{"id":12347,"date":"2018-05-21T21:40:36","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T21:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/21\/shrinking-the-infantry-squad-why-the-corps-wants-to-fight-with-fewer-marines\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:27:12","slug":"shrinking-the-infantry-squad-why-the-corps-wants-to-fight-with-fewer-marines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/05\/21\/shrinking-the-infantry-squad-why-the-corps-wants-to-fight-with-fewer-marines\/","title":{"rendered":"Shrinking the infantry squad: Why the Corps wants to fight with fewer Marines"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-smg-jwplayer-video\"><atype-video-jwplayer nostick=\"true\" playlisturl=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/v2\/playlists\/fCzRqMW8?tags=069455ab-514f-4973-baad-2387fd09401d\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/video-poster-069455ab-514f-4973-baad-2387fd09401d.png\" aspectratio=\"16 \/ 9\" mute autostart=\"false\"><\/atype-video-jwplayer><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Marine Corps will implement a new squad formation structure in order to meet the demands of future warfighting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marine Corps is setting in motion plans to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/02\/14\/big-changes-coming-to-the-marine-corps-rifle-squads-and-scout-sniper-platoons\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover248232\"> shrink the size of the traditional rifle squad<\/a>, cutting manpower for the Corps\u2019 most basic building block of combat power from 13 Marines down to 12 \u2014 a risky move that the Corps admits could fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To compensate for the reduced size, Marine Corps officials say the rifle squads will get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/marine-corps-times\/2018\/01\/22\/modernizing-infantry-marines-big-changes-coming-as-grunts-take-on-more-special-ops-style-missions\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">more lethal weaponry, more responsibilities, better intel and enhanced support <\/a>from the company and battalion level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet the decision to remove a man from the squad adds a level of risk: At the end of the day there will be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/2018\/04\/11\/the-coming-infantryman-may-see-a-smarter-corps-multiple-jobs-for-grunts\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">one less Marine to help carry gear<\/a>, to return fire, to stand watch or to divide up work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf someone goes down as a casualty, there will be fewer people who can evacuate the casualty,\u201d one former Marine infantry officer told Marine Corps Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/05\/04\/12-man-rifle-squads-including-a-squad-systems-operator-commandant-says\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Marine-rifle-squad.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">12-man rifle squads, including a squad systems operator, commandant says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">And all squad members will carry the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marine Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller\u2019s push to reshape \u00adinfantry squads \u2014 in size, weaponry, tactics and technology \u2014 comes at a time when the Corps is trying to modernize the way it wages war to prepare for a fight with a near-peer competitor like China or Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision to drop down to a 12-man squad appears in part driven by manpower concerns and the need to expand the Corps\u2019 capability in other areas like cyber, intelligence and electronic warfare while also staying below the Pentagon\u2019s authorized force cap that will see only tepid growth in the coming year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cutting one Marine from the 13-man rifle squad model will give the Corps an additional 648 Marines to assign somewhere else across the force, which Marine Corps officials hope will offset the potential for added risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s just a cost that the whole MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) has to pay to fight in the 5th dimension (cyber) and remain in the 186,500-force level,\u201d a military official told Marine Corps Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reduced rifle squad gives the Corps wiggle room to plus up billets across the force in high-demand areas. For now, the Corps has been vague on what it plans to do with the extra 648 billets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps also has about 1,100 billets available to fill offensive and defensive cyber roles in the new 1700 military occupational specialty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR-INSIDE-0528.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27775\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR-INSIDE-0528.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR-INSIDE-0528.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR-INSIDE-0528.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR-INSIDE-0528.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Corps argues its decision on the 12-Marine rifle squad was in part based on increasing lethality. (Staff Sgt. Dengrier M. Baez\/Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Marine Corps is assessing the best way to use this extra \u00adstructure,\u201d Marine spokeswoman Capt. Ryan Alvis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neller announced plans for the new squad size at the Corps\u2019 ground awards dinner in early May. He hinted that some of the available force structure from trimming the rifle squad could be used to plus up the four additional Javelin anti-tank missile teams headed to the Corps\u2019 weapons companies, or filling intelligence roles across the infantry battalions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless, not everyone has been a fan of Neller\u2019s decision to reduce the rifle squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you have a smaller squad, fewer people will be standing longer watch periods leading to exhaustion and the inherent risks that \u00adposes,\u201d the former infantry officer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And additional training raises some concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou will have Marines who already have so much they have to accomplish as part of predeployment training, and we are adding an additional (\u00adcomplex) requirement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, some former infantry squad leaders who spoke to Marine Corps Times felt the changes were manageable and also not necessarily new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe used to run 10 Marines squads on patrols because we were \u00adshort-handed,\u201d Pablo Colon, a former Marine squad leader who deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan. \u201cFeels to me that the shorter the element the easier to control during a firefight, because that\u2019s when everybody loses their mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new squad will be divided into three fireteams of three Marines with one squad leader, assistant squad leader and squad systems operator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There will be a grenadier \u00adbrandishing an M320 grenade launcher and \u00adautomatic rifleman in each fireteam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the Corps is mindful that its experimentation could fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe commandant has made clear that all changes are to be reversible, if we learn we need to adjust,\u201d Alvis said. \u201cThe experimentation battalion, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, will be tasked to further assess the best way to phase all changes to transition to the 12-Marine squad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, currently, the Corps says there are \u201cno drawbacks to the 12-Marine squad that are