault by fire and close combat.

 

      .2  Identify the five types of patrols used by the Marine Corps rifle squad.

           1.  Raid Patrols:  Raid patrols destroy or capture enemy personnel or equipment,

                destroy installations, or free friendly personnel who have been captured by the

                enemy.

           2.  Contact Patrols:  Contact patrols establish and/ or maintain contact with

                friendly or enemy forces.

           3.  Economy of Force Patrols:  Economy of force patrols perform limited objective

                missions such as seizing and holding key terrain to allow maximum forces to

                be used elsewhere.

           4.  Ambush Patrols:  Ambush patrols conduct ambushes of enemy patrols, carrying

                parties, foot columns, and convoys.

           5.  Security Patrols:  Security patrols detect infiltration by the enemy, kill or

                capture infiltrators, and protest against surprise or ambush.

 

      .3  State the three fighting positions.

           1.  Primary Fighting Position:  The primary position is the best available position

                from which the assigned sector of fire can be covered.  Individuals, fire teams,

                squads, and crew served weapons are assigned primary positions.

            2.  Alternate Fighting Position:  Alternate positions are not normally assigned to

                 individuals or units within the platoon.  They are used primarily by crew

                 served weapons.  An alternate position is located so that a crew served weapon

                 can continue to accomplish its original mission when the primary position

                 becomes untenable or unsuited for carrying out that mission.

            3.  Supplementary Fighting Position:  One of the greatest threats to either the

                 attacker or the defender lies in being surprised.  The attacker seeks to surprise

                 the defender by concealing his movements until the moment of the assault.

                 The defender seeks to surprise the attacker by concealing the exact location

                 and extent of his dispositions, thus leading his opponent into a false estimate

                 of the situation and consequently, a faulty decision.  Supplementary positions

                 are prepared to guard against attack from directions other than those from

                 which the main attack is expected.  A supplementary position is a secondary

                 position and does not cover the same sector of fire as the primary position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

119  GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT (GCE) INFANTRY FUNDAMENTALS

 

      .4  Define the acronym FPF.

           1.  Final Protective Fires:  If the enemy’s attack is not broken and he begins his

                assault, final protective fires are called.  Final protective fires are the final

                attempt to stop the enemy attack before he reaches the platoon’s battle

                position.  When final protective fires are called for all squad members fire in

                their assigned sectors (normally the fire team’s sector of fire).  Rifles and M-

                203’s continue to fire at the average rate; the automatic riflemen will increase

                their volume of fire to the rapid rate, if they have not yet reached this rate prior

                to the calling for final protective fires.  Riflemen engage enemy personnel

                within the fire team sector, fire team leaders fire the M-203 at the largest con-

                centrations will be along the PDF’s of the automatic rifles if the PDF’s were

                properly positioned.

 

      .5  State the four primary objectives of clearing the fields of fire.

           a.  In clearing fields of fire forward of each fighting position, the following

                guidelines should be observed:

·        Do not disclose the squads fighting position by excessive or careless clearing.

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

·        In all cases, leave a thin natural screen of foliage to hide fighting positions.

·        In sparsely wooded areas, remove the lower branches of scattered large trees.  It may be desirable to remove entire trees which might be used as reference points for enemy fire.

·        In heavy woods, complete clearing of the field of fire is neither possible or desirable.  Restrict work to thinning undergrowth and removing lower branches of large trees.  In addition, clear narrow lanes of fire for automatic weapons.

·        In practical, demolish buildings and walls forward of the fighting position which may obstruct fields of fire or provide cover and concealment to the enemy or disclose the squads fighting position.

·        Extreme care must be taken by the fire team leader to ensure that fields of fire are cleared of obstructions which might cause premature detonation of the M203 projectile.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

119  GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT (GCE) INFANTRY FUNDAMENTALS

 

      .6  Define the term rally point.

           A rally point is an easily identifiable point on the ground, designated by the patrol

           leader, where the patrol can reassemble/ reorganize if it becomes dispersed.  It

           should provide cover and concealment and be defensible for a short time.  All rally

           points are considered tentative until they are reached, found to be suitable, and

           designated by the patrol leader.  He ensures that all patrol members are notified

           when a rally point is so designated, either by arm and hand signal or by passing the

           word orally.  He also points out identifying features which mark the limits of the

           rally point.

 

      .7  Define the terms check point and end rally point.

           1.  Checkpoints:  A checkpoint is a predetermined point on the ground used as a

                means of controlling movement.  During his map study or physical recon-

                aissance, the patrol leader decides the number and locations of checkpoints

                to be plotted along the patrol route.  These are coordinated with his parent unit

                before the patrol leaves.  Checkpoints are assigned numbers, not in sequential

                order.  Normally, the patrol leader will call in upon reaching checkpoints so

                that the parent unit will be able to follow the progress of the patrol toward its

                objective and on its return to friendly lines/area.

           2.  Final Preparation Position:  The final preparation position is that location in the

                vicinity of the objective where the patrol makes the final preparations prior to

                approaching the objective.  This position must provide the patrol concealment

                from enemy observation and, if possible, cover from enemy fires.  It is this

                position from which the patrol leader’s reconnaissance is made; it serves as the

                release point from which units and teams move into position to accomplish the

                mission at the objective.  If the situation permits, the final preparation point

                can also be used as the objective rally point.  Using the final preparation

                position as the objective rally point provides the patrol with the advantage of

                leaving behind clothing and equipment not required at the objective.

