Marine Air-Ground Task Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are composed of task-organized units under a single commander capable of responding rapidly to a contingency anywhere in the world.
[edit] Composition
The four core elements the Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) are :
- The command element (CE), a headquarters unit that directs the other elements.
- The ground combat element (GCE), usually comprising infantry, supported by armor (tanks), and artillery, but may also include special units such as scouts or Force Reconnaissance, snipers, and forward air controllers.
- The aviation combat element (ACE), which contributes the air power to the MAGTF. The ACE includes all aircraft (both fixed wing and helicopters), their pilots and maintenance personnel, and those units necessary for aviation command and control.
- The logistics combat element (LCE), contains all of the support units for the MAGTF: communications, combat engineers, motor transport, medical, supply units, and certain specialized groups such as air delivery and landing support teams.
The four core elements describe types of forces needed and not actual military units or commands. The basic structure of the MAGTF never varies, though the number, size, and type of Marine Corps units comprising each of its four elements will always be mission dependent. The flexibility of the organizational structure allows for one or more subordinate MAGTFs to be assigned.
The smallest type of MAGTF is the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (Special Operations Capable) (SOC). The command element is the standing headquarters for the MEU, usually headed by a colonel. The ground combat element is a battalion landing team (BLT), which is composed of an infantry battalion reinforced with tanks, artillery, engineers, amphibious vehicles, light armored vehicles, and other ground combat assets. The air combat element is composed of a composite squadron of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and an Air Traffic Control (ATC) and command and control detachment. The combat service support element consists of a Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) which handles the logistics and administration needs of the MEU. The specific makeup of the MEU can be customized based upon the task at hand; additional artillery, armor, or air units can be attached, including squadrons of F/A-18 Hornet and Harrier jets.
There are usually three MEUs assigned to each of the U.S. Navy Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, with another MEU based on Okinawa. While one MEU is on deployment, one MEU is training to deploy and one is standing down, resting its Marines, and refitting. Each MEU is rated as capable of performing special operations.
A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) is larger than a MEU, and is based upon a Marine regiment, with larger air and support contingents.
A Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) is comprised of a MEF Headquarters Group, Marine Division, Marine Air Wing and Marine Logistics Group. For example, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is composed of a headquarters element, the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the 1st Marine Logistics Group, all based on the West Coast. Two notable deployments of an entire MEF were when I Marine Expeditionary Force deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I MEF ultimately consisted of the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions as well as considerable Marine air and support units. I MEF also deployed to Kuwait beginning in 2002 and took part in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
The three Marine Expeditionary Forces are:
- 1st Marine Expeditionary Force located at Camp Pendleton, California
- 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force located at Camp Lejuene, North Carolina
- 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force located at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan
[edit] References
- Prepared for the Larger Conflicts: Capable of specializing for the unique conflict. Other Marine Expeditionary Forces. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
