MCRP 3-11.2, Marine Rifle Squad (DRAFT)
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Chapter 6
Amphibious Operations
6001. Introduction
The purpose of an amphibious operation is to launch an attack from the sea on a hostile shore.
6002. Preembarkation
Preembarkation encompasses those functions that must be performed to prepare the squad for an
amphibious operation. The following guidelines are to be used by the squad leader in preparation
for embarking aboard ship:
· Supervise individual and unit training.
· Ensure fire team leaders are proficient in fire team and squad tactics.
· Conduct critiques of squad training and initiate corrective action.
· Conduct inspections of weapons, clothing, and equipment to ensure readiness for embarkation
and the operation.
· Supervise the marking/tagging of weapons, equipment, and baggage for embarkation
· Assemble squad in proper uniform with required equipment for mission accomplishment at
designated time for embarkation.
6003. Duties Aboard Ship
The squad leader performs the following duties while the ship is underway:
a. Assigns fire team berthing areas and supervises the stowage of gear.
b. Ensures squad attends all briefings, ship's drills, and periods of instruction.
c. Ensures squad area is in good state of police.
d. Enforces applicable ships' regulations.
e. Assists in conducting and supervising physical conditioning and military subjects' training.
f. Directs and supervises care and cleaning of weapons.
g. Supervises security of individual weapons.
h. Ensures correct conduct and appearance of squad.
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MCRP 3-11.2, Marine Rifle Squad (DRAFT)
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i. Conducts operational planning.
(1) Briefs squad on:
· Platoon mission.
· Scheduled rehearsals.
· Debarkation procedure.
· Ship-to-shore movement.
. Enemy situation.
(2) Makes a detailed study of:
· Maps.
· Aerial photographs.
· Mockups and sketches.
. Enemy dispositions if known.
(3) Makes a preliminary estimate of the situation.
(4) Formulates tentative plan of attack.
(5) Submits tentative plan of attack to platoon commander.
(6) Completes tentative plan.
j. Issues the order and ensures thorough understanding by all members of the squad.
k. Additional duties may be prescribed for the squad leader and members of his squad.
6004. Debarkation
Debarkation is characterized by rapid and effective unloading of men and material in the shortest
possible time.
a. Organization of a Boat Team. A boat team includes the personnel, equipment, and
supplies assigned to one landing craft or amphibious vehicle. They are normally
organized as follows:
(1) Landing Craft
· Boat team commander.
· Assistant boat team commander.
· Remaining troops and equipment.
(2) Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV)
· Boat team commander.
· Assistant boat team commander.
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· Remaining troops and equipment.
b. Duties of Boat Team Personnel
(1) Boat Team Commander. The senior commissioned or
noncommissioned troop officer of the boat team is designated the boat team
commander. He has the following responsibilities:
(a) Appointing the assistant boat team commander, loaders, net handlers,
and boat sign handler.
(b) Assigning personnel and equipment to positions in the landing craft
or AAV
(c) Reconnoitering routes from assigned troop assembly area to
debarkation station or assigned AAV.
(d) Mustering boat teams in assembly area at the required time.
(e) Inspecting each man for uniform, equipment, and adjustment of
equipment while in the assembly area.
(f) Ensuring that lashing lines are present for each piece of equipment
that is to be lashed.
(g) Forming his boat team at the debarkation station (not applicable to AAVs.
(h) Supervising the debarkation of personnel and the loading equipment
during debarkation (not applicable to AAVs).
(i) Maintaining boat team discipline during the ship-to-shore movement.
The boat team commander has no control over the coxswain or boat crew
during the ship-to-shore movement.
(j) Debarking boat team personnel and equipment from the landing craft
or AAV at the beach or objective area.
(2) Assistant Boat Team Commander. The second senior commissioned
or noncommissioned troop officer present normally is assigned duty as assistant
boat team commander. His duty is to assist the boat team commander in carrying
out duties outlined in paragraph (l), above.
c. Individual Equipment Preparations. Equipment, except for body armor,
is rigged so that it may be quickly dropped from the shoulders and discarded in
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the event that the individual falls into deep water while debarking from the ship.
Equipment is rigged on the individual in the boat team assembly area as follows:
(1) Protective mask is slung over the right shoulder (not around the neck),
riding on the right hip with the body strap unfastened and wrapped around the
cartridge belt.
(2) Canteen well back on the left hip. If two canteens are worn, one is
carried on each hip.
(3) This procedure can be performed at the debarkation station. The
shoulder weapon is slung on the right shoulder with the muzzle up, sling loosened
and to the front. The weapon is carried across the pack with the sling around the
pack, bringing the weapon to a vertical position behind the left shoulder. The sling
is secured in this position. The weapon should fit snugly. Men pair off to
adjust weapons; one man placing the weapon on the other's pack, the other
reaching down with his left hand grasping the butt of his weapon to test it for
snugness and to hold it in position in order that proper sling adjustment may be
made. The sling will be fastened after the weapon has been properly adjusted.
(4) The lanyard of the pistol is placed over the right shoulder (not
around the neck and fastened securely to the pistol.
(5) Suspender straps attached to flak jacket; cartridge or pistol
belt is left unfastened.
(6) Helmet chin strap is loose but fastened.
(7) Body armor is unfastened.