          3.  En Route Rally Point:  These are points selected along the patrol’s route to the

               objective and from the objective back to friendly lines/area.  The patrol leader

               selects them as the patrol passes through likely areas for which rally points are

               needed.

 

      .8  Define the term objective rally point.

           1.  Objective Rally point:  This is the rally point nearest the objective at which the

                patrol reassembles after the mission is accomplished.  It may be located short

                of, to a flank, or beyond the objective.  This may also be used as the final pre-

                paration point.

 

 

 

 

 

119  GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT (GCE) INFANTRY FUNDAMENTALS

 

      .9  Discuss and explain the tactics used to react to an ambush.

           1.  Hasty Ambush:  This immediate assault drill is both a defensive measure to

                avoid contact and an offensive one to make contact.  It may often be a sub-

                sequent action after the command to freeze has been given.  When the signal

                HASTY AMBUSH is given, the entire patrol moves quickly to the right or left

                of line of movement, as indicated by the signal, and takes up the best available

                concealed firing positions.  The patrol leader initiates the ambush by opening

                fire and shouting, FIRE; thus ensuring the ambush is initiated even if his

                weapon misfires.  If the patrol is detected before this, the first man aware of the

                detection initiates the ambush by firing and shouting.

            2.  Immediate Assault:  This IA drill is used, defensively, to make and quickly

                 break undesired but unavoidable contact (including ambush); and, offensively,

                 to decisively engage the enemy (including ambush).  When used in a meeting

                 engagement, men nearest the enemy open fire and shout, “Contact, front(rear,

                 left, right)”.  The patrol moves swiftly into line formation and assaults.

 

    .10  Explain the format to call in a landing zone brief.

          

TRANSMISSION ITEM

YOU SAY

1.  Mission Number

(Provided by higher authority)

2.  Location: Coor/Rad/DME

Grid 456129

3.  Unit Call Sign

A4F

4.  Frequency

Primary FM 30.50,

Secondary FM 45.10

*5.  Landing Zone Marking 

Signal Mirror, Air Panels

**6.  Wind Direction/Velocity

Wind from East at 15 knots

7.  Elevation/Size

Elevation 2,500 feet

Size 180 feet in Diameter

8.  Obstacles

40 foot tree 90 meters south of landing Zone

9.  Friendly positions: Direction/ Distance

Friendlies Southeast 100 meters

10.  Enemy positions: Direction/ Distance

Enemy Southeast 500 meters

11.  Last Fire Received

1800, Small Arms

12.  Direction of Fire/ Distance

Enemy Fire From Southeast 500 meters

13.  Clearance to Fire;

Direction/Distance

South and Southeast 150 meters From Landing Zone

14.  Approach/Retirement (Recommended)

Approach Heading 90 degrees

15.  Personnel/ Equipment

Six Personnel with Alice Packs and Rifles

16.  Other

5 degree Slope

 

 

 

 

 

119  GROUND COMBAT ELEMENT (GCE) INFANTRY FUNDAMENTALS

 

*Caution:  As a security caution, if you use smoke to mark landing zone, Do Not tell               pilot what color smoke will be.  Ask pilot to acknowledge color after grenade is set off

**  Determine and report wind condition and direction:

      For angle of smoke method, observe smoke blowing if the wind is blowing.

SMOKE STRAIGHT UP              NO WIND

SMOKE 30 DEGREES                 WIND AT 3-5 KNOTS

SMOKE 60 DEGREES               WIND AT 5-7 KNOTS

SMOKE ALONG GROUND       WIND IN EXCESS OF 8 KNOTS

 

     .11  State the mission of a Force Reconnaissance Company.

            Mission:  The mission of the force reconnaissance company is to conduct

                            Amphibious reconnaissance, surveillance, and limited scale raids

                            In support of the MEF, other MAGTFs, or JTFs as directed.           

 

     .12  State at least two tasks of a Reconnaissance Company.

            1.  TASKS

-         Conduct amphibious reconnaissance and deep ground reconnaissance and surveillance to observe, identify, and report enemy activity and collect and report other information of military significance.

-         Conduct specialized terrain reconnaissance, including reconnaissance of hydrography, beaches, roads, bridges, routes, urban areas, helicopter landing zones, airborne drop zones, landing craft air cushion (LCAC) landing zones, and aircraft forward operating sites.

-         When properly organized with other forces, equipment, or personnel, conduct engineer, NBC, mobile, and other unique reconnaissance missions.

-         Implant and/ or recover sensors and beacons.

-         Conduct initial terminal guidance (ITG) for helicopters, landing craft, and parachutists.

-         Engage selected targets with supporting arms or organic weapons, as directed, including terminal guidance or precision guided munitions.

-         Conduct post strike reconnaissance to determine and report battle damage to a specific target or area.

-         Conduct limited scale raids.  These operations include, but are not limited to, seizing, damaging, or destroying critical enemy targets; performing static maritime platform and maritime interdiction operations; capturing selected enemy personnel; and recovering sensitive items or personnel.