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Lt on Point

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davidsin

Registered User
Okay one more post and I'll zip it for a while.

I know this is a ground related topic, but since all Marine officers are platoon leaders just as all enlisted Marines are riflemen, this question is still valid here.

I wondered after reading about Lt platoon leaders in the Korean war and Vietnam:

I know I am not in the position to question Corps procedures, but this is a nagging one that maybe others have as well.

Why does Lt platoon leaders have to stick out like a soar thumb (on humps)? If the Corps valued the Lts wouldn't it be reasonable to not announce to snipers who the Lt is...at least positionally in the two collumns. As long as the enlisted men know who the Lt is...aren't the Lts still perfectly able to lead the men?(speaking of humps out in the bush)

It just doesn't register to think that the likelyhood of Lts getting killed in combat as opposed to enlisted men is staggering because they're always convieniently found in the front of the line. Afterall, extra brownie points to those who pick off an officer in combat...that's the rule I think. This fact has been proven in combat. It almost comes to show that Lts are expendable...even disposable in a real combat situation, which I feel is not quite right. The men need leadership to survive...without it they'll be just a bunch of disoriented individuals, which will increase the likelyhood of casualties--a double negative.

I know very little about military procedures...but just questioning some things now while I'm still a civilian living in a democratic nation where we still have a right to disagree. I know once I'm in it'll be much harder to raise such questions. Afterall, the Corps isn't a democracy the way I see it.

Please...to put this to rest, I wish to hear the opinions of some officers.

Semper Fi
 
splendid_splinter

splendid_splinter

HMLA flyer
i don't know what you read, but platoon ldrs do not walk in the front. and i don't know about korea or vietnam, but we rarely walk in columns of two's.
 
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Banjo33

AV-8 Type
pilot
Marine Lt's are taught to "Lead from the front." We instill that "fighting spirit" and encourage our subordinates by leading the "charge," so to speak. Lt's aren't always out front on patrols. In fact, they shouldn't be. They should be where ever they can best control their unit. I'm not sure if things were taught that way in Vietnam or Korea. But, today, that is how we are taught. You're right, if they were conveniently found at the front of the column, then yes, they would be a sniper's "wet dream." No, we aren't expendable, no more so than any enlisted man we have in our ranks. But, when it comes time to "make it happen," advance on the objective, or whatever, the Lt. is expected to lead his men into battle. Where ever he may be in that assault, it should be the best position to control his men.

PS. Not only are "all enlisted men riflemen," all MARINES are potential riflemen.
 
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Banjo33

AV-8 Type
pilot
One other thing, the Marine Corps thrives on "Small Unit Leadership." If the Lt. becomes a casualty, at that point a VERY competent senior NCO (Platoon Sergeant)will step up and lead those Marines. If he goes down, the next NCO in the chain of command will step up, so on so forth. Every Marine within the unit should be given the "Commander's Intent (what the mission expectations are)" prior to crossing the Line of Departure. That way, no matter who goes down, the mission can still be accomplished, no matter who is leading.
 
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Hudson

Registered User
The coolest thing about the marines is the amount of responsability that they give to their lower enlisted. Lance Cpl. are given fire teams to lead into battle. Pretty Cool for a kid just out of High School maybe one or two years.
 
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davidsin

Registered User
Hmm...that's brilliant. So it's like a rhyzome structure of comandability--no wonder Marines always get the job done. The job will get done as long as theres one standing.

The more I learn about the Marines--the more I can't wait to go become one!!

Semper Fi
 
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Rainman

*********
pilot
And as splinter said, the platoon commander isn't in front. Yes, in admin and conditioning hikes, he's in front; leading from the front. If you'll look in the Marine Rifle Company SOP/or whatever, he is with the HQ unit behind first squad (recon element). . Boomer, if you wouldn't have "sat out" the war you would know that our platoon (my sqd) was recon element every frickin time! but then again we were the only ones that could LNWG (land nav with gear). I think the biggest problem the plt/co cmdrs had in Korea and Vietnam is that he was also with his radioman whether in the HQ section or running across the battlefied--made for an easy target
icon_smile_sad.gif
 
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Banjo33

AV-8 Type
pilot
Hey, I sat out the war in the CP tent ensuring you guys had chow and water (I didn't say anything about timeliness!), got a vehicle to take you from Point A to Point B, hobbling back and forth from the CP to the radio relay station (in the dark, through the woods, on crutches, with a two day old broken leg (couldn't tell you how many times I had to spin around and kick my leg into the air as I tripped over a briar, stick, or comm wire and fell)) because comm kept going down, and was a key factor on getting YOU guys out of the field on Thursday night instead of Friday night! But, I understand, no one needs to thank me, I'm just a humble servant. Just because I wasn't breaking brush with you guys, doesn't mean I didn't have my own little "war" going on in that cold a** CP tent! You're a hard-charger Josh, I'm sure being the Recon element wasn't that bad!
 
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Rainman

*********
pilot
You enjoyed playing "hide the pilot" with those female LDs as well. .. Alright. ..although I don't remember ever getting any chow I didn't hump. too busy getting shot by friendly fire. (or searching for a damn 240G gas collar). Boom, when you gonna do that whole flight school thing? all healed up yet?
 
splendid_splinter

splendid_splinter

HMLA flyer
nobody got the shaft like ole platoon number four in that pre-planned, staged, humpfest... tell me again why the pilots parachute wasn't deployed.. i still haven't heard the explanation i need..

any of you get sim-killed in the greatest night ambush in the history of tbs..?
 
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Banjo33

AV-8 Type
pilot
Yeah, I'm starting on Nov. 1st. I got cleared by NOMI last Wednesday.

Hmm, the notorious "missing gas collar." haha More of that TBS hazing ritual!

I had nothing to do with putting that dummy in the woods. I might've been able to make it out there under my own power, but they would have had to carry me out!
You would have to talk to a certain bleached, "fuzzy" haired female about that parachute. While you're at it, ask her why it was "conveniently" placed behind a log too! We spent hours vectoring you guys into that dummy! Just to get it over with and get the fight on! Then, when it was found, we spent what seemed like forever trying to ram all the hostiles into the team that had the dummy! But, for some reason, the only thing that could get some hustle out of you all was "get on the trucks, we're going home!"
 
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davidsin

Registered User
Does it make you vomit and spew your guts out or something??

Semper Fi Do or Die GuNg Ho GunG Ho ooH-RaaahHH!!
 
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