The Infantry in the 11th is the primary combat action element that fights to seize and occupy terrain. Infantry exist to win battles on the ground by asserting combat power and dominance on the battlefield. These Marines excel at conducting land-based and amphibious operations of an offensive, defensive, humanitarian, reconnaissance or security nature. Trained in the art of land warfare, these Marines will often be the first on the scene to confront threats around the world.
Infantry Marines are among the most highly trained and deadliest fighting force in the world. The 11th Marine Division is best known for its infantry as they are the heart and soul of the ground combat element. The mission of locating, closing with, and destroying the enemy with fire and maneuver and repelling the enemy's assault with fire and close combat lies with regular grunts and elite infantry.
Those who serve in the 11th Marines all come from an infantry background. They make up the bulk of the 11th's fighting force. They are all certified riflemen, machinegunners, breachers, and demolitions. Some can choose to participate in sniper school and become a part of "STA" units, STA (pronounced "stay") meaning Surveillance & Target Acquisition, which are intelligence & sniper teams. The infantry is the most crucial role to any military force, especially to the United Stated Marine Corps. They are the ones taking cities, securing buildings, bleeding and sweating for the inches and miles of ground they fight for. |
"Every Marine a Rifleman"... is a part of what makes the Marine Corps so deadly. The term "Infantry Marine" is a universal term concerning a multitude of fields in the structure of the United States Marine Corps. The term "infantry" means foot-mobile in nature. Infantry is the general branch that engages in military combat on foot. In the 11th Marines, the Infantry units consists of three battalions formed into one regiment. Infantry is what we're all used to, men who fight on the ground, bleed on the ground, and die on the ground, basically, the "Ground Pounders".
Infantry Marines can enter and maneuver in terrain that is inaccessible to military vehicles and employ crew-served infantry weapons that provide greater and more sustained firepower. The transport and delivery techniques of Infantry Marines to engage in battle include marching, mechanized transport, or by air assault from helicopter and amphibious landing from the sea. |
Roles Within 1st Infantry include:
• Fireteam / Squad Leader • Rifleman • Designated Automatic Rifleman / Machine Gunner • Demolitions / Specialist • Breacher / Pointman • Anti-Tank / Anti-Air • Designated Marksman • Scout • Assaultman • Grenadier • Mortarman • Radioman • Combat Lifesaver • Assistant Auto-Rifleman / Machinegunner / Ammo Bearer • Assistant Anti-Tank / Anti-Air |
FIrst Infantry BattalionThe 1st (First) Infantry Battalion is the standard infantry force in the 11th Marine Division's arsenal. They make up about 25-30% of the total enlisted in the 11th. They take on a plethora of standard and elite missions, ranging from standard patrols, to special missions. They work in conjunction with the two other infantry battalions, and anyone in the First can re-enlist into another role if they requisition it. The First Infantry Battalion bears the brunt of missions and exercises, but that is only dependent on the men who make up the ranks of the First. Their drive for success. Their willingness to achieve the goal no matter how far it seems. They may be the most simple unit, but they are easily the toughest bastards in the entirety of the 11th.
|
Sixth reconnaissance battalionThe 6th (Sixth) Reconnaissance Battalion or known by their colloquial name "Recon Marines" or "Reapers", are the light infantry special operations capable fighting force within the 11th. This Battalion is tasked with the most sensitive or the most complicated of infantry tasks. With most missions consisting of direct action, combat raids, or incursions behind enemy lines, they are also an intelligence-gathering light infantry force. Their main objective is reconnaissance. Gathering intelligence, plotting and mapping terrain, and reporting enemy strength and activity. They basically lay the road for other units such as 1st Infantry Battalion or the 7th Armored Regiment to come in and lay down the hate. But don't be fooled, just because they're Recon Marines don't make 'em any less vicious. They're still Marines, and Marines never put down an enemy softly.
|
Roles Within 6th Recon include:
• Scout Sniper • Spotter • Intelligence Specialist • Fireteam / Squad Leader • Weapons Specialist • JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) • Lifesaver Specialist • Demolitions Specialist • Breacher/Pointman • Operations Specialist • Communications Specialist • Engineer Specialist |
Roles Within the 15th Engineering include:
• Team Leader / Squad Leader • Technician • Explosive Ordnance Disposal • Specialist • Combat Engineer • Repairman • UAV Operator • Guidance Officer / Specialist • Heavy Anti-Tank/Anti-Air • Asst. AT/AA • Sapper |
15th COmbat engineer battalionAnd last, but absolutely not least is the 15th Combat Engineer Battalion. The "Devils" as they're known are the Engineering factor of the 11th Marine Division. The engineers are responsible for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), demining, and building or clearing obstructures. The Devils aren't afraid to work with their hands, building schools, dams, hydroelectric plants and powerplants for the needing people of warzones and developing nations. But don't get their humanitarian role twisted. These bastards come with a hell of a bite, and aren't afraid to lay down everything in their path to destroy the enemy. A multipurpose unit, they can fullfill the roles of the Armored and Flight crews if a drastic need arises.
|
Combat
|
Doctrine
|
As a branch of the Marine Corps, the role of the infantry in warfare is to engage, fight, and kill the enemy at close range—using either a firearm (rifle, pistol, machine gun), an edged-weapon (knife, bayonet), or bare hands (close quarters combat)—as required by the mission to hand; thus
The role of Infantry Marines is "to seek out and close with the enemy, to destroy or capture him, to seize and hold ground, to repel attack, by day or night, regardless of season, weather or terrain". |
Infantry doctrine is the concise expression of how Infantry Marines contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. It is a guide to action, not a set of hard and fast rules.