(8) Life jacket:
(a) Inherently Buoyant e.g. Kapok. This life jacket is put on
after all other individual equipment is adjusted. The jacket is placed around the
man's neck; crotch and waist straps are brought under the individual equipment,
over the body armor, care being taken not to entangle the straps with any other
equipment; crotch and waist straps are drawn tight; the tie tie straps are tied.
This type is not used in AAVs.
(b) Inflatable Type. This type of life jacket is put on over the body
armor before other individual equipment is put on. The back, body, and crotch
straps are fastened, leaving sufficient looseness to allow for inflation.
(9) All equipment, except for life jacket, is adjusted so that it can
be dropped quickly from the shoulders.
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(10) Gloves are removed.
d. Movement From Assembly Area to Debarkation Station. The boat team
commander leads his boat team in single file to its assigned debarkation station.
6005. Movement From Ship To Shore
a. Duties Aboard Landing Craft. When the landing craft departs the ship for designated
positions in the landing area, the boat team commander performs the following:
(1) Checks to see that men and equipment are in assigned boat spaces.
(3) Upon crossing the line of departure, ensures boat paddle is removed,
orders protective covers removed from weapons and equipment, unlashes
equipment, fastens all cartridge belts and chin straps, and locks and loads
weapons.
(4) Conducts a visual reconnaissance of the beach from the landing
craft, observing enemy installations, beach condition. and objective.
b. Duties Aboard AAVs. Duties aboard an AAV are the same as those listed in
paragraph 6005a.
c. Debarkation From Landing Craft. Personnel debark on order when the landing craft
beaches. Life jackets are removed when personnel reach a good covered position.
d. Debarkation From AAVs. Squads debark as a unit to maintain tactical unity. When
units reach a good covered position life preservers are removed.
e. Emergency Abandonment From Landing Craft and AAVs
(1) Landing Craft. If a landing craft is in danger of sinking, combat
equipment is discarded by the individual. Leaders must set the example and
maintain control of members of the boat team. When the landing craft has sunk
beneath the boat team, personnel stay together and swim toward the nearest
refuge. If the boat is a fire, members of the boat team, on order, debark over the
side quickly.
(2) AAV. The primary principle in escape operations from amphibious vehicles
is strict attention to the orders of the vehicle crew chief and maintenance
of discipline among the boat team.
(a) Debarkation From a Sinking AAV. On order of the vehicle crew
chief, the boat team will jettison equipment, move topside, inflate life jackets
and abandon the vehicle, usually from the front.
(b) Debarkation From a Sunken AAV. In the event of rapid sinking, it
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may not be possible to evacuate personnel before the vehicle slips under the
surface of the water. Some air will be trapped within the personnel and
cargo compartment of the sunken AAV, and will serve as a pocket of air when
the vehicle has settled. This pocket of air should be sought by all personnel
aboard until internal and external pressures have equalized, that is, when the
water level in the troop compartment has risen to a level equal to the top of the
rear personnel hatch. When equalization has taken place, the amphibious
vehicle crew members will open the personnel hatch or vehicle ramp. No
attempt should be made to release the hatch until they are totally submerged.
Boat team personnel are then led to the hatch by crew members. Life preservers
of the inflatable type will not be inflated until the hatch has been cleared.
6006. Amphibious Assault
a. Action Upon Landing. The first priority for the assault wave is the destruction of the
enemy on the beach. Each squad is assigned a specific objective. The squad seizes its
objective as rapidly and aggressively as possible, regardless of the progress of other
elements of the platoon. Whether attacking a beach objective or pressing inland, the
action of the squad must be rapid and decisive. Prompt follow up of the preliminary
bombardment will give the best results. Installations and terrain features may often be
seized quickly by immediate attack, whereas, a delay may require a later and more
difficult attack.
b. Support Units. Machine gun, SMAW, and mortar squads are normally boated with
the assault rifle squads to form the boat teams of the leading wave. These personnel are
assigned definite objectives against which they will deliver supporting fire. The squad
leader must know how to employ these weapons, and the entire squad must be
trained to operate with them.
c. Future Actions during OMFTS. The centerpiece of the preparations for the future of
expeditionary warfare is known as Operational Manuever From the Sea. The heart of
Operational Manuever from the Sea (OMFTS) is the manuever of amphibious forces at
the operational level where Marines have the ability to operate over-the-horizon,
aimed at objectives behind an enemy defense either on a shoreline or inland.
OMFTS will require rapid movement, not merely from ship to shore, but
from ship to objectives that may be miles away from blue waters and from
inland positions back to offshore vessels. This evolutionary development
in expeditionary operations comes from significant enhancements in
communications, mobility of the AAAV and MV-22 and the lethality of
conventional weapons. Technological developments will enable OMFTS to
become reality by 2015. What does this mean to the Marine rifle squad leader?
OMFTS means that small units will have unprecedented combat power and will require
our squads to be dispersed, aggressive and fast-moving. Small unit leaders must be
comfortable in uncertain situations and be able to make rapid decisions under stress. In
thefuture, amphibious operations may look different then those of our past
due technological innovations and changes in the way the Corps approaches
tactical situations. Leaders at all levels must be able to make informed judgments
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with little information, take decisive action and thus ensure that OMFTS can
be successfully executed.
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