Ground combat element

In the United States Marine Corps, the Ground combat element (GCE) is the land force of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). It provides power projection and force for the MAGTF.

Role within the MAGTF

The Ground Combat Element (GCE), comprised primarily of infantry units (infantry battalions organized into battalion landing teams, regimental combat teams, and Marine divisions). These organizations contain a headquarters unit that provides command and control (management and planning for manpower, intelligence, operations and training, and logistics functions) as well as scout/sniper, aviation liaison/forward air controller, NBC defense, communications, service (supply, motor transport, weapons maintenance, and dining facility), and Navy combat medical and chaplain's corps personnel. The GCE also contains combat support units, including artillery, armor (tank, assault amphibian, and light armored reconnaissance), combat engineer (including EOD), and reconnaissance units. At the division level, the GCE also contains limited organic combat service support, including a truck company, a military police/law enforcement company, and the division band.

Organization

The size of the GCE varies in proportion to the size of the MAGTF. A Marine Expeditionary Force has a division (MARDIV). A Marine Expeditionary Brigade holds an infantry Regiment, often reinforced with equipment and personnel from units (such as armor and artillery). The various Marine Expeditionary Units command a reinforced infantry battalion. Generally, MEF postings are permanent, while MEBs and MEUs rotate their GCE, ACE, and LCE twice annually.

Hierarchy of Marine ground units

1st Marine Division

GCE of I Marine Expeditionary Force
Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
Headquarters Battalion 1st Marine Division
Standard Bearers

1st Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 1st Marines
First of the First
2nd Battalion 1st Marines
The Professionals
3rd Battalion 1st Marines
Thundering Third
1st Battalion 4th Marines
The China Marines

5th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 5th Marines
Geronimo
2nd Battalion 5th Marines
Raiders
3rd Battalion 5th Marines
Darkhorse
2nd Battalion 4th Marines
The Magnificent Bastards

7th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 7th Marines
First Team
2nd Battalion 7th Marines
War Dogs
3rd Battalion 7th Marines
The Cutting Edge
3rd Battalion 4th Marines
Darkside

11th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 11th Marines
2nd Battalion 11th Marines
3rd Battalion 11th Marines
5th Battalion 11th Marines

Other 1st Marine Division battalions

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Tank Battalion
1st Tanks
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Highlander
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Wolfpack
1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Combat Engineer Battalion
The Super Breed
3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion
3rd Tracks

2nd Marine Division

GCE of II Marine Expeditionary Force
Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
Headquarters Battalion 2nd Marine Division

2nd Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 2nd Marines
Timberwolf
2nd Battalion 2nd Marines
Warlords
3rd Battalion 2nd Marines
Betio Bastards
3rd Battalion 9th Marines
Shadow Warriors

6th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 6th Marines
'1/6 HARD'
2nd Battalion 6th Marines
The Ready Battalion
3rd Battalion 6th Marines

Teufelhunden
2nd Battalion 9th Marines
Hell in a Helmet

8th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 8th Marines
The Beirut Battalion
2nd Battalion 8th Marines
America's Battalion
3rd Battalion 8th Marines
1st Battalion 9th Marines
The Walking Dead

10th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 10th Marines
Nightmare
2nd Battalion 10th Marines
Pathfinder Battalion
3rd Battalion 10th Marines
Seven For One
5th Battalion 10th Marines
The Five and Dime

Other 2nd Marine Division battalions

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
2nd Tank Battalion
Iron Horse
2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Destroyers
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion
2nd Combat Engineer Battalion
2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion
2nd Tracks

3rd Marine Division

GCE of III Marine Expeditionary Force
Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
Headquarters Battalion 3rd Marine Division

3rd Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 3rd Marines
Lava Dogs
2nd Battalion 3rd Marines
Nightfighters
3rd Battalion 3rd Marines
America's Battalion
1st Battalion 12th Marines
Note: also administratively part of 12th Marine Regiment

4th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 4th Marines
The China Marines
Note: part of 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
2nd Battalion 4th Marines
The Magnificent Bastards
Note: part of 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
3rd Battalion 4th Marines
Third Herd
Note: part of 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division

12th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 12th Marines
Note: also administratively part of 3rd Marine Regiment
3rd Battalion 12th Marines
Warrior of the Pacific

Other 3rd Marine Division battalions

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
3rd Reconnaissance Battalion
The Forward Shadow
Combat Assault Battalion
The Iron Fist

4th Marine Division

GCE of Marine Forces Reserve
Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
Headquarters Battalion 4th Marine Division

14th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 14th Marines
At The Ready
2nd Battalion 14th Marines
3rd Battalion 14th Marines
4th Battalion 14th Marines
5th Battalion 14th Marines

23rd Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 23rd Marines
Fighting Texans
2nd Battalion 23rd Marines
3rd Battalion 23rd Marines

24th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 24th Marines
The Terror from the North
2nd Battalion 24th Marines
The Mad Ghosts
3rd Battalion 24th Marines

25th Marine Regiment

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
1st Battalion 25th Marines
New England's Own
2nd Battalion 25th Marines
3rd Battalion 25th Marines
Cold Steel Warriors

Other 4th Marine Division battalions

Battalion Name Insignia Nickname
4th Tank Battalion
Anti-Terrorism Battalion
4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Iron Horse Marines
4th Reconnaissance Battalion
4th Combat Engineer Battalion
4th Assault Amphibian Battalion

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, November 30, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.