not accounted for by the additional leadership, weapons and equipment sourcing. However, should a drawback become evident, we will adjust,\u201d Alvis explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It will take a while before the Corps fully implements a 12-man structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changes to doctrine and polices are ongoing and should be completed by fiscal year 2021, according to Alvis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps\u2019 training manuals will be reviewed and updated this fall before the infantry school houses begin to incorporate the 12-man squad into its training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>NEW GEAR<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps argues its decision on the 12-man squad was in part based on increasing lethality. But how is a smaller squad made more lethal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps argues it\u2019s all about proper manning, training and the new gear coming to grunts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAlthough one Marine is being taken from the roster, the agility and lethality of the squad is increased by arming the squad with the right weapons, surveillance and communications equipment,\u201d Alvis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And there is a \u201ccommitment from the Corps to man those squads at 12 Marines 100 percent of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initiatives, like incentives, are being considered to ensure Infantry Small Unit Leaders Course-trained squad leaders, with five to seven years of experience, arrive at units a full year prior to a deployment, Alvis said. The Infantry Small Unit Leaders Course is a six-week course that trains infantry sergeants and develops leadership skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And new gear should pick up slack in expected loss of lethality or firepower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grunts are getting new automatic rifles known as the M27s, upgraded night vision goggles and M320 grenade launchers, quadcopters, and will be fielded both the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle and M38 marksman rifle with a suppressor and Leupold scoped optic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nick Vaughan, a former Marine squad leader who served in Iraq, said, \u201cNow that the M27s are going to be issued across the board and the SAW (M249 SAW) is thankfully on its way out, I don\u2019t really see a net loss of firepower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And \u201cthree-man fire teams can maneuver just as effectively as four-man teams, especially when the ability to put down meaningful covering fire is universally distributed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>MORE WEIGHT?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet plans for new gear and \u00adfewer \u00adMarines fuel concerns about \u00adburdening Marines with more weight, and that is a big concern for grunts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vaughan said, \u201cI sincerely hope that this new plan has a way to \u00adaccount for gear distribution that doesn\u2019t increase the net load per man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commandant acknowledges that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can\u2019t just keep adding stuff on,\u201d Neller said in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR_coverinside_01.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27779\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR_coverinside_01.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR_coverinside_01.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR_coverinside_01.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MAR_coverinside_01.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At the end of the day there will be one less Marine to help carry gear, to return fire, to stand watch or to divide up work. (Lance Cpl. Angel D. Travis\/Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps still is experimenting with ways to reduce the weight grunts carry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps says it is approaching the issue \u201cholistically,\u201d while considering changes from everything a Marine wears on his body to what he shoots and carries, said spokesman Capt. Joshua Pena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the gear the Corps plans to field to reduce weight and aid in mobility are the Plate Carrier Gen III, which has reduced in weight by 23 percent over previous models, and \u201cnew tropical boots and uniforms that are thinner, lighter and faster drying,\u201d Pena said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps also is looking at new tech to reduce the amount of batteries a Marine has to carry in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One such device is called the Squad Power Manager, or SPM, made by Protonex Technology Corporation. The device acts as a power hub that can power and charge multiple devices using solar, according to Lawrence Holsworth, a marketing director for Protonex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Protonex says the Corps has been interested in battery powering and charging technology, and that its devices can save up to 35 pounds in batteries during a 72-hour mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps has tested a power management system that draws solar with four classes at the Infantry Officer Course at Quantico, Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, the Corps wants to get rid of its heavy brass cased ammunition for a new polymer casing that is consumed when a weapon is fired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>BETTER INTEL<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another major concern is that infantry units could be overloaded with too much information that will flow in from new tech-like drones and tablets that enhance situational awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every rifle company will have an intelligence and operations section to aid in collections and analysis. And an information management officer, information environment operations officer and a chief to integrate the information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the rifle company, a master sergeant will oversee three intelligence Marines and four operations \u00adMarines. There also will be five Marines with every rifle company to handle drone operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Marine squad leader Nick Vaughan said, \u201cI think the formalization of an assistant squad leader type role to handle the massively increased electronic warfare\/C3 demands on the rifle squad was something I would have killed for when I was in the role.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Corps is cutting manpower in the infantry squad: from 13 Marines down to 12.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":27773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":70,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,23,93,12,25,70],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3351],"class_list":["post-12347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-army"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"G7633ICWNJFRZBRHGQENEJQP7M","arc_canonical_url":"\/newsletters\/daily-news-roundup\/2018\/05\/21\/shrinking-the-infantry-squad-why-the-corps-wants-to-fight-with-fewer-marines\/","remove_feature_photo":true,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"remove-feature-image","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Shrinking the infantry squad: Why the Corps wants to fight with fewer Marines - Army Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Corps is cutting manpower in the infantry squad: from 13 Marines down to 12.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shrinking the infantry squad: Why the Corps wants to fight with fewer Marines\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Corps is cutting manpower in the infantry squad: from 13 Marines down to 12.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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