American Rifle Platoon

Includes one Formation HQ team, nine M249 SAW teams, two M47 Dragon teams, two M60 LMG teams, two SMAW teams and one 60mm Mortar team

A rifle platoon is organised into three rifle squads and a platoon headquarters. Each rifle squad has a squad leader and is divided into three four-man fire teams, one with a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), a team leader with a M16 and a M203 grenade launcher, and two men with M16 assault rifles. The platoon headquarters consists of a platoon leader and three men all with M16 assault rifles.

Though the Marine rifle company has little transport of its own they can be provided with transport from the division’s assault amphibian battalion AAVP7 assault amphibious vehicles or by the helicopters of the Marine aircraft group supporting their division. However, they are equally adept at moving and fighting on foot.