Doctrine provides a very common frame of reference, allowing the infantry to function cooperatively in what are now called combined arms operations. Doctrine helps standardize operations, facilitating readiness by establishing common ways of accomplishing infantry tasks. Doctrine links theory, history, experimentation, and practice. Its objective is to foster initiative and creative thinking in the infantry's tactical combat environment. Doctrine provides the Infantry Marines with an authoritative body of statements on how infantry forces conduct operations and provides a common lexicon for use by infantry planners and leaders. The infantry is also the only combat arm which can ultimately decide whether any given tactical position is occupied, and it is the presence of infantry that assures control of terrain. While the tactics of employment in battle have changed, the basic missions of the infantry have not. |
Attack Operations
Attack operations are the most basic role of the infantry, and along with defense, form the main stances of the infantry on the battlefield. The goal of an attack remains: to advance into an enemy-held objective, most frequently a hill, river crossing, city or other dominant terrain feature, and dislodge the enemy, thereby establishing control of the objective. With mechanized infantry, the armored personnel carrier (APC) is considered the assaulting position. These APCs can deliver infantrymen through the front lines to the battle and—in the case of infantry fighting vehicles—contribute supporting firepower to engage the enemy. Successful attacks rely on sufficient force, preparative reconnaissance and battlefield preparation with bomb assets. Retention of discipline and cohesion throughout the attack is paramount to success. A subcategory of attacks is the ambush, where infantrymen lie in wait for enemy forces before attacking at a vulnerable moment. This gives the ambushing infantrymen the combat advantage of surprise, concealment and superior firing positions, and causes confusion. The ambushed unit does not know what it is up against, or where they are attacking from. Construction/Engineering
This can be undertaken either in reserve or on the front, but consists of using infantry troops as labor for construction of field positions, roads, bridges, airfields, and all other manner of structures. The infantry is often given this assignment because of the physical quantity of strong men within the unit, although it can lessen a unit's morale and limit the unit's ability to maintain readiness and perform other missions. More often, such jobs are given to specialist engineering units. Pursuit Operations
Pursuit is a role that the infantry often assumes. The objective of pursuit operations is the destruction of withdrawing enemy forces which are not capable of effectively engaging friendly units, before they can build their strength to the point where they are effective. Infantry traditionally have been the main force to overrun these units in the past, and in modern combat are used to pursue enemy forces in constricted terrain (urban areas in particular), where faster forces, such as armoured vehicles are incapable of going or would be exposed to ambush. Base Defense
Infantry units are tasked to protect certain areas like command posts or airbases. Units assigned to this job usually have a large number of military police attached to them for control of checkpoints and prisons. Military Reserve Force
Some assignments for infantry units involve deployment behind the front, although patrol and security operations are usually maintained in case of enemy infiltration. This is usually the best time for infantry units to integrate replacements into units and to maintain equipment. Additionally, soldiers can be rested and general readiness should improve. However, the unit must be ready for deployment at any point. Raids/Hostage Rescue
Infantry Marines are trained to quickly mobilize, infiltrate, enter and neutralize threat forces when appropriate combat intelligence indicates to secure a location, rescue or capture high-profile targets. |
Escort Operations
Escorting consists of protecting support units from ambush, particularly from hostile infantry forces. Combat support units (a majority of the military) are not as well armed or trained as infantry units and have a different mission. Therefore, they need the protection of the infantry, particularly when on the move. This is one of the most important roles for the modern infantry, particularly when operating alongside armored vehicles. In this capacity, infantry essentially conducts patrol on the move, scouring terrain which may hide enemy infantry waiting to ambush friendly vehicles, and identifying enemy strong points for attack by the heavier units. Maneuvering Operations
Maneuvering consumes much of an infantry unit's time. Infantry, like all combat arms units, are often maneuvered to meet battlefield needs, and often must do so under enemy attack. The infantry must maintain their cohesion and readiness during the move to ensure their usefulness when they reach their objective. Traditionally, infantry have relied on their own legs for mobility, but mechanized or armored infantry often uses trucks and armored vehicles for transport. These units can quickly disembark and transition to light infantry, without vehicles, to access terrain which armoured vehicles can't effectively access. Urban Combat
Urban combat poses unique challenges to the combat forces. It is one of the most complicated type of operations an infantry unit will undertake. With many places for the enemy to hide and ambush from, infantry units must be trained in how to enter a city, and systematically clear the buildings, which most likely will be booby trapped, in order to kill or capture enemy personnel within the city. Care must be taken to differentiate innocent civilians who often hide and support the enemy from the non-uniformed armed enemy forces. Patrol Operations
Patrolling is the most common infantry mission. Full-scale attacks and defensive efforts are occasional, but patrols are constant. Patrols consist of small groups of infantry moving about in areas of possible enemy activity to locate the enemy and destroy them when found. Patrols are used not only on the front-lines, but in rear areas where enemy infiltration or insurgencies are possible. Defense Operations
Defense operations are the natural counter to attacks, in which the mission is to hold an objective and defeat enemy forces attempting to dislodge the defender. Defensive posture offers many advantages to the infantry, including the ability to use terrain and constructed fortifications to advantage; these reduce exposure to enemy fire compared with advancing forces. Effective defense relies on minimizing losses to enemy fire, breaking the enemy's cohesion before their advance is completed, and preventing enemy penetration of defensive positions. Reconnaissance/Intelligence Gathering
Surveillance operations are often carried out with the employment of small recon units or sniper teams which gather information about the enemy, reporting on characteristics such as size, activity, location, unit and equipment. These infantry units typically are known for their stealth and ability to operate for periods of time within close proximity of the enemy without being detected. They may engage high-profile targets, or be employed to hunt down terrorist cells and insurgents within a given area. These units may also entice the enemy to engage a located recon unit, thus disclosing their location to be destroyed by more powerful friendly forces. |